RubyGems Gem Package Scraper

RubyGems Gem Package Scraper

Scrape Ruby gem packages from RubyGems.org by keyword, up to a million per run. Every gem comes with its name, version, downloads, description, and metadata. No API key required. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

Finding the right Ruby gem means sifting through RubyGems.org search results, reading descriptions, and comparing download counts manually. This Actor reads the public package listings directly, searching by any keyword you provide, and returns each matching gem in a clean, flat row. You get the data you need for dependency research, trend analysis, or building your own gem catalog without writing a single scraper.

Who uses it	What they scrape RubyGems for
Ruby developers	Finding the most popular and well-maintained gems for a specific task before adding a dependency.
Security researchers	Auditing gem download counts and version histories to identify abandoned or vulnerable packages.
DevOps engineers	Tracking gem release cadences and download trends to inform internal library policies.
Market analysts	Measuring the adoption and growth of Ruby open-source projects over time.

What it does

This Actor collects Ruby gem packages from RubyGems.org by keyword search and returns each one as a flat row with its name, version, downloads, and metadata.

• 🔍 Keyword search: provide any gem name or term, from 'rails' to 'devise', and get every matching package.
• 📊 Download counts: each result includes total downloads and the latest version number for popularity comparisons.
• 📄 Flat row output: every gem is a single row with a fixed schema, ready for spreadsheets or databases.
• ⚡ No API key: reads the public RubyGems.org search interface, so you skip registration and rate-limit headaches.

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

What you can do with RubyGems data

📈 Compare gem popularity.

A developer searches for authentication libraries, collects the top 50 results, and picks the one with the highest downloads and most recent version.

🛡️ Audit dependencies for risk.

A security engineer runs a keyword search for gems in their Gemfile, then checks which ones have low download counts or stale release dates.

📋 Build a gem catalog.

A platform team scrapes all gems matching 'rails' and 'activerecord' to populate an internal developer portal with package metadata.

📊 Track ecosystem trends.

A market analyst runs weekly scrapes for a set of keywords and charts download growth to report on Ruby community health.

Why choose this scraper

	What you get
No API key	Scrapes the public search results, so you never register an app or manage tokens.
Flat schema	Every gem is one row with the same columns, making it trivial to import into any tool.
High volume	Collect up to a million gems in a single run for large-scale analysis.

How it compares

No other Store actor targets RubyGems the same way, so the honest comparison is with the alternatives teams actually weigh.

	RubyGems Gem Package Scraper	Build it in-house	By hand
Setup	Run it now, zero config	Days of engineering	None, but hours per pull
When RubyGems changes	Maintained for you	You fix it	You re-learn the page
Proxies, retries, anti-bot	Built in	Your problem	Browser only
Output	Fixed JSON schema, CSV/Excel export	Whatever you build	Copy-paste
Cost	Pay per result	Engineering time	Analyst hours

Configure the run

Drive the Actor with a single keyword search query and set a maximum number of gems to collect per run. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

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

A larger pull:

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

Pricing

Pay-per-result: $0.016 per result collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

Results collected	Approximate cost
100 results	$1.60
1,000 results	$16.00
10,000 results	$160.00

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

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 with $5 in credit.
2. Open the RubyGems Gem Package 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 RubyGems 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/rubygems-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 keyword spelling. RubyGems.org search is exact on terms, so a typo or an overly specific phrase may return nothing. Try a shorter or more common keyword.

Why does the run stop before reaching my maximum gems?

The Actor stops when RubyGems.org has no more results for your keyword. If your keyword matches fewer gems than your maximum, the run ends early with all available results.

Why are some gems missing from my results?

The Actor collects what RubyGems.org returns for your search. If a gem was recently added or its name does not match your keyword, it will not appear. Try a broader keyword.

Why did my run time out?

Requesting a very large number of gems can take time. Increase the run timeout in your Apify actor settings, or reduce the maximum gems and run multiple smaller batches.

FAQ

Question	Answer
Do I need a RubyGems.org account or API key?	No. This Actor reads the public search pages on RubyGems.org, so you do not need an account, an API key, or any authentication.
What data does each gem row include?	Each row includes the gem name, latest version, total downloads, and a short description. The exact fields are shown in the sample output on the Actor's page.
Can I scrape gems by category or owner?	This Actor searches by keyword only. The keyword matches against gem names and descriptions, so you can use an owner's name as a keyword to find their packages.
How many gems can I collect in one run?	You set the maximum with the 'Maximum gems' input. The hard limit is one million gems per run, but you can set any number from 1 up to that.
Is this faster than the RubyGems API?	It reads the same public data without the API's rate limits, so for bulk collection it is often more practical. Speed depends on the number of gems you request.
Can I filter by minimum downloads or version?	The Actor collects all matching gems up to your maximum count. You can filter by downloads or version after export using your spreadsheet or database tool.
What output formats are supported?	You can export your dataset to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML from the Apify platform.
Does this scrape private or paid gems?	No. It only reads the public RubyGems.org search results, which list freely available gems.
Can I schedule this to run automatically?	Yes. Apify supports scheduled runs, so you can set this Actor to collect gem data daily, weekly, or on any cron schedule you need.

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 RubyGems.org. 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.