# Startpage Images Scraper (`parsebird/startpage-images-scraper`) Actor Scrape Startpage image search results — a Google Images alternative with no tracking. Get original image URLs, thumbnails, source pages, and dimensions for any query. Filter by region, language, safe search, and time period. Export as JSON, CSV, Excel. - **URL**: https://apify.com/parsebird/startpage-images-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [ParseBird](https://apify.com/parsebird) (community) - **Categories:** Videos, SEO tools, Automation - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 1 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $1.00 / 1,000 startpage image results This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have. 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. - **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use). - **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`. - **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`. - **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`. - **Any other language** — 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 ### Startpage Images Scraper Scrape image search results from [Startpage](https://www.startpage.com), the leading **Google Images alternative** that returns tracking-free image results without ads or search history logging. The Startpage Images Scraper is a **Google Images alternative** API for developers — enter one or more queries and get back structured original image URLs, thumbnails, source pages, and dimensions, ready for visual research, mood boards, or AI agent workflows.
Run unlimited queries with pagination and automatic duplicate removal, filter by 63 regions, 82 languages, safe search level, and time period — get clean image data without ads or personalization noise.
##### Copy to your AI assistant Copy this block into ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or any LLM to start using this actor. ``` Startpage Images Scraper (parsebird/startpage-images-scraper) — Scrapes image search results from Startpage, a Google Images alternative with no tracking. Input: {"queries": ["sustainable architecture timber"], "maxItems": 10, "region": "all", "language": "english", "safeSearch": "moderate", "timePeriod": "any"}. Fields: queries (string array, required — each query is fully paginated before the next starts), maxItems (integer, required — max image results across all queries combined, 0 = unlimited), region (63 supported locales, e.g. en_US, de_DE, es_ES; default all), language (82 supported languages; default english), safeSearch (strict/moderate/off; default moderate), timePeriod (any/day/week/month/year; default any). Outputs per result: query, position, page, pagePosition, title, imageUrl, thumbnailUrl, sourceUrl, width, height, thumbnailWidth, thumbnailHeight, format, fileSize, anonymousImageUrl (conditional). API: POST https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/parsebird~startpage-images-scraper/runs?token=YOUR_TOKEN. Get token: https://console.apify.com/account#/integrations ``` ### What does Startpage Images Scraper do? **Startpage Images Scraper** turns any Startpage image query into structured JSON, CSV, or Excel data — the same image results you see at [startpage.com](https://www.startpage.com), but machine-readable. Startpage is a **Google Images alternative** that surfaces Bing Images results through a tracking-free proxy, making it a practical source for privacy-conscious visual research. Enter your queries, set your filters, and the scraper: - 🔍 Runs one or more image search queries, each fully paginated before the next starts - 🖼️ Extracts original image URLs, thumbnails, source pages, and titles - 📐 Captures full image and thumbnail dimensions, file format, and file size - 🔗 Includes Startpage's Anonymous View proxy link for each image, when present - 🌍 Filters by region (63 Startpage-supported locales) and language (82 supported languages) - 🛡️ Controls explicit-content filtering with strict, moderate, or off safe search - ⏱️ Restricts results to a recent time window — past day, week, month, or year - ♾️ Paginates automatically up to your `maxItems` limit, with built-in duplicate image removal - ⚡ Runs on lightweight infrastructure (128–512 MB) — fast and cost-efficient Because Startpage is a **Google Images alternative**, this scraper is a practical way to pull image search data for design research, mood boards, and dataset building without dealing with Google's own bot defenses directly. ### What data can you extract from Startpage image results? | Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | `query` | The original search query that produced this result | | `position` | Overall rank across all pages saved for this query | | `page` | Startpage result page number | | `pagePosition` | Rank within that specific page | | `title` | Image title returned by Startpage | | `imageUrl` | Original, full-resolution image URL | | `thumbnailUrl` | Image preview URL | | `sourceUrl` | Page that publishes the image | | `width` / `height` | Original image dimensions in pixels | | `thumbnailWidth` / `thumbnailHeight` | Thumbnail dimensions in pixels | | `format` | Reported image format (e.g. `jpeg`, `png`) | | `fileSize` | Reported file size | | `anonymousImageUrl` | Startpage's Anonymous View link for the image, when present | ### How to scrape Startpage image results 1. Open the [Startpage Images Scraper](https://apify.com/parsebird/startpage-images-scraper) on Apify 2. Enter one or more **Image Queries** — keywords like `sustainable architecture timber` 3. Set **Max Results** to control how many image results to collect across all queries (default: 10) 4. Optionally choose a **Region** and **Language** to localize results 5. Set **Safe Search** and **Time Period** if you need filtered or recent-only images 6. Click **Start** and wait for results 7. Export your data as **JSON, CSV, or Excel** from the dataset tab **Quick start input:** ```json { "queries": ["sustainable architecture timber", "biophilic office design"], "maxItems": 100, "region": "en_US", "language": "english", "safeSearch": "moderate", "timePeriod": "year" } ``` **Recent product imagery:** ```json { "queries": ["electric SUV concept interior"], "maxItems": 250, "region": "de_DE", "language": "deutsch", "safeSearch": "strict", "timePeriod": "month" } ``` ### Input parameters | Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description | |-----------|------|----------|---------|-------------| | `queries` | string array | **Yes** | — | Image search keywords. Each query is fully paginated before the next starts | | `maxItems` | integer | **Yes** | 10 | Maximum image results to save across all queries combined. Set 0 for unlimited | | `region` | string | No | all | Preferred result region — choose `all` or a supported locale such as `en_US`, `de_DE`, `es_ES` | | `language` | string | No | english | Preferred result language, selected from Startpage's 82 supported languages | | `safeSearch` | string | No | moderate | Explicit-content filtering: `strict`, `moderate`, or `off` | | `timePeriod` | string | No | any | Recency filter: `any`, `day`, `week`, `month`, or `year` | ### Output example ```json { "query": "sustainable architecture timber", "position": 1, "page": 1, "pagePosition": 1, "title": "Timber office building with planted terraces", "imageUrl": "https://images.example.org/architecture/timber-office.jpg", "thumbnailUrl": "https://tse3.mm.bing.net/th/id/example", "sourceUrl": "https://example.org/projects/timber-office", "width": 2400, "height": 1600, "thumbnailWidth": 474, "thumbnailHeight": 316, "format": "jpeg", "fileSize": "548720 B", "anonymousImageUrl": "https://browse.startpage.com/av/anon-image/example" } ``` ### Use cases - **Visual research** — Collect reference imagery for design, architecture, or product research - **Mood board building** — Pull large batches of on-topic images for creative projects - **Competitor imagery audits** — See how competitors visually present products or campaigns - **Dataset building** — Assemble labeled image URL datasets for computer vision projects - **Content sourcing** — Find candidate images for articles, presentations, or social posts - **AI agent grounding** — Feed structured Google Images alternative results into LLM pipelines and RAG systems - **Privacy-conscious research** — Collect image data without triggering Google's own tracking or personalization - **Trend monitoring** — Schedule recurring runs to track how visual coverage of a topic shifts over time ### How much does it cost to scrape Startpage Images? The Startpage Images Scraper uses [pay-per-event pricing](https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event). You are charged per image result scraped — no separate compute fees on top. | Event | Price per event | Price per 1,000 | |-------|----------------|-----------------| | `result-scraped` (Free) | $0.0015 | **$1.50** | | `result-scraped` (Bronze) | $0.0014 | **$1.40** | | `result-scraped` (Silver) | $0.0012 | **$1.20** | | `result-scraped` (Gold) | $0.001 | **$1.00** | Each result pushed to the dataset counts as one event. For example, scraping 1,000 results on the Free plan costs $1.50, and $1.00 on the Gold plan. [Apify's Free plan](https://apify.com/pricing) includes monthly platform credits, so you can try the Startpage Images Scraper's free trial before committing to a paid plan. ### Integrations and API access Use the Startpage Images Scraper programmatically via the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2), [JavaScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js), or [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python). **Python:** ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient client = ApifyClient("YOUR_API_TOKEN") run = client.actor("parsebird/startpage-images-scraper").call(run_input={ "queries": ["sustainable architecture timber"], "maxItems": 50, "region": "en_US", }) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item["position"], item["imageUrl"]) ``` **JavaScript:** ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from "apify-client"; const client = new ApifyClient({ token: "YOUR_API_TOKEN" }); const run = await client.actor("parsebird/startpage-images-scraper").call({ queries: ["sustainable architecture timber"], maxItems: 50, region: "en_US", }); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => console.log(item.position, item.imageUrl)); ``` You can also connect the Startpage Images Scraper to [Google Sheets](https://apify.com/integrations/google-sheets), [Slack](https://apify.com/integrations/slack), [Zapier](https://apify.com/integrations/zapier), [Make](https://apify.com/integrations/make), and other platforms via [Apify integrations](https://apify.com/integrations). Schedule runs [daily, weekly, or at any interval](https://docs.apify.com/platform/schedules) for automated visual monitoring, and export results as JSON, CSV, or Excel directly from the dataset tab. ### Is it legal to scrape Startpage Images? Scraping publicly available search results is generally considered legal based on the [2022 US appeals court ruling](https://blog.apify.com/is-web-scraping-legal/) in *hiQ Labs v. LinkedIn*. This actor only accesses publicly available image search results and metadata — it does not download or redistribute copyrighted images, log in, or access private data. Always review [Startpage's Terms of Service](https://www.startpage.com/en/terms-of-service.html) and comply with applicable copyright laws before reusing any images referenced in the results. For guidance, see [Apify's guide to web scraping legality](https://blog.apify.com/is-web-scraping-legal/). ### Related Actors Looking for other search data sources on Apify? - [Startpage Search Scraper](https://apify.com/parsebird/startpage-search-scraper) — Scrape Startpage organic web search results, a Google SERP alternative - [Startpage News Scraper](https://apify.com/parsebird/startpage-news-scraper) — Scrape Startpage news search results, a Google News alternative - [Startpage Videos Scraper](https://apify.com/parsebird/startpage-videos-scraper) — Scrape Startpage video search results, a Google Videos alternative ### FAQ **Is Startpage Images really a Google Images alternative?** Yes. Startpage surfaces Bing Images results through a tracking-free proxy with no ads, personalization, or search history logging — making it a practical **Google Images alternative** for privacy-conscious visual research. **How many results can I scrape per run?** Set `maxItems` to any number, or `0` to paginate until Startpage stops returning results. Results are shared across all queries in the `queries` list, and each query is fully paginated before the next one starts. Duplicate images within a query are automatically removed. **Why do my region or language filters not change every result?** Startpage ranks images by relevance first. A strongly English-dominant query can keep returning results from English-language sites even with a different language filter applied. Region and language settings bias which locale of the index is queried, but don't force a specific language onto every result. **Does this actor download the actual image files?** No. This actor only extracts image metadata — URLs, dimensions, format, and file size. It does not download or store image files. **What is the `anonymousImageUrl` field?** It's Startpage's built-in Anonymous View link — a proxy URL that lets you view the image without the destination site seeing your IP address or browser fingerprint. It's only included when Startpage provides one for a result. **Can I schedule recurring runs?** Yes. Use [Apify's scheduling feature](https://docs.apify.com/platform/schedules) to run the scraper daily, weekly, or at any custom interval — useful for ongoing visual trend monitoring on this Google Images alternative. **Can I use this with my AI assistant or MCP server?** Yes. Copy the AI assistant block from the top of this page into ChatGPT, Claude, or Cursor. You can also use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp) to connect this actor to any AI agent framework. **Something isn't working. How do I get help?** Open an issue in the [Issues tab](https://apify.com/parsebird/startpage-images-scraper/issues) on the actor page. Include your input configuration and any error messages. # Actor input Schema ## `queries` (type: `array`): Image search keywords to look up on Startpage (e.g. 'sustainable architecture timber'). Each query is fully paginated before the next one starts. ## `maxItems` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of image results to save across all queries combined. Set to 0 for unlimited (paginate until Startpage stops returning results). ## `region` (type: `string`): Preferred result region. Choose 'All regions' for unfiltered global results, or a specific locale for region-targeted results. ## `language` (type: `string`): Preferred result and interface language, selected from Startpage's 82 supported languages. ## `safeSearch` (type: `string`): Explicit-content filtering level applied to results. ## `timePeriod` (type: `string`): Restrict results to images from pages indexed within a recent time frame. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Startpage blocks most datacenter IPs outright. Residential proxies are strongly recommended for reliable results. ## Actor input object example ```json { "queries": [ "sustainable architecture timber" ], "maxItems": 10, "region": "all", "language": "english", "safeSearch": "moderate", "timePeriod": "any", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `dataset` (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 '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "queries": [ "sustainable architecture timber" ], "maxItems": 10, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("parsebird/startpage-images-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 '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "queries": ["sustainable architecture timber"], "maxItems": 10, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"], }, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("parsebird/startpage-images-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 '{ "queries": [ "sustainable architecture timber" ], "maxItems": 10, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } }' | apify call parsebird/startpage-images-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "type": "http", "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parsebird/startpage-images-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 ` 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/Ibi0H1qadLQVmatRe/builds/wvJUzyqpaLmqBrbFD/openapi.json