vcpkg Ports Scraper

vcpkg Ports Scraper

Scrape vcpkg ports and C++ library metadata from the public catalog, filtered by name, license, or platform. Every port comes with its version, description, dependencies, and supported triplets. No API key or registration required.

The vcpkg package manager ships thousands of C++ libraries, but browsing them one by one through the website or CLI is slow when you need a filtered list. This Actor reads the public vcpkg ports catalog directly and returns matching entries in a flat, consistent schema. Filter by port name, license type, or supported platform triplet before the run so your dataset contains only the libraries you care about.

Who uses it	What they scrape vcpkg for
C++ build engineers	Audit which open-source licenses are present across a dependency tree before a release.
DevOps teams	Generate a list of vcpkg ports that support a target platform triplet for a new CI pipeline.
Software architects	Compare available C++ libraries by description and dependencies to pick the right one for a project.
Security researchers	Identify ports with specific license strings or outdated versions for compliance reviews.

What it does

This Actor collects vcpkg port metadata from the public catalog and returns each matching library as a flat row with its name, version, description, license, dependencies, and platform support.

• 🔍 Name and keyword search: substring filter against port name and description to find libraries fast.
• 📜 License filter: restrict results to ports carrying a specific SPDX-style license identifier.
• 🖥️ Platform triplet filter: keep only ports whose supports expression mentions Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, UWP, or FreeBSD.
• 📦 Bulk collection: pull up to a million ports in a single run for full-catalog analysis.

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

What you can do with vcpkg data

📋 Audit licenses across a dependency tree.

A build engineer runs the Actor with a license filter like 'MIT' or 'GPL' to list every vcpkg port matching that license before a product release.

🖥️ Find all ports that support a target platform.

A DevOps team sets the triplet filter to 'linux' and collects every vcpkg library that builds on Linux for a new containerized CI pipeline.

🔎 Search for a C++ library by keyword.

A developer types 'json' or 'http' into the search field and gets every vcpkg port whose name or description contains that term, with version and dependencies included.

📊 Export the full vcpkg catalog for offline analysis.

A software architect sets maxItems high and leaves filters empty to pull the entire ports catalog into a spreadsheet for dependency mapping and tool selection.

Why choose this scraper

	What you get
Flat row per port	Every library returns as one row with a fixed schema, ready for CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML export.
No API key	Reads the public vcpkg catalog directly. No registration, no OAuth, no rate-limit headaches.
Platform-aware	The triplet filter checks the port's supports expression so you get only libraries that build on your target OS.
License compliance	Filter by license substring to quickly surface ports with permissive, copyleft, or custom terms.

How it compares

This Actor focuses on filtered, schema-stable port collection with platform triplet awareness, while the alternative offers reverse-dependency lookups and popularity ranking.

Feature	ParseForge	vcpkg C++ Package Scraper
Platform triplet filter	Yes, select from Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, UWP, or FreeBSD	Not listed
License substring filter	Yes	Not listed
Port name and description search	Yes, case-insensitive substring match	Yes
Reverse-dependency lookup	Not listed	Yes
Popularity ranking	Not listed	Yes

Configure the run

Drive the Actor with an optional port name or keyword, a license substring, and a target platform triplet. Filters run as each port is read so only matches reach your dataset. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

{
 "maxItems": 10
}

A larger pull:

{
 "maxItems": 200
}

Pricing

Pay-per-result: $0.0085 per result collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

Results collected	Approximate cost
100 results	$0.85
1,000 results	$8.50
10,000 results	$85.00

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 vcpkg Ports 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 vcpkg 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/vcpkg-ports-scraper"

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

Troubleshooting

Why am I getting no results?

Your filters may be too restrictive. Try clearing the search, license, and triplet fields and running with a small maxItems value to confirm the Actor can reach the catalog. Then add filters back one at a time.

The triplet filter returns fewer ports than I expected.

The filter checks the port's supports expression, not whether a binary is pre-built. Some ports may support a platform at build time but not list the exact triplet string you selected. Try removing the triplet filter to see the full list.

My license filter is not matching ports I know exist.

The filter is a case-insensitive substring match. Check the exact license string vcpkg uses for that port. For example, 'MIT' matches 'MIT', but 'GPL' also matches 'GPL-3.0-only'. Try a shorter substring.

The run times out or takes too long.

Lower the maxItems value. The vcpkg catalog has a few thousand ports, so a value of 5000 is usually enough for a full scrape. Setting maxItems to one million may cause unnecessary overhead.

Some fields are empty in my dataset.

Not every port declares every metadata field. A port may lack a license string, a description, or a supports expression. Empty fields are expected and reflect what the vcpkg catalog publishes for that library.

FAQ

Question	Answer
What is a vcpkg port?	A vcpkg port is a recipe that tells the vcpkg package manager how to build and install a C or C++ library on Windows, Linux, or macOS. Each port includes metadata like the library name, version, description, license, dependencies, and supported platforms.
Do I need a GitHub account or API key to use this Actor?	No. This Actor reads the public vcpkg catalog data directly. You do not need to register an application, create a token, or sign in to anything.
How does the triplet filter work?	The triplet filter checks each port's supports expression for the platform you select, such as 'windows', 'linux', or 'osx'. Only ports whose support expression mentions that triplet are kept in your results.
Can I search by port name?	Yes. The search field performs a case-insensitive substring match against both the port name and its description. Typing 'curl' returns the curl port and any port whose description mentions curl.
What license strings does the filter match?	The license filter does a case-insensitive substring match against the license field. You can use SPDX identifiers like 'MIT', 'Apache-2.0', or 'GPL-3.0', or partial strings like 'BSD'.
How many ports can I collect in one run?	You can set the maximum up to one million ports per run. The vcpkg catalog contains a few thousand ports, so the default maximum of 10 is a safe starting point for testing your filters.
What output formats are supported?	Your dataset can be exported to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML from the Apify platform after the run completes.
Does this Actor get dependency information?	Yes. Each port row includes the list of dependencies that vcpkg declares for that library, so you can map out what a port requires before you install it.
Can I filter by version number?	The current input schema does not include a version filter. You can collect the full list and filter by version in your spreadsheet, or use the search field to narrow by port name first.
Is this Actor affiliated with Microsoft or the vcpkg project?	No. This is an independent community Actor that reads publicly available vcpkg catalog data. It is not built or endorsed by Microsoft.

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 Microsoft Corporation. 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.