# Internet Archive Scraper: Items and Metadata | $1/1K (`one_dollar_store/internet-archive-items-scraper`) Actor

$1 per 1,000 results, platform usage included. Items from archive.org (books, video, audio, images, software, web) via its official search and metadata APIs: title, creator, dates, downloads, size, formats, files. Search, filter or list by identifier. No key.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/one_dollar_store/internet-archive-items-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [One Dollar Store](https://apify.com/one_dollar_store) (community)
- **Categories:** Other, Videos
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.00 / 1,000 results

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/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
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.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## 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.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Internet Archive Scraper: Items and Metadata from archive.org

**$1 per 1,000 items. Platform usage included. No rental, no minimum.**

[Open it in Apify Console](https://console.apify.com/actors/iMUWXDMBgOyI2GPdI/input)

### What it costs

| Items | Price |
|---|---|
| 1,000 | $1.00 |
| 10,000 | $10.00 |
| 100,000 | $100.00 |

Plus $0.001 per run. One flat price, platform usage included, so there is no separate compute or proxy bill. A weekly run that reads the 200 most recently added items of a collection costs $0.201 (200 results plus the run fee), about $0.80 for four weeks.

### Why use it

- **Items with their numbers.** Each row has the title, creator, description, dates, media type, collections, subjects, languages, file formats, total size, file count and download counts.
- **Search, filter or list by identifier.** Use search words or the Internet Archive search syntax, narrow by collection, media type, creator and date range, or paste a list of item identifiers.
- **Optional file list.** Turn on the file list to get each item's files with name, format, size and a direct download link.
- **Polite to the site.** The Internet Archive asks automated tools to identify themselves, pause between requests and honour its rate limit signals. The actor does all three.
- **Official APIs, no key.** Data comes from the Internet Archive's search and item metadata APIs. No login, no token.

### Quick start

1. Open the actor, type search words, press **Start**.
2. Or paste this input:

```json
{ "searchQuery": "moon landing", "mediatypes": ["movies"], "sortBy": "downloads", "maxItems": 100 }
```

3. Download the results as JSON, CSV or Excel, or read them through the API.

### Use it from code

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/one_dollar_store~internet-archive-items-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"searchQuery": "moon landing", "mediatypes": ["movies"], "maxItems": 50}'
```

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("one_dollar_store/internet-archive-items-scraper").call(
    run_input={"searchQuery": "moon landing", "mediatypes": ["movies"], "maxItems": 50}
)
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item["identifier"], item.get("downloads"), item["title"])
```

### Use it from an AI assistant

Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and other assistants can call this actor through Apify's MCP server. Add it with this server address:

```
https://mcp.apify.com?tools=one_dollar_store/internet-archive-items-scraper
```

Then ask, for example: "Find the 30 most downloaded videos about the moon landing on the Internet Archive and give me the identifier, title and year."

### Switching from another Internet Archive actor

Most Internet Archive actors take a search query, a collection or an identifier list, and a result limit. Here they are `searchQuery`, `collections`, `identifiers` and `maxItems`. The core output fields are `identifier`, `title`, `creator`, `mediaType`, `itemDate`, `downloads` and `itemUrl`.

### Input

| Field | Type | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| `searchQuery` | text | none | Search words, or the Internet Archive search syntax such as `title:(apollo) AND subject:nasa`. |
| `identifiers` | list of text | none | Item identifiers, one per line (the last part of `archive.org/details/IDENTIFIER`). Up to 500. |
| `collections` | list of text | none | Collection identifiers, for example `nasa`. An item is kept when it is in any of them. |
| `mediatypes` | list | all | `texts`, `movies`, `audio`, `image`, `software`, `data`, `web`, `etree`, `collection`. |
| `creator` | text | none | The creator credited on the item. |
| `dateField` | text | `date` | Which date the two date fields use: `date` (the item's own date) or `publicdate` (when it was added to the archive). |
| `dateFrom`, `dateTo` | text | none | Dates as `2020-01-31`. |
| `sortBy` | text | `downloads` | `downloads`, `relevance`, `newest-added`, `oldest-added`, `newest-item`, `oldest-item`, `title`, `largest`. |
| `includeFileList` | true or false | false | Adds each item's first 100 files and the time it last changed. One extra request per item. |
| `maxItems` | number | 100 | Total items for the run. Minimum 10, maximum 10,000. |

With no search words, no filters and no identifiers, the actor lists the most downloaded items on the whole archive.

### Output fields

| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `identifier`, `title`, `creator`, `description` | The item identifier, title, creator (several are joined with a semicolon) and the description as plain text, cut at 3,000 characters. |
| `mediaType`, `collections`, `subjects`, `languages`, `formats` | Kind of item, the collections it is in, its subject tags, languages and file formats. Lists that users made of their favorites are left out of `collections`. |
| `favoritedByCount` | How many users have the item on a favorites list. |
| `itemDate`, `addedAt` | The date on the item and when it was made public on the archive. |
| `downloads`, `downloadsLastWeek`, `downloadsLastMonth` | Download counts kept by the Internet Archive. |
| `itemSizeBytes`, `fileCount` | Total size of the files and how many there are. |
| `licenseUrl`, `publisher`, `contributor`, `runtime`, `imageCount` | Set when the uploader filled them in. |
| `itemUrl`, `downloadUrl`, `thumbnailUrl` | The item page, the download folder and the thumbnail. |
| `files`, `filesListed`, `lastUpdatedAt` | Only with `includeFileList`: up to 100 files with `name`, `format`, `source`, `sizeBytes` and `url`, how many were listed, and when the item last changed. |
| `scrapedAt` | When the actor read the record. |

Fields an item does not have are left out.

### Sample results

Real rows from test runs on 20 October 2026, with long text shortened and some fields left out.

```json
[
  {"identifier": "Experime1940", "title": "Experiments in the Revival of Organisms", "creator": "Techfilm Studio, Moscow", "mediaType": "movies", "itemDate": "1940-01-01T00:00:00Z", "downloads": 772522, "itemSizeBytes": 1719948065, "fileCount": 52, "favoritedByCount": 1164, "licenseUrl": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/", "runtime": "19:31", "itemUrl": "https://archive.org/details/Experime1940"},
  {"identifier": "Apollo1116mmOnboardFilm", "title": "APOLLO 11 16MM ONBOARD FILM", "creator": "NASA/Johnson Space Center", "mediaType": "movies", "itemDate": "1969-01-01T00:00:00Z", "downloads": 301232, "itemSizeBytes": 5493529016, "fileCount": 103, "favoritedByCount": 188, "itemUrl": "https://archive.org/details/Apollo1116mmOnboardFilm"},
  {"identifier": "Levoyagedanslalune", "title": "Le voyage dans la lune", "mediaType": "movies", "downloads": 284378, "itemSizeBytes": 197594656, "fileCount": 33, "favoritedByCount": 363, "licenseUrl": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/fr/", "itemUrl": "https://archive.org/details/Levoyagedanslalune"}
]
```

### Limits

- **One request per second.** The Internet Archive publishes no request limit for these APIs, only a request to identify yourself, pause between requests and honour 429 and Retry-After. The actor does all three and makes about one request per second. A search page holds up to 200 items. A test run of 50 videos took about 6 seconds.
- **File lists cost time.** With `includeFileList` the actor reads one more record per item, about one second each, so about 3,000 items fit in the default time limit of one hour. The list holds the first 100 files; `fileCount` always shows the real total. For more items with file lists, raise Timeout under Run options. If a run reaches the limit it stops cleanly and keeps what it has.
- **Up to 10,000 items per run.** The search does not page deeper than that. For a bigger pull, split the search by date range.
- **Many fields are optional.** Uploaders fill in what they like. In a test of 50 videos, 37 had an item date, 35 a creator, 28 a license link, 11 a language and 6 a publisher. Fields an item lacks are left out.
- **A row is not a download.** Some items are lending only or restricted, so a download link may not open the files. The actor reads public item records, not the files.
- **Search is the archive's.** Which items match, and the order for `relevance`, are decided by the Internet Archive. A search it cannot parse, for example with unbalanced brackets, returns no results and a note in the run log.
- **Counts are the archive's.** `downloads`, `downloadsLastWeek` and `downloadsLastMonth` are the figures the Internet Archive keeps and can lag behind.
- **Text is plain.** Descriptions have their HTML removed and are cut at 3,000 characters. Several creators, titles or descriptions on one item are joined with a semicolon.
- **Favorites lists are left out.** Popular items sit in hundreds of lists that users made of their favorites. They are left out of `collections`, and their number is in `favoritedByCount`.

### FAQ

**How much does it cost to scrape 10,000 items?**
$10, plus $0.001 for each run.

**Do I pay for compute or proxy on top?**
No. Platform usage is included in the $1 per 1,000 price. The Internet Archive APIs are read directly, so no proxy is used.

**Where does the data come from?**
From the Internet Archive's public search and item metadata APIs. No key and no login are needed.

**How do I get the files of an item?**
Turn on `includeFileList`. Each file has its name, format, size and a direct download link. Without it, `downloadUrl` points to the folder that lists the files.

**How do I find items added recently?**
Set `dateField` to `publicdate` and `dateFrom` to a recent date, and set `sortBy` to `newest-added`. Use `identifier` to drop items you already have.

**Can I look up items I already know?**
Yes. Put their identifiers in `identifiers`, one per line. Identifiers that do not exist are skipped.

**Is it legal?**
The actor reads public data only, with no login. How you use items and their metadata is up to you: follow the source's terms and the law where you live, and check the license of each item before you reuse it.

**Is this an official Internet Archive product?**
No. It is an independent tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Internet Archive.

**Do I need an Apify account?**
Yes. Actors run from an Apify account, and a free account is enough to start: it includes $5 of platform usage every month. You can [sign up here](https://www.apify.com?fpr=ymnoit). This is a referral link and it costs you nothing.

**Is there a limit on the free plan?**
Yes. A run started from a free plan account delivers the first 10 results, then ends with a message and a link to the plans. Any paid plan returns everything you ask for, up to your own limit. The price per result is the same on every plan.

### More from The One Dollar Store

Every actor here costs $1 per 1,000 results, platform usage included. See the whole store: https://apify.com/one_dollar_store

**Open data and statistics**

- [Eurostat Scraper](https://apify.com/one_dollar_store/eurostat-statistics-scraper): EU statistics tables as rows.
- [Socrata Open Data Search](https://apify.com/one_dollar_store/socrata-open-data-search): Datasets and rows from city and state portals.
- [World Bank Indicators](https://apify.com/one_dollar_store/world-bank-indicators): Country indicators by year.
- [Wikipedia Pageviews](https://apify.com/one_dollar_store/wikipedia-pageviews-stats): Daily and monthly views per article.
- [GDELT Scraper](https://apify.com/one_dollar_store/gdelt-news-events-scraper): Worldwide news articles by theme and tone.

### Changelog

- October 2026: first release.

# Actor input Schema

## `searchQuery` (type: `string`):

Optional. Words to look for, for example moon landing. You can also use the Internet Archive search syntax, for example title:(apollo) AND subject:nasa. Leave empty and use the filters below, or leave everything empty to list the most downloaded items.

## `identifiers` (type: `array`):

Optional. One item identifier per line, the last part of an item address (archive.org/details/IDENTIFIER). Up to 500 identifiers.

## `collections` (type: `array`):

Optional. One collection identifier per line, for example nasa or prelinger. An item is kept when it belongs to any of them.

## `mediatypes` (type: `array`):

Optional. Keep only these kinds of items. Leave empty for all kinds.

## `creator` (type: `string`):

Optional. Name of the author, artist or uploader credited on the item, for example NASA.

## `dateField` (type: `string`):

Which date the two date fields below use. Item date is the date the item itself carries (for example the year of a book). Added date is when the item was added to the Internet Archive.

## `dateFrom` (type: `string`):

Optional. Earliest date, written 2020-01-31.

## `dateTo` (type: `string`):

Optional. Latest date, written 2020-12-31.

## `sortBy` (type: `string`):

Order of the results.

## `includeFileList` (type: `boolean`):

Adds the files inside each item (name, format, size, download link; the first 100 files) and the time it last changed. It costs one extra request per item, at one request per second, so 50 items take about a minute.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

The run stops after this many items. Minimum 10, maximum 10,000. The site is read at about one request per second, and each search page holds up to 200 items.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "searchQuery": "moon landing",
  "mediatypes": [
    "movies"
  ],
  "dateField": "date",
  "sortBy": "downloads",
  "includeFileList": false,
  "maxItems": 50
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

## `summary` (type: `string`):

No description

# 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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "searchQuery": "moon landing",
    "mediatypes": [
        "movies"
    ],
    "sortBy": "downloads",
    "includeFileList": false,
    "maxItems": 50
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("one_dollar_store/internet-archive-items-scraper").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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "searchQuery": "moon landing",
    "mediatypes": ["movies"],
    "sortBy": "downloads",
    "includeFileList": False,
    "maxItems": 50,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("one_dollar_store/internet-archive-items-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "searchQuery": "moon landing",
  "mediatypes": [
    "movies"
  ],
  "sortBy": "downloads",
  "includeFileList": false,
  "maxItems": 50
}' |
apify call one_dollar_store/internet-archive-items-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,one_dollar_store/internet-archive-items-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/iMUWXDMBgOyI2GPdI/builds/Dt0QpszpjjdJQ1pCS/openapi.json