# Wikimedia Commons Abuse Filters Scraper (`parseforge/wikimedia-commons-abuse-filters-scraper`) Actor

Collects Wikimedia Commons abuse filter records via the query API and returns each filter as a flat row with description, enabled status, actions, and deletion flag.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/wikimedia-commons-abuse-filters-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** 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)

### Wikimedia Commons Abuse Filters Scraper

**Scrape Wikimedia Commons abuse filters by ID, status, or action, up to a million per run.** Each filter returns its full description, enabled state, actions, and deletion flag from the public API. No login or API key. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

Wikimedia Commons moderators configure hundreds of abuse filters to catch spam, vandalism, and policy violations. This reads the public MediaWiki API endpoint directly and returns every filter's metadata in one fixed schema, bypassing manual Special:AbuseFilter page checks.

| Who uses it | What they scrape Wikimedia Commons for |
|---|---|
| Wikimedia moderators | Review and document the active abuse filter rules protecting Commons. |
| Spam researchers | Study the wording and patterns used in Wikimedia Commons abuse filters. |
| Tool builders | Sync Wikimedia Commons abuse filter configurations into external monitoring dashboards. |

### What it does

This Actor collects Wikimedia Commons abuse filter records via the public query API and returns each filter as a flat row with its description, enabled status, actions, and deleted flag.

- 📋 **Flat filter list:** each row contains the filter ID, description, enabled state, actions, and deleted status.
- 🔢 **Max items control:** set an integer limit from 1 to 1,000,000 to cap the number of filters fetched.
- 📤 **Multi-format export:** download results as JSON, CSV, 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 Wikimedia Commons data

**📋 Audit active filters.**

A Wikimedia Commons moderator fetches all enabled abuse filter descriptions and actions to prepare a quarterly rule review.

**🔍 Cross-wiki filter comparison.**

A tool builder scrapes Wikimedia Commons abuse filter data and compares it with filter lists from other Wikimedia projects.

**📊 Historical filter tracking.**

A researcher runs weekly scrapes to record when Wikimedia Commons abuse filters are enabled, disabled, or deleted.

### Why choose this scraper

| | What you get |
|---|---|
| **Filter metadata** | Get every filter's ID, description, enabled state, and actions in one call. |
| **No authentication** | Uses the public Wikimedia API, no OAuth or app registration. |
| **Scalable fetch** | Up to 1,000,000 records per run for paid users, unlimited history analysis. |

### What a Wikimedia Commons record looks like

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

```json
{
 "id": 1,
 "description": "Large, browser-crashing tables",
 "actions": "disallow",
 "deleted": true,
 "enabled": false,
 "scrapedAt": "2026-09-05T03:36:15.765Z"
}
```

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 by setting a max items limit, and every abuse filter available through the public API is returned in your dataset. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

```json
{
 "maxItems": 10
}
```

A larger pull:

```json
{
 "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](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp).
2. Open the [Wikimedia Commons Abuse Filters Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/wikimedia-commons-abuse-filters-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 Wikimedia Commons 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/wikimedia-commons-abuse-filters-scraper"
```

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

### Troubleshooting

**Why am I getting only 10 results?**

The free preview cap limits output to 10 items. Switch to a paid Apify plan and set a higher maxItems value in the input to fetch more filters.

**Why are some filters missing from the list?**

Deleted filters still appear but are marked true in the deleted field. If a filter is permanently hidden or restricted on the wiki side, the API may omit it. Verify the filter exists on Special:AbuseFilter.

**The run finished but my dataset is empty.**

Check that maxItems is set to at least 1. If Wikimedia Commons returns an error through the API, the actor logs will capture the HTTP response for debugging.

**Why do I see stale filter data?**

The actor queries the live API each run, so data reflects the current state. If you suspect caching, re-run the actor or check the API response timestamp.

### FAQ

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need a Wikimedia account or API key to scrape abuse filters? | No. The actor calls the public MediaWiki query API without authentication, so you can fetch the abuse filter list right away. |
| What does the deleted field mean in the results? | A true value indicates the abuse filter has been marked as deleted on Wikimedia Commons. A false or absent value means it is still in the filter list. |
| How many abuse filters can I scrape in one run? | Free users get a preview capped at 10 filters. Paid Apify users can raise the max items limit up to 1,000,000 per run. |
| Can I scrape only enabled filters? | The API returns all filters regardless of status. After export, you can filter rows on the enabled field in your CSV, JSON, or spreadsheet to keep the ones you need. |
| What data does each row contain? | Each row includes the filter ID, description, enabled state, actions assigned to the filter, and whether the filter has been deleted. |
| Is this scraper faster than browsing Special:AbuseFilter manually? | Yes. It fetches structured JSON directly from the API, so you collect the entire filter list in seconds instead of loading HTML pages one by one. |
| Why is the result count sometimes lower than my maxItems? | Wikimedia Commons has a finite set of abuse filters. The actor returns all available filters up to your limit, so a smaller count means fewer filters exist at the moment. |
| Can I schedule this scraper to run daily? | Yes. Use Apify schedules to run the actor automatically and track when Wikimedia Commons abuse filters are added, changed, or removed. |

### 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 Wikimedia Foundation, 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.

# Actor input Schema

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

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

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "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 = {
    "maxItems": 10
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/wikimedia-commons-abuse-filters-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 = { "maxItems": 10 }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/wikimedia-commons-abuse-filters-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 '{
  "maxItems": 10
}' |
apify call parseforge/wikimedia-commons-abuse-filters-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parseforge/wikimedia-commons-abuse-filters-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/qW3dhanWZkf2Dc7tp/builds/Fku8W4G7AspfeKZvm/openapi.json