# Wikimedia Commons Recent Files Scraper (`parseforge/wikimedia-commons-recent-files-scraper`) Actor

Pull recently uploaded files from Wikimedia Commons using the official API. Get log IDs, page IDs, file titles, upload timestamps, user names, and image SHA1 hashes. Track new media contributions for archival, moderation, or research purposes.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/wikimedia-commons-recent-files-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 $3.40 / 1,000 result items

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?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
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.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## 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.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

[![ParseForge](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/main/banner-v4.webp)](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp)

### Wikimedia Commons Recent Files Scraper

**Scrape recent file uploads from Wikimedia Commons by search term, up to a million per run.** Each file comes with its title, uploader, timestamp, and SHA-1 hash. No login or API key. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

Wikimedia Commons holds millions of freely licensed media files, but tracking the latest uploads manually is slow. This Actor reads the public upload log directly, filters by file title, and returns each match in one fixed schema.

| Who uses it | What they scrape Wikimedia Commons for |
|---|---|
| Digital archivists | Monitor new freely licensed media added to the Commons for curation. |
| Content creators | Find the latest free-to-use images and videos for projects. |
| Researchers | Track upload patterns and contributor activity on Wikimedia Commons. |
| Media monitoring services | Feed a pipeline of new Commons files into a searchable database. |

### What it does

This Actor collects recent file uploads from Wikimedia Commons by optional search term and returns each one as a flat row.

- 🔍 **Search filter:** Narrow results to file titles containing your keyword.
- ⚙️ **Max items control:** Set a hard limit from 1 to 1,000,000 files per run.
- 📦 **Structured output:** Every row includes the log ID, file title, uploader, timestamp, and SHA-1 hash.

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

### What you can do with Wikimedia Commons data

**📸 Build a free media feed.**

A content curator runs the Actor daily with no search term to collect every new upload and surface fresh images for a newsletter.

**🔎 Find specific recent uploads.**

A researcher enters a species name as the search term to pull only the latest wildlife photos uploaded to the Commons.

**📊 Analyze upload trends.**

A data analyst scrapes all recent files for a week and groups them by uploader to see who the most active contributors are.

### Why choose this scraper

| | What you get |
|---|---|
| **No API key required** | Reads the public upload log with zero authentication. |
| **Fixed flat schema** | Every file returns the same fields for easy analysis. |
| **Search by title** | Filter recent uploads to only files matching your term. |
| **Scalable volume** | Retrieve up to a million recent files in a single run. |

### What a Wikimedia Commons record looks like

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

```json
{
 "imageUrl": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5y/5y34s37iwf7v4vaozdovfnz40h02ayk",
 "title": "File:Archives du cabinet des médailles, série chronologique. Archives du cabinet des médailles (1885-1892). Correspondance 1890 - btv1b108478067 (278 of 290).jpg",
 "url": "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AArchives%20du%20cabinet%20des%20m%C3%A9dailles%2C%20s%C3%A9rie%20chronologique.%20Archives%20du%20cabinet%20des%20m%C3%A9dailles%20(1885-1892).%20Correspondance%201890%20-%20btv1b108478067%20(278%20of%20290).jpg",
 "logid": 408100238,
 "pageid": 200137514,
 "logpage": 200137514,
 "revid": 1280029449,
 "imgSha1": "5y34s37iwf7v4vaozdovfnz40h02ayk",
 "imgTimestamp": "2026-09-24T12:14:14Z",
 "type": "upload",
 "action": "upload",
 "user": "Gzen92Bot",
 "timestamp": "2026-09-24T12:14:14Z",
 "comment": "bibliothèque nationale de France btv1b108478067",
 "scrapedAt": "2026-09-24T12:14:18.122Z"
}
```

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 an optional search term and a maximum item count, and the filter runs as each upload is read so only matches reach 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 with $5 in credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp).
2. Set your inputs and any filters, then click **Start**.
3. 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
```

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

### Troubleshooting

**Why am I getting no results?**

Check your search term. It filters against the file title. Try removing the term to see all recent uploads, then refine.

**The run stopped before reaching my max items.**

The upload log has a finite number of recent entries. If the log is exhausted, the Actor finishes early.

**I see a 10-item limit even though I set a higher max.**

Free Apify accounts are capped at a 10-item preview. Upgrade to a paid plan to scrape more files.

**The SHA-1 hash looks different from what I expected.**

Wikimedia returns the hash in base-16 format. It matches the file content and can be used to verify integrity.

### FAQ

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need a Wikimedia account or API key? | No. This Actor reads the public upload log endpoint, which requires no authentication. |
| How many files can I scrape in one run? | Free users are limited to a 10-item preview. Paid users can set a maximum up to 1,000,000 files. |
| Can I filter by file type like PNG or SVG? | The search term filters against the file title. You can include a file extension like.png in your term to narrow results. |
| What data fields does the Actor return? | Each row includes the log ID, namespace, title, page ID, revision ID, SHA-1 hash, image timestamp, uploader, and comment. |
| Does this scrape the full file or the metadata? | It returns the metadata for each recent upload. The actual file binary is not downloaded. |
| How recent are the files? | The Actor reads the upload log in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent uploads. |
| Can I get the file URL or dimensions? | The Actor returns the file title and page ID. You can construct the Commons file URL from the title. |
| Is there a rate limit? | The Actor respects Wikimedia's public API guidelines. It makes sequential requests with standard delays. |

### 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.

⚠️ **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

## `searchTerm` (type: `string`):

Optional search term to filter recent uploads by file title. Leave empty to retrieve all recent uploads.

## 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-recent-files-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-recent-files-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-recent-files-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parseforge/wikimedia-commons-recent-files-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/rtjQvzXJD9tWCCOQ4/builds/cAErALJfQqNBHuuXp/openapi.json