# Wikimedia Commons Page History Scraper (`parseforge/wikimedia-commons-history-scraper`) Actor

Scrapes the complete revision history of a Wikimedia Commons page, returning each edit as a flat row with editor, timestamp, edit summary, and revision ID.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/wikimedia-commons-history-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Other, Developer tools
- **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 Page History Scraper

**Scrape the full revision history of any Wikimedia Commons page, from the first edit to the latest.** Every revision includes the editor, timestamp, edit summary, and revision ID, returned as a flat dataset. No API key or login required. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

Wikimedia Commons stores the edit history of every file and project page, but the web interface only shows 50 revisions at a time and offers no bulk export. This Actor reads the public Wikimedia Commons API directly, pulling every revision for a single page title you provide. It returns the complete history in one structured dataset, ready for analysis or archival.

| Who uses it | What they scrape Wikimedia Commons for |
|---|---|
| Digital archivists | Preserve the complete edit trail of a Commons file or policy page before it is altered or deleted. |
| Wikimedia researchers | Analyze editing patterns, contributor activity, and content disputes on high-traffic Commons pages. |
| Content moderators | Audit the revision history of a page to identify vandalism, revert wars, or policy violations. |
| Data journalists | Reconstruct the evolution of a controversial image description or project discussion over time. |

### What it does

This Actor collects the full revision history for a specified Wikimedia Commons page and returns each revision as a flat row with editor, timestamp, edit summary, and revision ID.

- 📄 **Single page focus:** provide one page title and get every revision from the first edit to the latest.
- 📊 **Flat row output:** each revision is one row with editor name, timestamp, edit summary, and revision ID.
- 🔢 **Configurable volume:** set a max items limit to cap the number of revisions returned, up to 1,000,000 for paid users.
- 📁 **Multi-format export:** download your dataset as CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML directly from Apify.

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

### What you can do with Wikimedia Commons data

**📚 Archive a page history.**

A digital archivist runs the Actor on a Commons file page to capture its full edit trail before the file is nominated for deletion.

**🔍 Audit contributor activity.**

A Wikimedia researcher scrapes the history of a policy page to map which editors made the most changes and when edit wars occurred.

**🛡️ Investigate vandalism.**

A moderator pulls the revision history of a frequently targeted page to identify the timestamps and summaries of reverted edits.

**📈 Track description changes.**

A data journalist extracts the revision history of a controversial image to see how its description evolved over several years.

### Why choose this scraper

| | What you get |
|---|---|
| **No API key needed** | The Wikimedia Commons API is public and requires no authentication or registration. |
| **Complete history** | Retrieves every revision, not the most recent 50 shown on the web page. |
| **Structured data** | Returns a clean dataset with consistent fields, ready for spreadsheets or databases. |
| **Free tier available** | Preview up to 10 revisions on the free plan before scaling to full history. |

### What a Wikimedia Commons record looks like

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

```json
{
 "revid": 1271976223,
 "parentid": 1271975919,
 "user": "~2026-47855-47",
 "timestamp": "2026-09-04T01:47:50.000Z",
 "comment": "/* Painting Issue */",
 "pageTitle": "Commons:Help_desk",
 "scrapedAt": "2026-09-04T01:54:34.004Z"
}
```

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 single Wikimedia Commons page title and set a maximum number of revisions to return. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

```json
{
 "pageTitle": "Commons:Help_desk",
 "maxItems": 10
}
```

A larger pull:

```json
{
 "pageTitle": "Commons:Help_desk",
 "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 [Wikimedia Commons Page History Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/wikimedia-commons-history-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-history-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 page title is spelled exactly as it appears in the Commons URL, with underscores for spaces. Also verify the page exists on Wikimedia Commons and has at least one revision.

**Why did my run stop at 10 items?**

Free users are limited to 10 items as a preview. Upgrade to a paid plan and set a higher max items value to scrape the full history.

**Why are some revisions missing?**

The Wikimedia Commons API may omit revisions that were suppressed or deleted by an administrator. These are not publicly accessible and cannot be scraped.

**Why is the run slow for a page with millions of revisions?**

The API returns up to 500 revisions per request. A page with millions of revisions will require many sequential requests. Set a reasonable max items limit or run the Actor with a higher timeout.

### FAQ

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is Wikimedia Commons? | Wikimedia Commons is a free media repository with millions of images, videos, and audio files. Every file and project page has a public revision history that this Actor can scrape. |
| Do I need a Wikimedia account or API key? | No. The Wikimedia Commons API is publicly accessible without authentication. This Actor reads the API directly and requires no login or key. |
| How many revisions can I scrape? | Free users can preview up to 10 revisions. Paid users can set a max items limit up to 1,000,000, which covers the full history of most pages. |
| What format does the data come in? | The dataset is stored in Apify's default dataset and can be exported to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML from your run console. |
| Can I scrape multiple pages at once? | This Actor is designed for one page title per run. To scrape multiple pages, run the Actor once per title or use Apify's scheduling and queue features. |
| What page title format should I use? | Use the exact page title as it appears in the URL, with underscores for spaces. For example, 'Commons:Help\_desk' or 'File:Example.jpg'. |
| Does this scrape file metadata or only revisions? | This Actor scrapes the revision history of a page, which includes editor, timestamp, and edit summary. It does not extract file metadata like EXIF data or license templates. |
| Is this faster than downloading history from the Commons website? | Yes. The web interface paginates 50 revisions at a time. This Actor fetches up to 500 revisions per API request and assembles them into one dataset automatically. |

### 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

## `pageTitle` (type: `string`):

The title of the Wikimedia Commons page to scrape revisions for, e.g. 'Commons:Help desk'.

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

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

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "pageTitle": "Commons:Help_desk",
  "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 = {
    "pageTitle": "Commons:Help_desk",
    "maxItems": 10
};

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

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

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parseforge/wikimedia-commons-history-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/L6GX9EIeD1XxCTZev/builds/o4evhYdE4RuHgQJH8/openapi.json