Similarweb Data Actor Documentation

Overview

The Similarweb Data Actor is a powerful tool that fetches comprehensive website analytics and traffic data from Similarweb for any domain. With just a URL, you can access detailed insights about website performance, visitor demographics, traffic sources, competitors, and much more.

What Does This Actor Do?

This actor retrieves extensive analytics data for any website, including:

• Traffic Statistics: Monthly visits, page views, bounce rate, time on site
• Global & Country Rankings: See how a website ranks globally and in specific countries
• Geographic Distribution: Top countries visiting the website with percentage breakdowns
• Traffic Sources: Direct, search, social media, referrals, and paid traffic distribution
• Top Keywords: Most popular search terms driving traffic to the site
• Engagement Metrics: Pages per visit, average session duration, bounce rates
• AI Chatbot Traffic: Traffic distribution from AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, etc.
• Competitor Analysis: Similar websites and competitors
• Category Rankings: Position within industry categories
• Historical Trends: Traffic changes over recent months

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• An Apify account (free or paid)
• A URL of the website you want to analyze

Input

The actor requires only one simple input:

Field	Type	Required	Description	Example
url	String	Yes	The full URL of the website you want to analyze	https://www.google.com/

Important Notes:

• You only need to provide the URL - the actor automatically extracts the domain
• Works with any valid URL format (the domain is extracted automatically)
• HTTPS or HTTP - both work fine

Example Input

{
  "url": "https://www.google.com/"
}

How to Use

Step 1: Access the Actor

1. Log into your Apify account
2. Navigate to this actor
3. Click "Try for free" or "Start"

Step 2: Enter the URL

1. In the input field labeled "URL of the page", enter the website URL you want to analyze
2. Example: https://www.amazon.com/

Step 3: Run the Actor

1. Click the "Start" button
2. Wait for the actor to complete (usually takes a few seconds)

Step 4: Access Your Results

Results are available in two formats:

1. Dataset (Recommended for most users)

• Click on the "Dataset" tab
• View or download the data in JSON, CSV, Excel, or other formats
• Perfect for analysis and further processing

2. Key-Value Store

• Find the complete results saved under the key data
• Includes a completion timestamp
• Useful for programmatic access

Full Json Response Example

{
	"SiteName": "google.com",
	"Description": "Learn about the Certified Publisher Program. Our publishing software experts will help you maximize revenue and grow your business.",
	"TopCountryShares": [
		{
			"country": "United States of America",
			"countryCode": "US",
			"countryFlag": "https://purecatamphetamine.github.io/country-flag-icons/3x2/US.svg",
			"Value": 0.24590223044328374,
			"valueinPercentage": "24.59"
		},
		{
			"country": "India",
			"countryCode": "IN",
			"countryFlag": "https://purecatamphetamine.github.io/country-flag-icons/3x2/IN.svg",
			"Value": 0.055533909085140276,
			"valueinPercentage": "5.55"
		},
		{
			"country": "Japan",
			"countryCode": "JP",
			"countryFlag": "https://purecatamphetamine.github.io/country-flag-icons/3x2/JP.svg",
			"Value": 0.05474343423187957,
			"valueinPercentage": "5.47"
		},
		{
			"country": "Brazil",
			"countryCode": "BR",
			"countryFlag": "https://purecatamphetamine.github.io/country-flag-icons/3x2/BR.svg",
			"Value": 0.04801373747203322,
			"valueinPercentage": "4.80"
		},
		{
			"country": "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland",
			"countryCode": "GB",
			"countryFlag": "https://purecatamphetamine.github.io/country-flag-icons/3x2/GB.svg",
			"Value": 0.036587049425971234,
			"valueinPercentage": "3.66"
		}
	],
	"Title": "Google",
	"Engagments": {
		"BounceRate": "0.28358483196353707",
		"Month": "1",
		"Year": "2026",
		"PagePerVisit": "8.516282675924494",
		"Visits": "85756574615",
		"TimeOnSite": "610.4100441975721"
	},
	"EstimatedMonthlyVisits": [
		{
			"date": "2025-11-01",
			"visits": 82284033110,
			"percentageChange": null
		},
		{
			"date": "2025-12-01",
			"visits": 84172772881,
			"percentageChange": 2.3
		},
		{
			"date": "2026-01-01",
			"visits": 85756574615,
			"percentageChange": 1.88
		}
	],
	"GlobalRank": {
		"Rank": 1
	},
	"CountryRank": {
		"Country": 840,
		"CountryCode": "US",
		"Rank": 1
	},
	"CategoryRank": {
		"Rank": "1",
		"Category": "Computers_Electronics_and_Technology/Search_Engines"
	},
	"GlobalCategoryRank": null,
	"IsSmall": false,
	"Policy": 0,
	"TrafficSources": {
		"Social": 0.007599429014334454,
		"Paid Referrals": 0.0032674643515027855,
		"Mail": 0.002836815536330618,
		"Referrals": 0.044567463100973995,
		"Search": 0.0834589033073366,
		"Direct": 0.8582699246895208
	},
	"Category": "computers_electronics_and_technology/search_engines",
	"LargeScreenshot": "https://site-images.similarcdn.com/image?url=google.com&t=1&s=1&h=eb35e0fbafa3eb290132ffdfe47187d950d68daaa659ec1bd4b4e834b8f16461",
	"IsDataFromGa": false,
	"Countries": [
		{
			"Code": "AF",
			"UrlCode": "afghanistan",
			"Name": "Afghanistan"
		},
		{
			"Code": "AX",
			"UrlCode": "land-islands",
			"Name": "Åland Islands"
		}
		
	],
	"Competitors": {
		"TopSimilarityCompetitors": []
	},
	"Notification": {
		"Content": null
	},
	"TopKeywords": [
		{
			"Name": "gemini",
			"EstimatedValue": 99282440,
			"Volume": 100378910,
			"Cpc": 0.42
		},
		{
			"Name": "gmail",
			"EstimatedValue": 95585130,
			"Volume": 120497090,
			"Cpc": 1.74
		},
		{
			"Name": "google maps",
			"EstimatedValue": 66657600,
			"Volume": 63966790,
			"Cpc": 0.41
		},
		{
			"Name": "maps",
			"EstimatedValue": 43016910,
			"Volume": 45663980,
			"Cpc": 0.37
		},
		{
			"Name": "google",
			"EstimatedValue": 36342950,
			"Volume": 35444950,
			"Cpc": 1.32
		}
	],
	"AiTrafficDetails": {
		"Traffic": {
			"Split": [
				{
					"Name": "chatgpt.com",
					"Rank": 1,
					"Icon": "/image?url=chatgpt.com&t=2&s=1&h=a31616ae3cdef12fcfc664127563e6092e7531e7b4c3cde7e0c8c5fd3310dfc0"
				},
				{
					"Name": "perplexity.ai",
					"Rank": 2,
					"Icon": "/image?url=perplexity.ai&t=2&s=1&h=f48fa93e79e65eef47bff5b62e7037bccffb0629aecaed2d0c9f2fb25f177362"
				},
				{
					"Name": "claude.ai",
					"Rank": 3,
					"Icon": "/image?url=claude.ai&t=2&s=1&h=a3b3778e02952b653132fb6d019ed0361cff7850429377787fbdc4c86ce1565e"
				},
				{
					"Name": "chat.deepseek.com",
					"Rank": 4,
					"Icon": "/image?url=chat.deepseek.com&t=2&s=1&h=3932bcfb7ad820bd114ee43a2dba828a589d2ff19b6dc54400e0d39b2d65d377"
				},
				{
					"Name": "copilot.microsoft.com",
					"Rank": 5,
					"Icon": "/image?url=copilot.microsoft.com&t=2&s=1&h=eb2c5d699c15f4d7ff035602d8165b847ac5e2883d42a9d8eae54163cd4b47cb"
				},
				{
					"Name": "grok.com",
					"Rank": 6,
					"Icon": "/image?url=grok.com&t=2&s=1&h=5f2be8fd5c0911d0646a313793511a5a9acc4816f25a1b301774b501e7aa7c94"
				}
			],
			"Distribution": {
				"Boundary": "<500M",
				"Chart": [
					{
						"Name": "chatgpt.com",
						"Icon": "/image?url=chatgpt.com&t=2&s=1&h=a31616ae3cdef12fcfc664127563e6092e7531e7b4c3cde7e0c8c5fd3310dfc0",
						"History": [
							{
								"Date": "2026-01-01",
								"Value": 59.82779097191507
							},
							{
								"Date": "2025-12-01",
								"Value": 62.41118914555681
							},
							{
								"Date": "2025-11-01",
								"Value": 70.32488894957885
							}
						]
					},
					{
						"Name": "perplexity.ai",
						"Icon": "/image?url=perplexity.ai&t=2&s=1&h=f48fa93e79e65eef47bff5b62e7037bccffb0629aecaed2d0c9f2fb25f177362",
						"History": [
							{
								"Date": "2026-01-01",
								"Value": 19.4349856488379
							},
							{
								"Date": "2025-12-01",
								"Value": 18.758644836870157
							},
							{
								"Date": "2025-11-01",
								"Value": 7.082723888270969
							}
						]
					},
					{
						"Name": "claude.ai",
						"Icon": "/image?url=claude.ai&t=2&s=1&h=a3b3778e02952b653132fb6d019ed0361cff7850429377787fbdc4c86ce1565e",
						"History": [
							{
								"Date": "2026-01-01",
								"Value": 18.573293908514493
							},
							{
								"Date": "2025-12-01",
								"Value": 14.670453099486702
							},
							{
								"Date": "2025-11-01",
								"Value": 12.91577719623936
							}
						]
					}
				],
				"Chatbots": [
					{
						"Name": "chatgpt.com",
						"Icon": "/image?url=chatgpt.com&t=2&s=1&h=a31616ae3cdef12fcfc664127563e6092e7531e7b4c3cde7e0c8c5fd3310dfc0",
						"Value": 59.82779097191507
					},
					{
						"Name": "perplexity.ai",
						"Icon": "/image?url=perplexity.ai&t=2&s=1&h=f48fa93e79e65eef47bff5b62e7037bccffb0629aecaed2d0c9f2fb25f177362",
						"Value": 19.4349856488379
					},
					{
						"Name": "claude.ai",
						"Icon": "/image?url=claude.ai&t=2&s=1&h=a3b3778e02952b653132fb6d019ed0361cff7850429377787fbdc4c86ce1565e",
						"Value": 18.573293908514493
					}
				]
			}
		},
		"TotalVisits": 317693541.4837979,
		"ReferralTraffic": 0.0037047,
		"TopPrompts": {
			"Status": 0,
			"ErrorMessage": null,
			"Prompts": [
				"What is the most popular search engine?",
				"How can I find information online?",
				"Where can I search for websites?"
			]
		}
	},
	"SnapshotDate": "2026-01-01T00:00:00+00:00",
	"timestamp": "2026-02-10T20:53:43.633Z"
}

Understanding the Output

The actor returns a comprehensive JSON object with the following main sections:

Basic Information

• SiteName: The domain name (e.g., "google.com")
• Title: Website title
• Description: Site description
• Category: Industry category classification
• GlobalRank: Overall global ranking (e.g., rank #1)

Traffic & Engagement Metrics

"Engagments": {
  "BounceRate": "0.28358483196353707",
  "PagePerVisit": "8.516282675924494",
  "Visits": "85756574615",
  "TimeOnSite": "610.4100441975721",
  "Month": "1",
  "Year": "2026"
}

• BounceRate: Percentage of visitors who leave after viewing only one page
• PagePerVisit: Average number of pages viewed per session
• Visits: Total monthly visits
• TimeOnSite: Average time spent on site (in seconds)

Geographic Distribution

The TopCountryShares array shows the top 5 countries by traffic:

{
  "country": "United States of America",
  "countryCode": "US",
  "Value": 0.24590223044328374,
  "valueinPercentage": "24.59"
}

Traffic Sources

Shows where visitors come from:

• Direct: Visitors who type the URL directly
• Search: Traffic from search engines
• Social: Social media platforms
• Referrals: Other websites linking to this site
• Mail: Email links
• Paid Referrals: Paid advertising

Top Keywords

Lists the most valuable search terms driving traffic:

{
  "Name": "gmail",
  "EstimatedValue": 95585130,
  "Volume": 120497090,
  "Cpc": 1.74
}

• Name: The keyword/search term
• EstimatedValue: Estimated traffic value
• Volume: Monthly search volume
• Cpc: Cost per click in advertising

AI Traffic Analytics

A unique feature showing traffic from AI chatbots:

"AiTrafficDetails": {
  "Traffic": {
    "Split": [
      {"Name": "chatgpt.com", "Rank": 1},
      {"Name": "perplexity.ai", "Rank": 2},
      {"Name": "claude.ai", "Rank": 3}
    ]
  }
}

Tracks referral traffic from AI assistants, helping you understand how AI is driving visitors to websites.

Monthly Visit Trends

Historical data showing traffic evolution:

"EstimatedMonthlyVisits": [
  {
    "date": "2025-11-01",
    "visits": 82284033110,
    "percentageChange": null
  },
  {
    "date": "2025-12-01",
    "visits": 84172772881,
    "percentageChange": 2.3
  }
]

Use Cases

1. Competitor Research

Analyze competing websites to understand:

• Their traffic volumes and trends
• Geographic markets they serve
• Top performing keywords
• Traffic source strategies (SEO vs. paid vs. social)

Example: A marketing agency analyzing a client's top 5 competitors to identify market opportunities.

2. Market Research

Research potential markets or industries:

• Identify top players in a category
• Understand market size and trends
• Analyze geographic distribution

Example: An e-commerce startup researching the online furniture market before launching.

3. SEO Strategy

Improve your search engine optimization:

• Discover high-value keywords competitors rank for
• Understand organic vs. paid traffic distribution
• Identify content opportunities

Example: An SEO specialist finding keyword gaps to target for a client website.

4. Partnership Opportunities

Identify potential partners or acquisition targets:

• Find websites in complementary niches
• Assess traffic quality and engagement
• Evaluate audience overlap

Example: A SaaS company looking for integration partners with similar user demographics.

5. Due Diligence

Verify claims during business transactions:

• Validate traffic numbers before acquiring a website
• Assess website value and monetization potential
• Verify growth claims with historical data

Example: An investor verifying traffic claims before purchasing a content website.

6. Content Strategy

Plan content based on search demand:

• Identify trending topics in your niche
• Understand what content drives traffic
• Discover engagement patterns

Example: A blogger planning an editorial calendar based on high-traffic topics.

7. Media Buying & Advertising

Make informed advertising decisions:

• Identify high-traffic sites for ad placement
• Understand audience demographics
• Evaluate ROI potential

Example: An ad network evaluating premium publisher opportunities.

8. Performance Benchmarking

Compare your website against industry standards:

• Track your ranking improvements
• Monitor engagement metrics vs. competitors
• Set realistic growth goals

Example: A startup tracking monthly progress against established competitors.

9. AI Traffic Analysis

Understand how AI is impacting web traffic:

• Track referrals from ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, etc.
• Monitor the growing importance of AI-driven discovery
• Optimize for AI chatbot visibility

Example: A content publisher analyzing how AI assistants are becoming a traffic source.

Practical Examples

Example 1: Analyzing a News Website

Input: https://www.nytimes.com/

What You'll Learn:

• Daily traffic volume and trends
• Geographic readership distribution
• Engagement metrics (how long people read)
• Top performing article topics
• Social media vs. direct traffic ratios

Example 2: E-commerce Competitor Analysis

Input: https://www.amazon.com/

What You'll Learn:

• Market dominance and global reach
• Traffic sources (how they acquire customers)
• Seasonal trends in visits
• Geographic expansion strategy
• Keyword strategy for product categories

Example 3: SaaS Tool Research

Input: https://www.notion.so/

What You'll Learn:

• User acquisition channels
• Geographic market penetration
• Organic search performance
• Competitor landscape
• Growth trajectory

Best Practices

1. Run Regular Comparisons

• Track the same websites monthly to identify trends
• Create a dataset of competitors for ongoing analysis
• Monitor seasonal patterns

2. Combine with Other Data Sources

• Cross-reference with Google Analytics (for your own site)
• Use alongside keyword research tools
• Integrate with CRM data for complete picture

3. Focus on Relevant Metrics

• Don't get overwhelmed by all the data
• Choose 3-5 key metrics for your use case
• Track changes over time, not just absolute numbers

4. Consider Data Limitations

• Similarweb estimates may not be 100% accurate
• Smaller sites may have less reliable data
• Use as directional guidance, not absolute truth

5. Respect Data Usage

• Use data for research and analysis
• Don't violate terms of service
• Cite Similarweb when sharing insights publicly

Data Export & Integration

Exporting Data

The actor supports multiple export formats:

• JSON: Best for programmatic use and APIs
• CSV: Perfect for Excel and Google Sheets
• Excel: Ready-to-use spreadsheets
• HTML: Web-friendly format
• RSS: For feed readers

API Integration

Access results programmatically using Apify's API:

// Example: Fetching results via Apify API
const run = await client.actor('YOUR_ACTOR_ID').call({
  url: 'https://www.example.com/'
});

const dataset = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(dataset.items);

Scheduling Runs

Set up automatic weekly or monthly runs:

1. Go to actor settings
2. Click "Schedule"
3. Set frequency (daily, weekly, monthly)
4. Get automatic updated data without manual intervention

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue: "URL query is required" error

• Solution: Make sure you've entered a URL in the input field

Issue: No data returned

• Solution: The website might be too small or new for Similarweb tracking. Try a larger, more established website.

Issue: Unexpected domain extracted

• Solution: The actor automatically extracts the root domain. If you want a subdomain analyzed, it will analyze the main domain instead.

Issue: Data seems outdated

• Solution: Similarweb data typically has a 1-2 month lag. Check the SnapshotDate field to see when data was collected.

Pricing & Credits

This actor consumes Apify platform credits based on:

• Compute time (usually minimal - seconds per run)
• Data storage (if you save large amounts of results)

Typical cost: Very low - usually just a few cents per analysis or free on free tier.

Changelog

Version 1.0

• Initial release
• Domain extraction from URLs
• Comprehensive analytics retrieval
• AI traffic tracking
• Multiple export formats

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Quick Start Summary

1. Enter a URL → Any website you want to analyze
2. Click Start → Actor runs for a few seconds
3. View Results → Get comprehensive analytics data
4. Export → Download in your preferred format
5. Take Action → Use insights for strategy, research, or decisions

That's it! You now have professional-grade website analytics at your fingertips.

Support

If you have any questions or encounter any issues, please consult the Apify documentation or reach out to us through one of the following channels:

• Telegram: @pintoflow
• Email: pintoflowpt@gmail.com
• Apify Platform: You can also contact us directly through this platform.

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