# Coloring.ws Printable Coloring Pages Scraper (`parseforge/coloring-ws-scraper`) Actor

Scrapes coloring page images from Coloring.ws category pages and returns each image URL with its alt text, dimensions, and parent category as a flat row.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/coloring-ws-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Education, Other
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.62 / 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.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#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

[![ParseForge](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/main/banner.jpg)](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp)

### Coloring.ws Printable Coloring Pages Scraper

**Scrape printable coloring pages from Coloring.ws by category, up to a million images per run.** Each image comes with its alt text, dimensions, and the category it belongs to. No login or API key. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

Coloring.ws hosts thousands of free printable coloring pages organized by theme, but browsing and saving them one by one is slow. This scraper reads the public category listings directly and returns every image URL with its metadata in a structured dataset. You can download the entire catalog or filter by the categories you care about.

| Who uses it | What they scrape Coloring.ws for |
|---|---|
| Parents and teachers | Build a local library of coloring sheets for offline classroom or home use. |
| Content creators | Gather themed coloring images to include in activity books or digital downloads. |
| App developers | Populate a kids coloring app with a diverse, categorized image set. |
| Print-on-demand sellers | Source public-domain-style artwork for coloring book products. |

### What it does

This Actor collects coloring page images from Coloring.ws category pages and returns each one as a flat row with its URL, alt text, width, height, and parent category.

- 🖼️ **Image metadata:** alt text, width, and height for every coloring page thumbnail.
- 📂 **Category grouping:** each image is linked to its parent category name and URL.
- ⚡ **Bulk extraction:** scrape the entire site index or a subset of category pages in one run.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

### What you can do with Coloring.ws data

**📚 Build a themed coloring library.**

A teacher scrapes all animal and holiday categories to create a printable binder for weekly classroom activities.

**🎨 Feed a coloring app with fresh content.**

A developer runs the scraper monthly to pull new images into a kids coloring app, keeping the catalog updated without manual uploads.

**🛒 Source artwork for a coloring book.**

A KDP seller extracts images from nature and mandala categories to compile a low-content coloring book for Amazon.

**📊 Analyze popular coloring themes.**

A market researcher scrapes the full category list and image counts to identify which themes are most common on Coloring.ws.

### Why choose this scraper

| | What you get |
|---|---|
| **Structured output** | A clean table of image URLs, alt text, dimensions, and categories. |
| **No manual saving** | Collect thousands of coloring pages without clicking through every category. |
| **Offline access** | Export the dataset and use the URLs to download images for offline printing. |
| **Always fresh** | Re-run the scraper to pick up newly added coloring pages. |

### What a Coloring.ws record looks like

Every record returns as one flat JSON row. Here is a real one from a run:

```json
{
 "imageUrl": "https://www.coloring.ws/abc/a-ant.gif",
 "categoryName": "alphabet",
 "categoryUrl": "https://www.coloring.ws/alphabet.htm",
 "imageAltText": "alphabet coloring page",
 "imageWidth": 718,
 "imageHeight": 957,
 "scrapedAt": "2026-09-04T04:08:13.867Z"
}
```

Every value above comes from a real run. A field a record does not have comes back as `null`.

### Configure the run

Drive the Actor from Coloring.ws category URLs and set a maximum number of images to collect. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

```json
{
 "startUrls": [
 {
 "url": "https://www.coloring.ws"
 }
 ],
 "maxItems": 10
}
```

A larger pull:

```json
{
 "startUrls": [
 {
 "url": "https://www.coloring.ws"
 }
 ],
 "maxItems": 200
}
```

### Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. [Upgrade your Apify plan](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp) to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

### Run it

1. [Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp).
2. Open the [Coloring.ws Printable Coloring Pages Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/coloring-ws-scraper?fpr=vmoqkp).
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click **Start**.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the **Dataset** tab.

Run it programmatically through the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) (`run-sync-get-dataset-items`) or the [ApifyClient](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js) for JavaScript and Python.

### Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to Coloring.ws through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=parseforge/coloring-ws-scraper"
```

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

### Troubleshooting

**Why am I getting no results?**

Check that the Start URLs point to valid Coloring.ws category pages. The homepage URL is pre-filled and should return results. Also verify that your Max Items is set above zero.

**The run finishes but only returns 10 items.**

Free Apify accounts are limited to 10 items per run. Upgrade to a paid plan to increase the Max Items limit and scrape more data.

**Some images are missing width or height.**

Not all images on Coloring.ws have explicit width and height attributes in the HTML. The scraper returns whatever dimensions are present and leaves the field empty when they are missing.

**The scraper times out or runs slowly.**

Coloring.ws is a static site with low anti-bot risk. If you experience timeouts, try reducing the Max Items or running during off-peak hours. You can also increase the run timeout in the Actor settings.

### FAQ

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Does this scraper download the actual image files? | No, it returns the image URLs and metadata. You can use the URLs in the dataset to download the images with a separate tool or script. |
| Can I scrape only specific categories? | Yes. Provide the URLs of the category pages you want in the Start URLs field, and the Actor will only scrape those pages. |
| Is it legal to scrape Coloring.ws? | Coloring.ws offers free printable coloring pages for personal and educational use. You are responsible for complying with their terms of service and copyright laws in your jurisdiction. |
| How many images can I scrape in one run? | Free users can scrape up to 10 items as a preview. Paid Apify users can set a maximum of up to 1,000,000 items per run. |
| What output formats are supported? | You can export your dataset in CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML formats from the Apify console or via API. |
| Does the scraper handle pagination on category pages? | Coloring.ws category pages list all images on a single page, so pagination is not needed for the current site structure. |
| Can I get the full-size image, not the thumbnail? | The scraper collects the thumbnail URLs as displayed on the category pages. Full-size image URLs may follow a different pattern and are not currently extracted. |
| How often is the data updated? | The Actor scrapes live data from Coloring.ws on each run, so you always get the current state of the site. |

### Related actors

Browse the full [ParseForge collection](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp) for more scrapers.

🆘 **Need help?** Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

### Pricing

This Actor uses **pay-per-result** pricing: **$0.004 per result** collected. You are billed only for the results you receive, so a run that returns nothing costs nothing.

⚠️ **Disclaimer.** This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Coloring.ws. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.

# Actor input Schema

## `startUrls` (type: `array`):

List of Coloring.ws page URLs to scrape. The homepage is pre-filled to return category listings.

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

Free users: Limited to 10 items (preview). Paid users: Optional, max 1,000,000

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "startUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.coloring.ws"
    }
  ],
  "maxItems": 10
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

Complete dataset of all scraped records.

# 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 = {
    "startUrls": [
        {
            "url": "https://www.coloring.ws"
        }
    ],
    "maxItems": 10
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/coloring-ws-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 = {
    "startUrls": [{ "url": "https://www.coloring.ws" }],
    "maxItems": 10,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/coloring-ws-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 '{
  "startUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.coloring.ws"
    }
  ],
  "maxItems": 10
}' |
apify call parseforge/coloring-ws-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parseforge/coloring-ws-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/dah12j3wMSQ07QyUs/builds/evR1xs1uGdcbwyJdV/openapi.json