VS Code Marketplace Scraper · Extensions, Installs & Publishers

Scrape Visual Studio Code Marketplace extensions, install counts, ratings, reviews, publishers, categories, tags, and version release dates via the official VS Code gallery API. Extract structured extension datasets without authentication, headless browser overhead, or rate limits.

Maintained by reapX. Every row cites the Apify run that produced it — nothing is inferred, modelled or filled in, and a field absent from the source is absent from the row. The extracted archive for this source is browsable at reapx.dev/data/vscode-marketplace-scraper/ and mirrored as an open dataset on Hugging Face and Kaggle. Questions: reapxdev@proton.me

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Features & Capabilities

• Complete VS Code Extension Datasets: Scrape extension metadata, display titles, publisher organization profiles, verified status, short descriptions, categories, and manifest tags.
• Real-Time Extension Metrics: Extract total installation counts, download counts, average star ratings (1.0 to 5.0), total rating counts, weighted rating scores, daily trending growth, weekly trending velocity, and monthly trending velocity.
• Publisher Analysis: Filter extensions by specific publisher handles (e.g. ms-python, ms-vscode, github, redhat, esbenp, eamodio, hashicorp, golang, salesforce, vscjava) or inspect verified domain ownership.
• Category & Tag Filters: Narrow search results by official VS Code categories (Programming Languages, Themes, Linters, Debuggers, Formatters, Snippets, Testing, Extension Packs, Data Science, Machine Learning, Keymaps, SCM Providers, Notebooks, Visualization) or target specific tags (e.g. python, react, docker, rust, copilot, ai, tailwind).
• Flexible Ordering: Sort marketplace items by total installs (Installs), search relevance (Relevance), last updated timestamp (LastUpdated), original release date (ReleaseDate), user star ratings (AverageRating), or trending velocity.
• Addressable Data Records: Emits standard clean JSON records with stable slug identifiers (publisherName.extensionName) that directly map to entity pages on reapx.dev.
• Fast & Cost-Effective: Uses lightweight HTTP REST requests directly to the official VS Code gallery API (extensionquery). Runs in seconds with low memory consumption (512 MB).

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How it works

The VS Code Marketplace Scraper connects directly to the Visual Studio Code Gallery API endpoint (POST https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/_apis/public/gallery/extensionquery). It executes structured search requests using target criteria flags (Microsoft.VisualStudio.Code) and filters results based on your specified search keywords, categories, publishers, tags, minimum install thresholds, and sorting parameters.

The scraper automatically pages through gallery result sets, applies exponential backoff retry handling on transient network hiccups (429/5xx status codes), and streams extracted extension records item-by-item into your Apify Actor default dataset.

Every scraped extension record is assigned a canonical addressable slug identifier (publisherName.extensionName, e.g., ms-python.python or github.copilot).

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⬇️ Input

The actor accepts structured JSON input parameters to control query filtering, sorting, install thresholds, and result limits.

Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Prefill	Description
search	String	No	""	""	Search keyword query to filter extensions (e.g. python, react, linter, theme). Leave empty to disable keyword filtering.
category	String	No	""	"Programming Languages"	Filter by VS Code Marketplace category (Programming Languages, Themes, Linters, Debuggers, Formatters, Snippets, Testing, Extension Packs, Data Science, Machine Learning, Keymaps, SCM Providers, Notebooks, Visualization, Other). Leave empty to include all categories.
publisher	String	No	""	""	Restrict extraction to extensions published by a specific publisher handle (e.g. ms-python, ms-vscode, github, redhat, esbenp).
tag	String	No	""	""	Filter extensions by manifest tag keyword (e.g. python, javascript, docker, copilot, tailwind).
sortBy	String	No	"Installs"	"Installs"	Sorting metric: Installs, Relevance, LastUpdated, ReleaseDate, AverageRating, TrendingDaily, TrendingWeekly, TrendingMonthly.
minInstalls	Integer	No	0	0	Minimum total install count filter (e.g. 10000). Extensions below this threshold are skipped.
maxItems	Integer	No	50	50	Maximum number of extension records to extract and push (1 to 10,000). The higher the number, the longer the run takes and the more it costs in pay-per-event fees.

Worked Example 1: Extract Top Programming Languages Extensions

To extract the 50 most installed extensions in the Programming Languages category:

{
  "category": "Programming Languages",
  "sortBy": "Installs",
  "maxItems": 50,
  "minInstalls": 0
}

Worked Example 2: Scrape Official Microsoft Python Extensions

To extract extensions published by ms-python:

{
  "publisher": "ms-python",
  "sortBy": "Installs",
  "maxItems": 50
}

Worked Example 3: Search AI Coding Assistants

To search for AI coding extensions tagged with copilot and sort by daily trending velocity:

{
  "search": "copilot",
  "tag": "copilot",
  "sortBy": "TrendingDaily",
  "maxItems": 50
}

Worked Example 4: Extract Popular Color Themes

To extract dark themes with over 100,000 installs:

{
  "category": "Themes",
  "tag": "dark-theme",
  "minInstalls": 100000,
  "sortBy": "Installs",
  "maxItems": 50
}

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⬆️ Output

Scraped extension records are streamed directly to the default dataset. Each row represents a single Visual Studio Code extension with total installs, ratings, publisher information, and manifest metadata.

Output Field Specification

Field Name	Data Type	Description	Example
slug	String	Unique addressable identifier formatted as publisherName.extensionName	"ms-python.python"
extensionId	String	Internal UUID string assigned to extension by VS Code Gallery	"998b010b-e2af-44a5-a6cd-0b5fd3b9b6f8"
extensionName	String	Technical extension name identifier	"python"
displayName	String	Human-readable display name of the extension	"Python"
title	String	Marketplace title matching display name	"Python"
publisherName	String	Unique publisher identifier handle	"ms-python"
publisherDisplayName	String	Official display name of publisher organization	"Microsoft"
publisherDomain	String	Verified domain URL associated with publisher	"https://microsoft.com"
isPublisherVerified	Boolean	Flag indicating whether publisher identity/domain is verified	true
installs	Number	Total cumulative installation count	230469262
averageRating	Number	Average user rating score out of 5.0	4.2
ratingCount	Number	Total number of ratings/reviews submitted	630
trendingDaily	Number	Daily trending growth velocity metric	0.0012
trendingWeekly	Number	Weekly trending growth velocity metric	0.3904
trendingMonthly	Number	Monthly trending growth velocity metric	1.9129
weightedRating	Number	Bayesian weighted average rating score	4.2086
downloadCount	Number	Total package VSIX download count	3318772
version	String	Latest published version SemVer string	"2026.5.2026070801"
lastUpdated	String	ISO 8601 UTC timestamp of most recent update	"2026-07-08T00:00:00Z"
publishedDate	String	ISO 8601 UTC timestamp when extension was first published	"2017-08-01T00:00:00Z"
releaseDate	String	ISO 8601 UTC timestamp of initial marketplace release	"2017-08-01T00:00:00Z"
shortDescription	String	Summary description blurb	"Python extension for Visual Studio Code"
categories	Array	Categories assigned to extension	["Programming Languages", "Debuggers"]
tags	Array	Keywords and tags assigned in manifest	["python", "django", "flask"]
marketplaceUrl	String	Direct web URL to marketplace extension listing	"https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-python.python"

Sample Output Record (JSON)

{
  "slug": "ms-python.python",
  "extensionId": "998b010b-e2af-44a5-a6cd-0b5fd3b9b6f8",
  "extensionName": "python",
  "displayName": "Python",
  "title": "Python",
  "publisherName": "ms-python",
  "publisherDisplayName": "Microsoft",
  "publisherDomain": "https://microsoft.com",
  "isPublisherVerified": true,
  "installs": 230469262,
  "averageRating": 4.2,
  "ratingCount": 630,
  "trendingDaily": 0.0012,
  "trendingWeekly": 0.3904,
  "trendingMonthly": 1.9129,
  "weightedRating": 4.2086,
  "downloadCount": 3318772,
  "version": "2026.5.2026070801",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-08T00:00:00Z",
  "publishedDate": "2017-08-01T00:00:00Z",
  "releaseDate": "2017-08-01T00:00:00Z",
  "shortDescription": "Python extension for Visual Studio Code",
  "categories": [
    "Programming Languages",
    "Debuggers"
  ],
  "tags": [
    "python",
    "django",
    "flask",
    "jupyter"
  ],
  "marketplaceUrl": "https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-python.python"
}

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Pre-configured Tasks (TASKS.json)

This actor includes 50 pre-configured task definitions stored in TASKS.json. These tasks span distinct operational categories, publisher profiles, programming languages, themes, and install thresholds:

1. Category Tasks (15 tasks): Programming Languages, Themes, Linters, Debuggers, Formatters, Snippets, Testing, Extension Packs, Data Science, Machine Learning, Keymaps, SCM Providers, Notebooks, Visualization, Other.
2. Major Publisher Tasks (15 tasks): Microsoft Python (ms-python), Microsoft VS Code Core (ms-vscode), GitHub (github), Red Hat (redhat), Prettier (esbenp), GitLens (eamodio), HashiCorp (hashicorp), Go Team (golang), Salesforce (salesforce), Java Team (vscjava), FormulaHendry (formulahendry), PlatformIO (platformio), AWS Toolkit (AWS-Toolkit-Team), Google Cloud (GoogleCloudTools), Docker (Docker).
3. Tag & Keyword Tasks (15 tasks): React, Python, Rust, Docker, Copilot, AI Assistants, Tailwind CSS, Prettier, Kubernetes, Flutter, Vue.js, TypeScript, Markdown, Dark Themes, C# / .NET.
4. Sort & Install Threshold Tasks (5 tasks): Remote Development, Daily Trending Velocity, Weekly Trending Velocity, Newly Published Releases, High-Tier Verified Extensions (10M+ Installs).

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Use Cases & Applications

• Developer Tooling Research: Analyze adoption rates, star ratings, and release frequency across different programming language ecosystems (Python, JavaScript, Rust, Go, Java, C++).
• Competitor Intelligence: Monitor competitor extension installs, rating shifts, daily/weekly trending velocity, and update cadence in real-time.
• AI Coding Assistant Analytics: Track market share growth and user adoption of AI coding tools (GitHub Copilot, Tabnine, Codeium, AWS CodeWhisperer).
• Marketplace Publishing Strategy: Benchmark your own extension's install volume and rating counts against category leaders to optimize tags, categories, and descriptions.
• Developer Trend Forecasting: Identify emerging developer tools, frameworks, and productivity extensions before they go mainstream by analyzing daily and weekly trending velocity metrics.

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Pricing & Pay-Per-Event

The VS Code Marketplace Scraper operates on Apify's Pay-Per-Event (PPE) pricing model. You are charged a flat rate per extracted extension record pushed to your dataset ($0.001 per record), with automatic volume tier discounts applied based on your Apify subscription level:

• FREE: $0.00100 per record
• BRONZE: $0.00095 per record (5% discount)
• SILVER: $0.00090 per record (10% discount)
• GOLD: $0.00085 per record (15% discount)
• PLATINUM: $0.00080 per record (20% discount)
• DIAMOND: $0.00075 per record (25% discount)

Compute resource usage (RAM/CPU) is fully absorbed into the event price—you pay only for the exact rows returned.

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❓ FAQ

Q: Does this scraper require a Microsoft or Visual Studio Code API token?

No. The scraper accesses the public VS Code Gallery REST API (extensionquery) directly without requiring any login credentials, OAuth tokens, or API keys.

Q: How fast is the extraction process?

Extremely fast. Because the scraper relies on direct HTTP REST requests rather than a headless browser, extracting 50 extension records completes in under 3 seconds.

Q: Can I extract all extensions from a specific publisher?

Yes. Simply set the publisher parameter to the publisher handle (for example, ms-python or github).

Q: What is the slug field and why is it important?

The slug field (publisherName.extensionName) is the canonical addressable identifier used by Visual Studio Code Marketplace and reapX entity pages (https://reapx.dev/data/vscode-marketplace-scraper/). It uniquely identifies every extension across all runs.

Q: Can I cap my maximum spending on a run?

Yes. Set the maxItems parameter (e.g., maxItems: 100) to guarantee that the run extracts no more than that specified number of extension records.

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💬 Your feedback

We actively maintain this actor and welcome bug reports, feature requests, or dataset inquiries. Feel free to reach out via email at reapxdev@proton.me or visit reapx.dev.

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Disclaimer: Unofficial - not affiliated with Microsoft or Visual Studio Code. Collects public data only. reapx. Contact reapxdev@proton.me.

🧪 Example input

A real, runnable configuration — this is an actual input this Actor has run with.

{
  "category": "Programming Languages",
  "sortBy": "Installs",
  "maxItems": 50,
  "minInstalls": 0
}

📄 Sample output

One real row from a real run of this Actor, unedited.

{
  "slug": "ms-python.python",
  "extensionId": "f1f59ae4-9318-4f3c-a9b5-81b2eaa5f8a5",
  "extensionName": "python",
  "displayName": "Python",
  "title": "Python",
  "publisherName": "ms-python",
  "publisherDisplayName": "Microsoft",
  "publisherDomain": "https://microsoft.com",
  "isPublisherVerified": true,
  "installs": 230517750,
  "averageRating": 4.2,
  "ratingCount": 630,
  "trendingDaily": 0.0012099933209497086,
  "trendingWeekly": 0.3903837551374847,
  "trendingMonthly": 1.9129484299043078,
  "weightedRating": 4.208616482345023,
  "downloadCount": 3319099,
  "version": "2026.5.2026070801",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-08T11:35:23.263Z",
  "publishedDate": "2016-01-19T15:03:11.337Z",
  "releaseDate": "2016-01-19T15:03:11.337Z",
  "shortDescription": "Python language support with extension access points for IntelliSense (Pylance), Debugging (Python Debugger), linting, formatting, refactoring, unit tests, and more.",
  "categories": [],
  "tags": [],
  "marketplaceUrl": "https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-python.python"
}

⚠️ Run outcomes and error handling

This Actor reports what happened in the run's status message, and it always keeps whatever it collected. These are the outcomes you can get and what each one means.

Outcome	What it means
Success	Rows were returned and you were charged extension-scraped at $0.001 per row.
No matches	The source returned nothing for your filters. Nothing is charged. Widen the date window or drop a filter.

What is guaranteed either way

• Every row is pushed as it is built, not buffered to the end of the run. Anything that buffers output loses everything to a timeout, a block or a migration; this does not.
• A field absent from the source is absent from the row. Nothing is inferred, modelled or filled in to make a row look complete.