# Substack Phone Number Scraper (`phone_number_scraper/substack-phone-number-scraper`) Actor

\[1k/2.5$] Scrape Substack phone numbers at scale. Find direct contact numbers for writers and publishers and build targeted lead lists for sales, marketing and recruiting. Easy Substack phone number scraper with CSV, JSON and Excel export.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/phone_number_scraper/substack-phone-number-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Phone Number Scraper](https://apify.com/phone_number_scraper) (community)
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.49 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage.
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

### 🔍 Substack Phone Number Scraper

Substack Phone Number Scraper helps you find public phone numbers that writers, journalists and newsletter owners publish on substack.com, in newsletter posts, about pages and profiles. Enter keywords such as `writer` or `journalist`, choose a country, and the Actor returns validated phone numbers with the page title, the text snippet that contains each number, and a direct link to the source page.

It is built for PR teams, sponsors, media buyers and B2B marketers who want to contact newsletter writers and independent journalists directly. The Substack Phone Number Scraper uses only publicly available information, so you don't need a Substack account, paid subscription or login.

> **🚀 Quick start:** Open the Substack Phone Number Scraper, add keywords like `writer` or `journalist`, select a country such as United Kingdom (+44), set your phone number limit and click **Start**. Results appear in a dataset you can export to CSV, Excel or JSON.

### ✨ Substack Phone Number Scraper – Key Features

The Substack Phone Number Scraper turns keyword searches into a structured list of writer and newsletter contacts you can verify and use.

- 🔑 **Keyword-based search** – target roles, niches or topics such as writer, journalist, newsletter, local news or consultant.

- 🌍 **194 countries supported** – pick a country and its dial code; only numbers valid for that country are kept.

- ✅ **Validated phone numbers** – every number the Substack Phone Number Scraper saves is checked and stored in the international E.164 format, such as `+441134960816`.

- 🧹 **Automatic de-duplication** – each phone number appears only once per run, even when several keywords find it.

- 🔗 **Source context included** – every record has the page title, the public snippet and the Substack URL.

- 💾 **Structured output** – export as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML or HTML, or read results through the Apify API.

- 🔄 **Reliable long runs** – if the platform restarts a run, the Substack Phone Number Scraper continues without saving duplicate numbers.

#### 🔹 Why use the Substack Phone Number Scraper?

| Benefit | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| No login needed | Works with publicly available substack.com pages only |
| Clean contact data | Validated, de-duplicated numbers in one consistent format |
| Easy to verify | Source URL and text snippet for every phone number |
| Predictable costs | Result limits and spending caps keep each run under control |

### 📊 What Data Does the Substack Phone Number Scraper Extract?

The Substack Phone Number Scraper saves one record per phone number. Each record connects the number to the keyword that found it and the public Substack page it came from.

| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `phone_number` | Validated phone number in E.164 format | `+441134960816` |
| `country` | Country selected in the input | `United Kingdom` |
| `dial_code` | Country calling code | `+44` |
| `keyword` | Keyword that found this number | `writer` |
| `title` | Title of the source page | `About - Northern Notes` |
| `description` | Public text snippet where the number appears | `food. Ads and tips: 0113 496…` |
| `url` | Direct link to the source page | `https://northernnotes.substack.com/about` |
| `platform` | Platform the record comes from | `Substack` |
| `proxyGroups` | Technical information about the connection used for the run | – |

Each Substack newsletter has its own public pages, and some writers add a number for tips, ads or bookings. The Substack Phone Number Scraper can return numbers from:

- 📰 **Newsletter posts** – where local news writers share a tip line or advertising contact.

- ℹ️ **About pages** – where writers describe their newsletter and how to reach them.

- 👤 **Profile and Notes pages** – on substack.com that show a writer's public bio.

- 🌐 **Other public substack.com pages** – that show a number in their title or snippet.

> **🔒 Public data only:** The Substack Phone Number Scraper reads publicly visible titles and snippets. It does not access paid-only posts, subscriber lists, chats, inboxes or any account data.

> **📌 What to expect:** Most Substack writers share an email rather than a phone number, so result counts are often modest. Local news, consulting and event keywords usually return more numbers.

### 🚀 How to Use the Substack Phone Number Scraper

You can run the Substack Phone Number Scraper in a few minutes without writing any code.

- **Step 1 – Open the Actor:** open Substack Phone Number Scraper in Apify Console and go to the **Input** tab.

- **Step 2 – Add keywords:** enter roles, niches or terms such as `writer`, `journalist`, `newsletter` or `consultant`.

- **Step 3 – Choose a country:** select the country whose phone numbers you need. The dial code is applied automatically.

- **Step 4 – Set your limit:** enter the maximum number of phone numbers and decide whether it applies per keyword or to the whole run.

- **Step 5 – Start the run:** click **Start** and follow the log. The Substack Phone Number Scraper processes keywords in the order you entered them.

- **Step 6 – Export your data:** download the dataset as CSV, Excel or JSON, or send it to your CRM.

> **⏰ Large searches:** For high phone-number limits or many keywords, increase the timeout in **Run options**. The default timeout is 3,600 seconds (1 hour).

### 🧭 How to Find Substack Writer and Journalist Phone Numbers by Topic

Keyword and country together decide which phone numbers you receive. The Substack Phone Number Scraper looks for public substack.com pages that match your keyword and contain a number valid for the selected country, then extracts and validates every number it detects.

For example, to reach UK local news newsletters, combine `journalist`, `local news` and `newsletter` with **United Kingdom (+44)**. To find US business writers for sponsorships, try `writer` and `consultant` with **United States (+1)**.

#### 🔹 Choosing keywords that return more phone numbers

- Use **writer roles** such as writer, journalist, editor or columnist.

- Use **topic words** such as local news, finance, food or politics.

- Use **commercial words** such as sponsorship, advertising, consulting or events.

- Add **several short, related keywords** instead of one long, narrow phrase.

### 💡 Can the Substack Phone Number Scraper Limit Phone Numbers per Keyword or per Run?

Yes. The Substack Phone Number Scraper gives you two ways to apply the **Max Phone Numbers** limit, controlled by the **Per Keyword Scrape Max Contacts** switch.

| Setting | How the limit works | Example with 3 keywords and a limit of 50 |
|---|---|---|
| **ON** (default) | The limit applies to each keyword separately | Up to 150 phone numbers in total |
| **OFF** | The limit applies to the whole run | Up to 50 phone numbers in total |

With the switch ON, every keyword gets its own share, so one popular keyword cannot use up the whole limit. With the switch OFF, the Substack Phone Number Scraper stops as soon as the total is reached.

> **⚠️ Heads-up:** With the switch ON, a run can collect – and be billed for – up to Max Phone Numbers × number of keywords, and it takes proportionally longer.

### 🎯 Substack Phone Number Scraper – Use Cases

The Substack Phone Number Scraper is useful when you need direct contact with independent writers and newsletters.

- 📣 **Newsletter sponsorships** – find writers in your niche who accept sponsors or ads.

- 📰 **PR and media relations** – reach independent journalists and local news publishers.

- 🎤 **Speaker and event booking** – contact writers who offer talks or workshops.

- 🤝 **B2B prospecting** – find consultants who use Substack to share their expertise.

- 📊 **Media research** – map the newsletters covering a topic in a country.

- 🗂️ **CRM enrichment** – add phone numbers and newsletter links to media lists.

### 📥 Substack Phone Number Scraper Input

The Substack Phone Number Scraper uses a simple input form. Only **Keywords** and **Country** are required.

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `keywords` | List of text | Yes | Keywords to search for, such as roles, niches or names. Default: `writer`, `journalist` |
| `country` | Select | Yes | Country of the phone numbers you need, shown with its dial code. Default: United Kingdom (+44) |
| `maxPhoneNumbers` | Number (1–10,000) | No | Maximum number of phone numbers to collect. Default: 5 |
| `perKeywordMaxContacts` | On/Off | No | ON: the limit applies to each keyword. OFF: the limit applies to the whole run. Default: ON |
| `proxyConfiguration` | Proxy settings | No | Optional connection settings. The default works for most users |

#### 🔹 Example input for the Substack Phone Number Scraper

```json
{
    "keywords": [
        "writer",
        "journalist"
    ],
    "country": "United Kingdom (+44)",
    "maxPhoneNumbers": 5,
    "perKeywordMaxContacts": true
}
```

> **💡 Note:** A higher limit allows more potential results but does not guarantee reaching that number. The Substack Phone Number Scraper stops early when no more matching public numbers are available.

### 📤 Substack Phone Number Scraper Output

Every phone number the Substack Phone Number Scraper finds is saved as a separate record in the run's dataset. Here is a sample of two records:

```json
[
    {
        "phone_number": "+441134960816",
        "country": "United Kingdom",
        "dial_code": "+44",
        "keyword": "writer",
        "title": "About - Northern Notes",
        "description": "Weekly newsletter from a Leeds writer covering arts and food. Ads and tips: 0113 496 0816.",
        "url": "https://northernnotes.substack.com/about",
        "platform": "Substack"
    },
    {
        "phone_number": "+442920180927",
        "country": "United Kingdom",
        "dial_code": "+44",
        "keyword": "journalist",
        "title": "Why our high street is changing - The Cardiff Dispatch",
        "description": "Independent journalist reporting on Cardiff business. Got a story? Call +44 29 2018 0927.",
        "url": "https://cardiffdispatch.substack.com/p/why-our-high-street-is-changing",
        "platform": "Substack"
    }
]
```

Each record also includes the technical `proxyGroups` field. Local formats such as `0113 496 0816` are converted to the international format `+441134960816`.

#### 🔹 Export and integration options

- 📁 **Download** the dataset as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML or HTML.

- 🔌 **Use the Apify API** to start Substack Phone Number Scraper runs and fetch results from your own scripts or apps.

- ⏱️ **Schedule runs** to refresh your results daily, weekly or monthly.

- 🔗 **Connect integrations** such as webhooks, Make or Zapier to send new contacts to your CRM or spreadsheet.

### 💰 Substack Phone Number Scraper Pricing

The Substack Phone Number Scraper is priced per result: you pay for each phone number record saved to your dataset. The current price is always shown on the Actor's **Pricing** tab.

| Plan or setting | What happens |
|---|---|
| Free Apify plan | Each run returns up to 20 phone number results |
| Paid Apify plan | Each run returns up to your Max Phone Numbers limit |
| Maximum cost per run | The run stops when your limit is reached, so you are not billed beyond it |

> **💡 Cost tip:** Start with a small limit, such as 5–20 phone numbers, to test your keywords before you launch a large Substack Phone Number Scraper run.

### 🛠️ Substack Phone Number Scraper Tips and Best Practices

Follow these tips to get more useful results from the Substack Phone Number Scraper:

- 🧪 **Test first** – run two or three keywords with a low limit to see which ones return numbers.

- 🔁 **Low results? Re-run** with broader keywords, more related terms or a different country.

- 🌍 **Match the country to your audience** – numbers are validated for the selected country only.

- 🔍 **Check the newsletter** – open the `url` and read recent posts before pitching the writer.

> **⚖️ Use data responsibly:** Phone numbers are personal data in many countries. Follow privacy laws such as GDPR and CCPA and local telemarketing and anti-spam rules, respect opt-out requests and never use the data for spam.

### ❓ Substack Phone Number Scraper – Frequently Asked Questions

#### 🔹 What is a Substack phone number scraper?

It is a tool that collects phone numbers published on public Substack pages. The Substack Phone Number Scraper on Apify does this automatically for your keywords and country and returns validated, structured results.

#### 🔹 How do I contact a Substack writer by phone?

Enter keywords such as `journalist`, `newsletter` or a topic, choose a country and start the run. The Substack Phone Number Scraper collects numbers that writers have published on public posts, about pages and profiles.

#### 🔹 Do I need a Substack subscription?

No. The Actor works only with publicly available substack.com pages, so it needs no Substack login or paid subscription. Paid-only posts are never accessed.

#### 🔹 Why did the Substack Phone Number Scraper return fewer phone numbers than my maximum?

The maximum is an upper limit, not a guarantee. If only a few public pages match your keyword and country, the Substack Phone Number Scraper finishes early with the numbers it found. Try broader keywords, more keywords or another country.

#### 🔹 Can the Substack Phone Number Scraper collect numbers from a specific country?

Yes. Choose one of 194 countries in the **Country** field. Only numbers valid for that country are saved, together with the country name and dial code.

#### 🔹 In what format does the Substack Phone Number Scraper save phone numbers?

All numbers are saved in the international E.164 format, such as `+441134960816`, which works well with CRMs, dialers and spreadsheets.

#### 🔹 Does the Substack Phone Number Scraper remove duplicates?

Yes. Each phone number is saved only once per run, even if several keywords or pages contain it. The first keyword that found the number is stored in the `keyword` field.

#### 🔹 Can I run the Substack Phone Number Scraper on a schedule or through an API?

Yes. You can schedule runs in Apify Console, start them with the Apify API, and send the results to other tools with webhooks or integrations.

#### 🔹 Is it legal to use a Substack Phone Number Scraper?

The Substack Phone Number Scraper collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using it in line with GDPR, CCPA and local telemarketing rules.

### 📬 Substack Phone Number Scraper Support

Have a question about the Substack Phone Number Scraper, found an issue, or need a tweak or a custom build? Get in touch – feedback and feature requests are always welcome.

- contact me by email :  alphascraper69@gmail.com

# Actor input Schema

## `keywords` (type: `array`):

A list of keywords to search for. (Example: John, marketing, etc.)

## `country` (type: `string`):

Select a country to scrape related phone numbers.

## `maxPhoneNumbers` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of phone numbers to collect. The scraper will stop once this limit is reached. Setting a higher limit allows for more potential results but doesn't guarantee reaching that number. This helps save costs by controlling scraping time.

## `perKeywordMaxContacts` (type: `boolean`):

ON (default): "Max Phone Numbers" is a target for EACH keyword, so the scraper works through every keyword instead of stopping once the first one fills up. OFF: it is a single total for the whole run. ⚠️ Heads-up: with this ON the run can collect (and be billed for) Max Phone Numbers × number of keywords, and takes proportionally longer.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Configure proxies for this Actor.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "keywords": [
    "writer",
    "journalist"
  ],
  "country": "United States (+1)",
  "maxPhoneNumbers": 5,
  "perKeywordMaxContacts": true
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

Structured records extracted by Substack Phone Number Scraper and stored in the run's default dataset.

# 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 = {
    "keywords": [
        "writer",
        "journalist"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("phone_number_scraper/substack-phone-number-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 = { "keywords": [
        "writer",
        "journalist",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("phone_number_scraper/substack-phone-number-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 '{
  "keywords": [
    "writer",
    "journalist"
  ]
}' |
apify call phone_number_scraper/substack-phone-number-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,phone_number_scraper/substack-phone-number-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/fM1hpOD6vits2RYDz/builds/xeda8v3OMhSRCwL2F/openapi.json