Goodreads Genre Bestsellers Scraper

Goodreads Genre Bestsellers Scraper

Scrape Goodreads genre bestsellers by search query, up to a million books per run. Each book comes with its title, author, URL, image, and genre tags. No login or API key. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

Goodreads has no official API for genre bestseller lists, and scraping them by hand means copying rows from dozens of pages. This Actor reads the public Goodreads search results for any genre you name, filters them as they load, and returns each match in one fixed schema. It is built for researchers, booksellers, and content teams who need current genre data without writing a scraper.

Who uses it	What they scrape Goodreads for
Market researchers	Which books dominate a genre this month
Book bloggers	Fresh titles to review in their niche
Publishers	Competitive titles in a genre before acquisition
Data analysts	Genre datasets for trend models

What it does

This Actor collects Goodreads books by search query and returns each one as a flat row with title, author, book URL, image URL, and genre tags.

• 🔍 Search by genre: type a genre like fantasy, romance, or science fiction and get the top matching books.
• 📊 Flat row output: every book is one row with title, author, URL, image, and genre tags, ready for spreadsheets.
• ⚡ Fast and simple: no login, no API key, no code. Set the query and max items, then run.
• 💾 Multiple export formats: download as CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML from the Apify dataset.

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

What you can do with Goodreads data

📈 Track genre trends.

A market researcher runs the Actor weekly for 'romance' and 'science fiction' to see which titles keep appearing at the top of search results, then reports the shifts to an editorial team.

📚 Build a niche reading list.

A book blogger scrapes 'cozy mystery' to get 50 current titles with authors and covers, then picks the most promising ones for a monthly review post.

🏆 Monitor competitor titles.

A publisher scrapes 'fantasy' every Monday and compares the returned titles against their own catalog to spot breakout books early.

🧪 Feed a recommendation model.

A data analyst collects genre bestsellers for six genres over a month, exports the JSON, and uses the title and genre tags as training features.

Why choose this scraper

	What you get
No official API	Goodreads does not offer a public genre bestseller API, so this Actor reads the search results directly.
One fixed schema	Every book comes back with the same fields, so you can merge runs without cleaning.
Scale on demand	Free users get a 10-item preview; paid users can pull up to a million books per run.
Export anywhere	CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, ready for your pipeline or spreadsheet.

How it compares

This Actor focuses on genre bestseller discovery via Goodreads search, while the competitors below offer broader book data from individual book pages or author profiles.

Feature	ParseForge	Goodreads Book Scraper	Goodreads Scraper	Goodreads Scraper - Books, Authors, Ratings, Reviews & Leads
Search by genre query	Yes	Not listed	Not listed	Not listed
Returns genre tags	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Returns title and author	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Returns ratings and review counts	Not listed	Yes	Yes	Yes
Returns ISBN/ASIN	Not listed	Yes	Yes	Yes
Returns book URL and image URL	Yes	Not listed	Not listed	Not listed

What a Goodreads record looks like

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

{
 "imageUrl": "https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1751820530l/29044._SX98_.jpg",
 "title": "The Secret History",
 "author": "Donna Tartt",
 "bookUrl": "https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29044.The_Secret_History",
 "bookId": "29044",
 "discoveryRole": "source",
 "recommendationReason": "Because Brian liked…",
 "scrapedAt": "2026-08-18T01:04:29.288Z"
}

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 with a search query, usually a genre name, and set the maximum number of books to return. The query runs against Goodreads search and returns the top matches. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

{
 "searchQuery": "fantasy",
 "maxItems": 10
}

A larger pull:

{
 "searchQuery": "fantasy",
 "maxItems": 200
}

Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. Upgrade your Apify plan to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

Run it

1. Create a free Apify account.
2. Open the Goodreads Genre Bestsellers Scraper.
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 (run-sync-get-dataset-items) or the ApifyClient for JavaScript and Python.

Use with AI agents (MCP)

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

$claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=parseforge/goodreads-genre-bestsellers-scraper"

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

Troubleshooting

Why am I getting no results?

Check your searchQuery. Goodreads search may return zero results for very specific or misspelled queries. Try a broader genre name like 'fantasy' or 'romance'.

Why did I only get 10 items?

Free users are limited to 10 items as a preview. Upgrade to a paid plan and set maxItems higher to get more results.

Why are some books missing genre tags?

Goodreads does not always display genre tags on every search result. The Actor returns whatever tags are present in the HTML; missing tags are left empty.

Why did the run fail with a timeout?

Goodreads may rate-limit or block automated requests. Try reducing maxItems, adding a delay, or running at a different time.

FAQ

Question	Answer
What exactly does this Actor scrape from Goodreads?	It scrapes the public Goodreads search results for a query you provide, typically a genre name. Each result includes the book title, author, book URL, image URL, and genre tags.
Does it scrape the official Goodreads genre bestseller pages?	The Actor uses Goodreads search, which returns popular and relevant books for a genre query. It does not access the dedicated genre bestseller pages because those URLs are not stable or publicly documented.
Do I need a Goodreads account or API key?	No. The Actor reads the public search results without login or API key.
How many books can I get in one run?	Free users are limited to 10 items as a preview. Paid users can set maxItems up to 1,000,000, though the actual number depends on how many results Goodreads returns for the query.
What export formats are supported?	You can export the dataset as CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML from the Apify platform.
Can I search by author or title instead of genre?	Yes, the searchQuery field accepts any text. If you enter an author name or book title, the Actor returns the matching Goodreads search results.
Does it include ratings or review counts?	No. The current output includes title, author, book URL, image URL, and genre tags. Ratings and review counts are not part of the schema.
Is this legal to scrape?	You are responsible for complying with Goodreads' terms of service and applicable laws. Apify provides the tool, not legal advice.
How often should I run it?	For trend tracking, weekly or daily runs work well. The data changes as Goodreads updates its search rankings.
Can I schedule this Actor?	Yes, you can schedule runs in the Apify console or via the API.

Related actors

Browse the full ParseForge collection for more scrapers.

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

⚠️ Disclaimer. This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Goodreads, Inc. 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.

💰 How much does it cost to scrape Goodreads Genre Bestsellers?

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.