# Dataset Cleaner (`punctual_alghoza/dataset-cleaner`) Actor

Deterministic cleanup for scraped or messy CSV/JSON datasets: exact-row dedupe, money and date normalization, optional PII scrubbing, machine-checkable report. Never destroys data - unparseable values are kept and flagged. No LLM.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/punctual_alghoza/dataset-cleaner.md
- **Developed by:** [Andrew](https://apify.com/punctual_alghoza) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, AI
- **Stats:** 1 total users, 0 monthly users, 0.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $300.00 / 1,000 dataset cleaneds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

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

## Dataset Cleaner

Deterministic cleanup for scraped or messy CSV/JSON datasets: exact-row
dedupe, money and date normalization, optional PII scrubbing, and a
machine-checkable report with SHA-256 hashes. Never destroys data -
unparseable values are kept verbatim and flagged in the report. No LLM.

Money/date columns are auto-detected via documented header heuristics and
reported; declare them explicitly to override.

### Apify

Input: content (CSV/JSON text), optional format, money_columns, date_columns,
scrub. Pay-per-event `dataset-cleaned` fires once per successful clean when
DCLEAN_CHARGE_ENABLED=1.

### Use from AI agents

Call via Apify MCP (`search-actors` -> `fetch-actor-details` -> `call-actor`)
or the REST/Python/JS clients. Always pass a per-run spend cap:
`callOptions: {"maxTotalChargeUsd": <1.00>, "timeout": 120}`.
Deterministic and fail-closed: errors like SCHEMA_DRIFT or UNSUPPORTED\_\*
mean the layout is unsupported - retrying will not help; surface the code to
the user. Agent skill covering this and 7 sibling actors:
https://github.com/ahf15811987-sketch/agent-skills

# Actor input Schema

## `content` (type: `string`):

Full text of the CSV or JSON dataset (4 MB max).

## `format` (type: `string`):

Input format.

## `money_columns` (type: `string`):

Optional comma-separated money columns (auto-detected otherwise).

## `date_columns` (type: `string`):

Optional comma-separated date columns (auto-detected otherwise).

## `scrub` (type: `boolean`):

Mask emails, phones, SSNs, Luhn-valid card numbers, API keys and tokens.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "format": "csv",
  "scrub": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

Dataset item with cleaned content, dedupe/normalization/scrub counts, detected columns and SHA-256 hashes.

# 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 = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("punctual_alghoza/dataset-cleaner").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 = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("punctual_alghoza/dataset-cleaner").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 '{}' |
apify call punctual_alghoza/dataset-cleaner --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,punctual_alghoza/dataset-cleaner"
        }
    }
}
```

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/tXMk0hmV66vY9iyDF/builds/AQfe6Izgqn2wQ6lYW/openapi.json