# California Fresh Business Leads (`practicaltools/california-fresh-business-leads`) Actor Discovers and enriches new California business leads using the CALICO SOS API and bizfile portal. Connects directly to the California Secretary of State's bizfile portal to discover newly incorporated LLCs, Corporations and other entity types the moment they appear in public recordsץ - **URL**: https://apify.com/practicaltools/california-fresh-business-leads.md - **Developed by:** [Practical Tools](https://apify.com/practicaltools) (community) - **Categories:** Lead generation, Automation - **Stats:** 4 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $25.00 / 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/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. 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. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use 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 ### What does CA Business Leads – SOS Entity Search do? **CA Business Leads** connects directly to the California Secretary of State's bizfile portal to discover newly incorporated LLCs, Corporations, Limited Partnerships, and other entity types the moment they appear in public records. Set a date range, hit run, and get a structured, enriched dataset of fresh California business entities — no API key required. The Actor runs a full A–Z name sweep across your filing date range, automatically expands sub-variants when result caps are hit, and optionally enriches every record with principal address, mailing address, registered agent details, and standing status (SOS, FTB, Agent, VCFCF) pulled from the [bizfile portal](https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov). Results are sorted by descending filing date so the freshest leads are always at the top. ### Why use CA Business Leads? California files more new business entities than any other US state. These early-stage companies are in active buying mode — they need banking, insurance, payroll, legal, web, and accounting services right now, before they've built vendor relationships. **Who uses this Actor:** - **Business bankers** targeting newly formed LLCs and Corporations to offer business checking accounts, credit lines, and SBA loans before competitors reach them. - **Insurance agents** pitching general liability, workers' comp, and commercial auto policies to entities that have just formed but have no coverage yet. - **Web agencies and designers** reaching out to new businesses that need branding, websites, and social media presence. - **Accountants and CPAs** offering Tax ID/FEIN setup, bookkeeping, and first-year tax filing to entities within days of incorporation. - **Commercial real estate brokers** finding new tenants before businesses sign a lease elsewhere. - **Registered agent services** approaching entities that listed a principal address (not a registered agent) at time of filing. - **B2B SaaS companies** prospecting into specific verticals (e.g., filter by `searchTerms: ["Tech", "AI", "Solar"]`) to find their ideal customer profile at inception. ### How to use CA Business Leads 1. Open the Actor in [Apify Console](https://console.apify.com/actors/pink_comic~california-business-leads) and click **Try for free**. 2. Set **Date From** and **Date To** to your desired filing date range (e.g., last 7 days). 3. Optionally add **Search Terms** to filter by entity name keywords. Leave empty for a full sweep of all new filings. 4. Leave **Enrich with Filing Details** enabled (default) to get principal addresses and standing info per entity. 5. Set **Max Items** to control how many results to return (default: 10; remove limit for full coverage). 6. Click **Start** and wait for the run to complete. 7. Download results as **JSON, CSV, or Excel** from the Dataset tab. ### Input | Field | Type | Default | Description | |---|---|---|---| | `dateStart` | string | `2025-01-01` | Earliest filing date to include (YYYY-MM-DD) | | `dateEnd` | string | today | Latest filing date to include (YYYY-MM-DD) | | `searchTerms` | list | _(empty)_ | Optional name keywords (e.g. `Tech`, `Solar`). Empty = full A–Z sweep | | `enrichDetails` | boolean | `true` | Fetch principal address, mailing address, and standing per entity | | `maxItems` | integer | `10` | Cap on total results returned, sorted by newest first | | `extractOfficers` | boolean | `false` | Download SI PDFs and extract CEO/Secretary/CFO names (slower) | | `proxyConfiguration` | object | Datacenter | Proxy settings for bypassing WAF on the bizfile portal | **Example input:** ```json { "dateStart": "2026-04-01", "dateEnd": "2026-04-07", "searchTerms": [], "enrichDetails": true, "maxItems": 100 } ```` ### Output Results are pushed to the default dataset. You can download them in **JSON, CSV, HTML, or Excel** from the Dataset tab in Apify Console. **Example output record:** ```json { "entityId": "C4912345", "entityName": "ACME VENTURES LLC", "filingDate": "2026-04-06", "status": "Active", "standing": "Good", "entityType": "Limited Liability Company", "formedIn": "CA", "registeredAgent": "JOHN DOE", "agentInfo": { "type": "Individual", "name": "John Doe", "address": "123 Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90001" }, "principalAddress": "456 Business Ave, San Francisco, CA 94105", "mailingAddress": "456 Business Ave, San Francisco, CA 94105", "standingSOS": "Good", "standingFTB": "Good", "standingAgent": "Good", "standingVCFCF": "Exempt", "statementOfInfoDueDate": "10/31/2026", "officers": [], "linkedInSearchUrl": "" } ``` ### Data fields | Field | Description | |---|---| | `entityId` | California SOS filing number (e.g. `C4912345`) | | `entityName` | Registered business name | | `filingDate` | Date the entity was filed with the CA SOS (YYYY-MM-DD) | | `status` | Entity status: `Active`, `Cancelled`, `Suspended`, etc. | | `standing` | Combined standing from bizfile search result | | `entityType` | Entity type: LLC, Corporation, LP, etc. | | `formedIn` | State or country of formation | | `registeredAgent` | Registered agent name from search result | | `agentInfo` | Structured agent object with `type`, `name`, and `address` | | `principalAddress` | Principal business address (requires `enrichDetails: true`) | | `mailingAddress` | Mailing address (requires `enrichDetails: true`) | | `standingSOS` | Secretary of State standing (requires `enrichDetails: true`) | | `standingFTB` | Franchise Tax Board standing (requires `enrichDetails: true`) | | `standingAgent` | Agent standing (requires `enrichDetails: true`) | | `standingVCFCF` | VCFCF standing (requires `enrichDetails: true`) | | `statementOfInfoDueDate` | Due date for the Statement of Information | | `officers` | Array of officers extracted from SI PDF (requires `extractOfficers: true`) | | `linkedInSearchUrl` | Pre-built LinkedIn people search URL for the CEO | ### How much does it cost to scrape California business filings? This Actor uses **pay-per-result** pricing — you're only charged for leads returned, never for failed or empty runs. | Plan | Price per result | |---|---| | No discount | $0.05 | | Bronze | $0.035 | | Silver | $0.03 | | Gold | $0.025 | | Use case | Estimated results | Estimated cost (no discount) | |---|---|---| | 1 day of new filings | ~300–600 entities | $15–$30 | | 1 week of new filings | ~2,000–4,000 entities | $100–$200 | | Keyword search (e.g. "Tech") | ~50–200 entities | $2.50–$10 | | Quick test (maxItems: 10) | 10 entities | $0.50 | Apify provides a **free $5 credit** for new accounts — enough to pull ~100 leads and validate the data quality before committing to a larger run. ### Tips for best results - **Set a narrow date range** (7–14 days) for the freshest leads with no wasted spend. - **Use `maxItems`** during testing to control cost. Set to `10` or `50` before running a full sweep. - **Leave `enrichDetails` enabled** — principal addresses are essential for direct mail campaigns and are fetched in the same run. - **Enable `extractOfficers`** only if you specifically need CEO/decision-maker names. It significantly slows the run (one browser page per entity). - **Use `searchTerms`** to focus on a specific vertical. Good examples: `["Tech", "AI"]`, `["Solar", "Energy"]`, `["Medical", "Health"]`, `["Realty", "Properties"]`. - **Datacenter proxies** (enabled by default) are used for all requests. If you encounter persistent blocking on high-volume runs, try switching to residential proxies in the Proxy Configuration field. ### FAQ and support **Is scraping the CA SOS bizfile portal legal?** Yes. The California Secretary of State's bizfile portal contains publicly disclosed business entity records. This data is filed voluntarily with a government agency and is available to the general public under California law. This Actor accesses only public data and does not attempt to bypass authentication or access private records. **How fresh is the data?** New entity filings typically appear on the bizfile portal within 24 hours of processing by the CA SOS. For the absolute freshest leads, set `dateStart` and `dateEnd` to yesterday. **Why does the `principalAddress` sometimes show the agent's address?** Many newly formed entities list their registered agent's address as the principal address at time of filing. This is common for entities formed through incorporation services. The address is accurate — it's what was filed with the state. **How do I automate daily lead collection?** Use [Apify Scheduling](https://docs.apify.com/platform/schedules) to run the Actor daily with a 1-day date window. Connect the output dataset to [Google Sheets, Airtable, or your CRM](https://apify.com/integrations) via a webhook or Zapier integration. **Need a custom solution?** For high-volume needs, custom filtering, CRM integration, or multi-state coverage, open an issue on the [Actor's Issues tab](https://apify.com/pink_comic/california-business-leads/issues). # Actor input Schema ## `searchTerms` (type: `array`): Keywords to filter by entity name (e.g. Tech, Solar, AI). If left empty, the actor runs a full A–Z sweep and returns all entities filed in the date range. ## `dateStart` (type: `string`): Include entities filed on or after this date. ## `dateEnd` (type: `string`): Include entities filed on or before this date. ## `enrichDetails` (type: `boolean`): Calls the FilingDetail API per entity to add principal address, mailing address, detailed standing (SOS/FTB/Agent/VCFCF), and structured agent info. ## `maxItems` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of entities to return, sorted by most recently filed first. Leave empty for no limit. ## `extractOfficers` (type: `boolean`): If enabled, downloads the Statement of Information PDF from bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov and extracts CEO, Secretary, and CFO names. Slower and uses a headless browser. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Proxy settings used for all requests to the bizfile portal. Datacenter proxies (auto) are the default. ## Actor input object example ```json { "dateStart": "2026-03-01", "dateEnd": "2026-04-05", "enrichDetails": true, "maxItems": 5, "extractOfficers": false, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [] } } ``` # 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 '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "dateStart": "2026-03-01", "dateEnd": "2026-04-05", "enrichDetails": true, "maxItems": 5, "extractOfficers": false, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [] } }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("practicaltools/california-fresh-business-leads").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 '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "dateStart": "2026-03-01", "dateEnd": "2026-04-05", "enrichDetails": True, "maxItems": 5, "extractOfficers": False, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True, "apifyProxyGroups": [], }, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("practicaltools/california-fresh-business-leads").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "dateStart": "2026-03-01", "dateEnd": "2026-04-05", "enrichDetails": true, "maxItems": 5, "extractOfficers": false, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [] } }' | apify call practicaltools/california-fresh-business-leads --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=practicaltools/california-fresh-business-leads", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "California Fresh Business Leads", "description": "Discovers and enriches new California business leads using the CALICO SOS API and bizfile portal.\nConnects directly to the California Secretary of State's bizfile portal to discover newly incorporated LLCs, Corporations and other entity types the moment they appear in public recordsץ", "version": "0.0", "x-build-id": "xuhhllPl8nkR9pKcK" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/practicaltools~california-fresh-business-leads/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-practicaltools-california-fresh-business-leads", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/practicaltools~california-fresh-business-leads/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-practicaltools-california-fresh-business-leads", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/practicaltools~california-fresh-business-leads/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-practicaltools-california-fresh-business-leads", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "dateStart", "dateEnd" ], "properties": { "searchTerms": { "title": "Search Terms (optional)", "type": "array", "description": "Keywords to filter by entity name (e.g. Tech, Solar, AI). If left empty, the actor runs a full A–Z sweep and returns all entities filed in the date range.", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "dateStart": { "title": "Date From (YYYY-MM-DD)", "pattern": "^\\d{4}-\\d{2}-\\d{2}$", "type": "string", "description": "Include entities filed on or after this date.", "default": "2026-03-01" }, "dateEnd": { "title": "Date To (YYYY-MM-DD)", "pattern": "^\\d{4}-\\d{2}-\\d{2}$", "type": "string", "description": "Include entities filed on or before this date.", "default": "2026-04-05" }, "enrichDetails": { "title": "Enrich with Filing Details", "type": "boolean", "description": "Calls the FilingDetail API per entity to add principal address, mailing address, detailed standing (SOS/FTB/Agent/VCFCF), and structured agent info.", "default": true }, "maxItems": { "title": "Max Items", "minimum": 1, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of entities to return, sorted by most recently filed first. Leave empty for no limit.", "default": 5 }, "extractOfficers": { "title": "Extract Officers (Mode B)", "type": "boolean", "description": "If enabled, downloads the Statement of Information PDF from bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov and extracts CEO, Secretary, and CFO names. Slower and uses a headless browser.", "default": false }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "Proxy Configuration", "type": "object", "description": "Proxy settings used for all requests to the bizfile portal. Datacenter proxies (auto) are the default.", "default": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [] } } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```