# Local Business Monitor — Google Maps Alerts (Vigia) (`om_kh/vigia-local-business-monitor`) Actor Track Google Maps business listings for your locations or competitors and get only what changed: rating moves, review-count jumps, closures, reopenings, hours and contact changes. Charged only on real changes. Ideal for local-SEO and competitor-watch agents. - **URL**: https://apify.com/om\_kh/vigia-local-business-monitor.md - **Developed by:** [omar khandji](https://apify.com/om_kh) (community) - **Categories:** Business, Lead generation - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing Pay per event This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## Local Business Monitor — Google Maps Alerts (Vigia) > Track Google Maps business listings for your locations or competitors and get only what changed: rating moves, review-count jumps, closures, reopenings, hours and contact changes. Charged only on real changes. Ideal for local-SEO and competitor-watch agents. ### What it does Monitor a local business listing for hours, rating and info changes. You get **only what changed since your last check** — never a full re-dump to diff yourself. ### Why Vigia — 5 advantages a raw scraper can't match 1. **You pay the alert price only for real change.** New-place change alerts are billed only for genuinely new place changes since your last check. A quiet run bills just the small source-check fee (the cost of looking) — never the alert price on unchanged data. Raw scrapers bill every row of a full re-scan every run. 2. **Never billed on a failed source.** The source check is charged only when the source actually responded. If it's down, you don't pay for our outage. 3. **Append-only delta + spike signal.** The first monitored run stores a free baseline; later runs deliver only what's new, plus a velocity-spike alert when volume suddenly surges (trend / review-bomb / hiring-surge). 4. **Hard cost cap you control.** Set `maxTotalChargeUsd` and the run can never bill above it — predictable spend, no surprise invoice. 5. **Agent-ready output.** Clean, normalized rows and a `RUN_SUMMARY.json` with ready-to-use signals — chainable from any MCP / A2A agent in one step. ### Example input ```json { "placeUrls": [ "https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJN1t_tDeuEmsRUsoyG83frY4" ], "monitorEnabled": true, "maxTotalChargeUsd": 1.0 } ```` Set `monitorEnabled: true` so the first run stores a free baseline and later runs return only new results. Pin a `monitorId` to keep separate targets from sharing state. ### Output Each row is a normalized change record: `record_id`, `change_type`, `title`, `rating`, `previous_rating`, `rating_change`, `changed_fields`, `address`. A `RUN_SUMMARY.json` accompanies every run with the aggregated signal (counts, velocity spikes, trend). ### How you're charged - **Place change alert** — billed once per new place change since the last check (this is the only charge that scales with change). - **Source check** ($0.10) — billed once per monitored target per run, **only when the source responded**. A failed source is free. - **A quiet run bills only the source check** ($0.10), never the alert price. Vigia never scrapes the source itself; it chains a licensed scraper, caps every call, and passes you only the delta. *** *Part of the Vigia monitoring suite — change-only billing, outage-safe, agent-ready.* # Actor input Schema ## `placeUrls` (type: `array`): Google Maps URLs for the business(es) or competitors to track. ## `searchQueries` (type: `array`): Alternative to placeUrls: search terms, e.g. "coffee shop" combined with a location. ## `locationQuery` (type: `string`): City/region to search in, e.g. "Montreal, Canada". Only used with searchQueries. ## `currentPlaces` (type: `array`): Bring your own place records (e.g. from a prior Google Maps scraper run) instead of Vigia fetching them. ## `monitorEnabled` (type: `boolean`): The first monitored run stores a free baseline. Later runs deliver and charge only changes. ## `monitorId` (type: `string`): Pins the persistent baseline to a name of your choice. Leave empty to derive it automatically. ## `maxTotalChargeUsd` (type: `number`): Hard maximum amount that this run's own change events may charge. Does not cap the separate cost of the chained Google Maps scraper call. ## `sources` (type: `array`): Declare every upstream source before this run. ## Actor input object example ```json { "placeUrls": [ "https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJN1t_tDeuEmsRUsoyG83frY4" ], "searchQueries": [], "locationQuery": "", "currentPlaces": [], "monitorEnabled": false, "monitorId": "", "maxTotalChargeUsd": 1, "sources": [ { "name": "Google Maps place data (via compass/crawler-google-places)", "authorization": "public_search_results", "estimated_cost_usd": 0.0015 } ] } ``` # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "placeUrls": [ "https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJN1t_tDeuEmsRUsoyG83frY4" ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("om_kh/vigia-local-business-monitor").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "placeUrls": ["https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJN1t_tDeuEmsRUsoyG83frY4"] } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("om_kh/vigia-local-business-monitor").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "placeUrls": [ "https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJN1t_tDeuEmsRUsoyG83frY4" ] }' | apify call om_kh/vigia-local-business-monitor --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=om_kh/vigia-local-business-monitor", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Local Business Monitor — Google Maps Alerts (Vigia)", "description": "Track Google Maps business listings for your locations or competitors and get only what changed: rating moves, review-count jumps, closures, reopenings, hours and contact changes. Charged only on real changes. Ideal for local-SEO and competitor-watch agents.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "lpbg03QINwieP0Ot5" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/om_kh~vigia-local-business-monitor/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-om_kh-vigia-local-business-monitor", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/om_kh~vigia-local-business-monitor/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-om_kh-vigia-local-business-monitor", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/om_kh~vigia-local-business-monitor/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-om_kh-vigia-local-business-monitor", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "maxTotalChargeUsd" ], "properties": { "placeUrls": { "title": "Google Maps place URLs", "type": "array", "description": "Google Maps URLs for the business(es) or competitors to track.", "default": [], "items": { "type": "string" } }, "searchQueries": { "title": "Search queries (advanced)", "type": "array", "description": "Alternative to placeUrls: search terms, e.g. \"coffee shop\" combined with a location.", "default": [], "items": { "type": "string" } }, "locationQuery": { "title": "Location (for search queries)", "type": "string", "description": "City/region to search in, e.g. \"Montreal, Canada\". Only used with searchQueries.", "default": "" }, "currentPlaces": { "title": "Current places (advanced)", "type": "array", "description": "Bring your own place records (e.g. from a prior Google Maps scraper run) instead of Vigia fetching them.", "default": [] }, "monitorEnabled": { "title": "Monitor only changes", "type": "boolean", "description": "The first monitored run stores a free baseline. Later runs deliver and charge only changes.", "default": false }, "monitorId": { "title": "Monitor ID (optional)", "type": "string", "description": "Pins the persistent baseline to a name of your choice. Leave empty to derive it automatically.", "default": "" }, "maxTotalChargeUsd": { "title": "Maximum Vigia charge (USD)", "minimum": 0, "type": "number", "description": "Hard maximum amount that this run's own change events may charge. Does not cap the separate cost of the chained Google Maps scraper call.", "default": 1 }, "sources": { "title": "Declared upstream sources and estimated costs", "type": "array", "description": "Declare every upstream source before this run.", "default": [ { "name": "Google Maps place data (via compass/crawler-google-places)", "authorization": "public_search_results", "estimated_cost_usd": 0.0015 } ] } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```