# ThomasNet Scraper - US Industrial Supplier Directory (`santamaria-automations/thomasnet-scraper`) Actor

Scrape supplier data from ThomasNet.com, the largest US industrial supplier directory with 500K+ companies. Extract names, websites, phone numbers, addresses, employee counts, certifications, brands, and more from manufacturers, distributors, and service providers across North America.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/santamaria-automations/thomasnet-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [NanoScrape](https://apify.com/santamaria-automations) (community)
- **Categories:** Business, Lead generation
- **Stats:** 3 total users, 2 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.50 / 1,000 supplier from search results

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

## ThomasNet Scraper - US Industrial Supplier Directory

Extract supplier data from [ThomasNet](https://www.thomasnet.com), the largest US industrial supplier directory with 500,000+ manufacturers, distributors and service companies. Search by keyword and get one clean row per supplier with contact details, location, size and, optionally, the contact person, product families and certification counts from the profile page. No login required.

### How it works

The actor runs HTTP-only (no browser, 128 MB RAM). Each search query gets its own sticky proxy session: it opens the ThomasNet homepage first, then reads the first page of search results and, optionally, opens each supplier profile for the contact person, product families and certification counts. Rows are written to the dataset one by one as they are found, so a long run never loses data.

- **Up to ~27 suppliers per search query.** ThomasNet shows anonymous visitors only the first results page (the next page is a "Register to continue" login wall), so each query returns at most one page. Add several queries (for example by region, material or process) to get more suppliers.
- `maxResults` is a limit **per search query**; values above 27 are accepted but cannot yield more than one results page.
- A supplier that matches several queries is returned once; `search_query` shows which search found it first.
- Proxy handling is built in. There is no proxy setting to configure.
- If ThomasNet blocks every request, the run ends **FAILED** with a clear message instead of finishing empty.

### What data can you extract?

| Field | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `id` | ThomasNet supplier ID |
| `name` | Company name |
| `description` | Company description |
| `website` | Company website |
| `phone` | Main phone number |
| `address`, `city`, `state`, `postal_code` | Street address, city, state, ZIP code |
| `country`, `country_code` | Country name and ISO code (United States, Canada, Mexico) |
| `latitude`, `longitude` | GPS coordinates |
| `logo_url` | Company logo |
| `employee_count` | Employee range |
| `revenue` | Annual revenue range |
| `year_founded` | Year founded |
| `categories` | Product / service categories |
| `supplier_type` | Manufacturer, Distributor, Custom Manufacturer, Service Company, ... |
| `contact_name`, `contact_title` | First contact person listed on the profile page (flat fields for CSV export). Detail mode only. |
| `contact_persons` | All contact persons on the profile page, as `{name, title}`. Detail mode only. |
| `product_families` | Product and service families the supplier is listed under. Detail mode only. |
| `certification_counts` | Number of certifications per type, e.g. `{"quality": 2, "registration": 1}`. Counts only; the profile does not list individual certificates. Detail mode only. |
| `certifications_total` | Total number of certifications. Detail mode only. |
| `is_claimed` | Whether the supplier claimed its ThomasNet profile. Detail mode only. |
| `search_query` | The query (or search URL term) that found the supplier |
| `search_page` | Search result page the supplier was found on |
| `source_url` | ThomasNet profile URL |
| `source_platform` | Always `thomasnet.com` |
| `scraped_at` | Scrape timestamp (UTC) |

### Input options

| Parameter | Type | Description |
|-----------|------|-------------|
| `searchQueries` | array | Keywords to search, e.g. "CNC machining". Each runs as its own search. |
| `searchUrls` | array | ThomasNet search URLs. Each runs as its own search. |
| `maxResults` | integer | Maximum suppliers **per query / URL** (default 25). A search yields at most ~27 suppliers (first results page only). |
| `includeDetails` | boolean | Fetch each profile page for contact persons, product families, certification counts and fuller company data (default true). |
| `maxConcurrency` | integer | Searches processed in parallel (default 3, max 10). |

With empty input the actor searches "steel fabrication".

### Example input

```json
{
  "searchQueries": ["cnc machining", "injection molding"],
  "maxResults": 50,
  "includeDetails": true
}
```

### Output example

Detail-mode row (`includeDetails: true`; product families shortened here). Search-only rows have `null` in the detail-only fields (`contact_*`, `product_families`, `certification_*`, `is_claimed`).

```json
{
  "id": "566640",
  "name": "Selco Manufacturing Corp.",
  "description": "Custom manufacturer of anchors, bollards, bolts, brackets, canopies, connectors...",
  "website": "https://www.selcomfg.com/",
  "phone": "(888) 880-6409",
  "address": "3 Fairfield Crescent",
  "city": "West Caldwell",
  "state": "NJ",
  "postal_code": "07006",
  "country": "United States",
  "country_code": "US",
  "latitude": 40.85493605,
  "longitude": -74.2852491,
  "logo_url": "https://cdn.thomasnet.com/ccp/00566640/268842.png",
  "employee_count": "10-49",
  "revenue": "$10 - 24.9 Mil",
  "year_founded": "1970",
  "categories": null,
  "supplier_type": "Custom Manufacturer",
  "contact_name": "Joe Ruvolo",
  "contact_title": "Sales Executive",
  "contact_persons": [
    {
      "name": "Joe Ruvolo",
      "title": "Sales Executive"
    }
  ],
  "product_families": [
    "Fabrication Services",
    "Enclosures",
    "Rails",
    "Steel",
    "Insulators",
    "Adapters"
  ],
  "certification_counts": {
    "quality": 2,
    "registration": 1
  },
  "certifications_total": 3,
  "is_claimed": true,
  "search_query": "steel fabrication",
  "search_page": 1,
  "source_url": "https://www.thomasnet.com/company/selco-manufacturing-corp-566640/profile",
  "source_platform": "thomasnet.com",
  "scraped_at": "2026-10-15T08:00:00Z"
}
```

### Pricing

Pay per event:

| Event | Price | When it is charged |
|-------|-------|--------------------|
| Run start | $0.005 | Once per run |
| Search result | $0.0015 | Per supplier returned from search data only |
| Profile result | $0.0035 | Per supplier returned with profile page data |

A supplier is billed once, right after its row is saved. If a profile page cannot be loaded, the supplier is returned from search data and billed as a search result.

### Use with AI Agents (MCP)

Connect this actor to any MCP-compatible AI client, including Claude Desktop, Claude.ai, Cursor, VS Code, LangChain and LlamaIndex.

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=santamaria-automations/thomasnet-scraper",
        "--header",
        "Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_TOKEN>"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

Example prompt: "Use `thomasnet-scraper` to find CNC machining suppliers and return a table with website, phone and city."

### Tips

- Use `searchQueries` for most cases. Each query returns up to ~27 suppliers (first results page); use several more specific queries to cover a market.
- The profile page has no email address (only a contact form). To get emails, feed the `website` field to the related actors below.
- Set `includeDetails` to `false` for large runs that only need search-level fields (name, phone, address, size, revenue, categories). It is faster and cheaper.
- Occasional blocked pages are retried automatically with a fresh session; if a run still ends FAILED, try again later.

### Data protection

This actor returns only data that is publicly visible on the source pages. Results can include personal data, such as names, phone numbers, email addresses and addresses of private persons, sole traders or contact persons. Where the source labels an entry type, it is included so you can filter the results yourself.

You are responsible for using the data lawfully, including the GDPR/DSGVO, national data-protection laws and unfair-competition rules (e.g. UWG) for marketing and outreach.

### Related actors

- [Website Email Scraper](https://console.apify.com/actors/VpLcKwzcl70CPHljg/information/latest/readme) - find emails on the supplier websites in the `website` field.
- [Website Contact Extractor](https://console.apify.com/actors/JmMPJ7zumUfB7p0Kr/information/latest/readme) - extract structured contact details from supplier websites.

### Support

Questions or problems? Open an issue in the [Issues tab](https://console.apify.com/actors/6twiVtEVYxzbHnFq7/info/issues) or see the [API tab](https://console.apify.com/actors/6twiVtEVYxzbHnFq7/info/api).

# Actor input Schema

## `searchQueries` (type: `array`):

Keywords to search on ThomasNet (e.g. 'CNC machining', 'steel fabrication', 'pumps'). Each query runs as its own search; ThomasNet shows anonymous visitors only the first results page, so expect up to ~27 suppliers per query. Add several queries to get more. every row carries the query in `search_query`. Leave everything empty to run a default search ('steel fabrication').

## `searchUrls` (type: `array`):

Optional ThomasNet search URLs (https://www.thomasnet.com/suppliers/search?searchterm=CNC+Machining\&search_type=search-supplier\&search_ref=popular-search). Each URL runs as its own search (first results page only, up to ~27 suppliers per URL).

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Maximum suppliers to return for EACH search query / search URL. ThomasNet gives anonymous visitors only the first results page, so a search yields up to ~27 suppliers however high this is set; values above 27 are accepted. A supplier found by several searches is returned once.

## `includeDetails` (type: `boolean`):

Fetch each supplier profile page for contact persons, product families, certification counts and more complete company data (billed as a detail result). When a profile cannot be fetched the supplier is returned from search data only and billed as a search result.

## `maxConcurrency` (type: `integer`):

Number of searches (queries / URLs) processed in parallel. Each has its own proxy session. Default 3.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "searchQueries": [
    "steel fabrication"
  ],
  "maxResults": 25,
  "includeDetails": true,
  "maxConcurrency": 3
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `suppliers` (type: `string`):

Dataset containing scraped supplier records. Each record has up to 30 fields including name, website, phone, address, employee count, revenue, categories and, in detail mode, contact persons, product families and certification counts.

# 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 = {
    "searchQueries": [
        "steel fabrication"
    ],
    "maxResults": 25
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("santamaria-automations/thomasnet-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 = {
    "searchQueries": ["steel fabrication"],
    "maxResults": 25,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("santamaria-automations/thomasnet-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 '{
  "searchQueries": [
    "steel fabrication"
  ],
  "maxResults": 25
}' |
apify call santamaria-automations/thomasnet-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,santamaria-automations/thomasnet-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/6twiVtEVYxzbHnFq7/builds/JLPywsHNlRjN9U3se/openapi.json