Internet Archive (archive.org) Items Scraper

Here is one real result, with every field the actor returns (the files array is trimmed here for readability):

{
  "imageUrl": "https://archive.org/services/img/yEaJrNplzqiUJ0OEGnBl--0--mv4ym",
  "title": "Jazz Age Beauty - AI Art",
  "url": "https://archive.org/details/yEaJrNplzqiUJ0OEGnBl--0--mv4ym",
  "identifier": "yEaJrNplzqiUJ0OEGnBl--0--mv4ym",
  "mediatype": "image",
  "creator": "Miloš Somborac",
  "publisher": null,
  "downloads": 35,
  "downloadsThisWeek": 4,
  "avgRating": null,
  "numReviews": null,
  "reviews": null,
  "year": "2025",
  "date": "2025-03-21",
  "publicdate": "2025-03-22 07:00:29",
  "addeddate": "2025-03-22 07:00:29",
  "uploader": "somboracmilos@outlook.com",
  "language": "eng",
  "itemSizeBytes": 212624,
  "itemSizeMB": 0.2,
  "numberOfFiles": 7,
  "fileFormats": ["JPEG", "Archive BitTorrent", "Metadata", "JPEG Thumb"],
  "collections": ["generative-art-archive"],
  "subjects": ["art deco", "1920s", "jazz", "beauty", "flapper", "ai art"],
  "description": "<p>\"A sophisticated 1920s woman in a silk dress with embroidery, short wavy bob, and a long cigarette holder...\"</p>",
  "licenseUrl": null,
  "files": [
    {
      "name": "yEaJrNplzqiUJ0OEGnBl--0--mv4ym.jpg",
      "format": "JPEG",
      "size": 159620,
      "sizeMB": 0.15,
      "length": null,
      "source": "original",
      "downloadUrl": "https://archive.org/download/yEaJrNplzqiUJ0OEGnBl--0--mv4ym/yEaJrNplzqiUJ0OEGnBl--0--mv4ym.jpg"
    }
  ],
  "searchQuery": "jazz 1920s",
  "aiSummary": null,
  "aiTopics": null,
  "observedAt": "2026-08-14T06:28:59.710Z",
  "error": null
}

The most complete Internet Archive items scraper available. It returns every field the archive.org search and metadata endpoints expose per item (title, creator, downloads, subjects, collections, dates, size, and the full downloadable file list with direct URLs), plus optional AI add-ons for a plain-English summary and topics, and gives you two filters to target exactly the items you need.

📥 Input · 📤 Output · 💰 Pricing · ▶️ Examples

Table of contents

• What it does
• Quickstart
• Input reference
• Output reference
• Example output record
• Run via API and CLI
• Fetch results
• Billing and limits
• FAQ and troubleshooting

What it does

The actor searches the Internet Archive by keyword or native query, or fetches specific items by identifier or URL, applies your media-type and sort filters, and writes one normalized record per item to the run's dataset. With withFiles on (the default), each item also includes its full downloadable file list (name, format, size, and direct download URL) plus the exact file count. Sizes are returned in both bytes and megabytes, missing source values are returned as null, and two optional AI add-ons (paid plans only) can add a plain-English summary and topics with keyword tags.

Quickstart

Open the actor, paste this into the input, and press Run. It returns the 10 most relevant items for the query, with file lists.

{
  "searchQueries": ["grateful dead"],
  "maxItems": 10,
  "withFiles": true,
  "mediaType": "all",
  "sortBy": "relevance"
}

Leave searchQueries empty and pass itemUrls to fetch specific items by identifier or URL instead.

Input reference

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
searchQueries	string[]	no	["grateful dead"]	Words, phrases, or native Internet Archive queries such as title:(moon) AND creator:nasa. Each query runs a separate search.
itemUrls	string[]	no	(empty)	Specific items by identifier (for example nasa) or full URL (archive.org/details/... or archive.org/metadata/...). Collected in addition to search results.
maxItems	integer	no	10	Maximum items to collect across all searches. Free Apify plans are capped at 10 per run.
withFiles	boolean	no	true	Include each item's full downloadable file list and exact file count. Adds one metadata request per item.
mediaType	enum	no	all	Restrict search results to one media type. One of all, texts, movies, audio, software, image, data, web, etree, collection. Ignored for items passed by identifier or URL.
sortBy	enum	no	relevance	Order search results. One of relevance, downloads, newest, oldest, recentlyAdded, title.
withAiSummary	boolean	no	false	AI add-on (paid plans only). Concise plain-English summary of each item. Billed only when produced.
withAiTopics	boolean	no	false	AI add-on (paid plans only). Broad topics and keyword tags per item. Billed only when produced.

Output reference

One dataset item per Internet Archive item. Types: string, number, integer, string[], object[], object, or null when the source value is absent.

Field	Type	Description
identifier	string	Internet Archive item identifier.
title	string	Item title.
url	string	Item details page URL.
imageUrl	string	Item thumbnail image URL.
mediatype	string	Media type, for example image, audio, texts.
creator	string	Item creator, or null.
publisher	string	Publisher, or null.
downloads	integer	Total download count.
downloadsThisWeek	integer	Downloads in the past week.
avgRating	number	Average user rating, or null.
numReviews	integer	Number of reviews, or null.
reviews	object[]	Review entries when present, else null.
year	string	Publication year.
date	string	Publication date.
publicdate	string	Date the item was made public.
addeddate	string	Date the item was added.
uploader	string	Uploader account or email.
language	string	Language code, or null.
itemSizeBytes	integer	Total item size in bytes.
itemSizeMB	number	Total item size in megabytes.
numberOfFiles	integer	Exact number of files in the item.
fileFormats	string[]	Distinct file formats present.
collections	string[]	Collections the item belongs to.
subjects	string[]	Subject and tag terms.
description	string	Item description (HTML from the source).
licenseUrl	string	License URL, or null.
files	object[]	Downloadable files {name, format, size, sizeMB, length, source, downloadUrl} (with withFiles).
searchQuery	string	The query that produced this item, or null for direct URL fetches.
aiSummary	string	Plain-English summary from the AI add-on, or null.
aiTopics	object	Topics and keywords from the AI add-on, or null.
observedAt	string	ISO 8601 timestamp of when the record was collected.
error	string	null on success. On a failed run, a single item with a populated error field is written instead.

Example output record

Real record from a live run (input {"searchQueries": ["jazz 1920s"], "maxItems": 2, "withFiles": true}):

{
  "identifier": "yEaJrNplzqiUJ0OEGnBl--0--mv4ym",
  "title": "Jazz Age Beauty - AI Art",
  "url": "https://archive.org/details/yEaJrNplzqiUJ0OEGnBl--0--mv4ym",
  "mediatype": "image",
  "creator": "Miloš Somborac",
  "downloads": 35,
  "downloadsThisWeek": 4,
  "year": "2025",
  "date": "2025-03-21",
  "publicdate": "2025-03-22 07:00:29",
  "language": "eng",
  "itemSizeBytes": 212624,
  "itemSizeMB": 0.2,
  "numberOfFiles": 7,
  "fileFormats": ["JPEG", "Archive BitTorrent", "Metadata", "JPEG Thumb"],
  "collections": ["generative-art-archive"],
  "subjects": ["art deco", "1920s", "jazz", "beauty", "flapper", "ai art"],
  "files": [
    {
      "name": "yEaJrNplzqiUJ0OEGnBl--0--mv4ym.jpg",
      "format": "JPEG",
      "size": 159620,
      "sizeMB": 0.15,
      "length": null,
      "source": "original",
      "downloadUrl": "https://archive.org/download/yEaJrNplzqiUJ0OEGnBl--0--mv4ym/yEaJrNplzqiUJ0OEGnBl--0--mv4ym.jpg"
    }
  ],
  "searchQuery": "jazz 1920s",
  "observedAt": "2026-08-14T06:28:59.710Z",
  "error": null
}

Run via API and CLI

Start a run and wait for it to finish, then read the dataset. Replace <TOKEN> with your Apify API token.

Run synchronously and get dataset items in one call:

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/scrapers_lat~archive-org-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<TOKEN>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"searchQueries":["apollo 11"],"mediaType":"movies","maxItems":25,"sortBy":"downloads"}'

Start a run asynchronously:

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/scrapers_lat~archive-org-scraper/runs?token=<TOKEN>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"itemUrls":["nasa","https://archive.org/details/grateful-dead"],"withFiles":true}'

Apify CLI:

apify call scrapers_lat/archive-org-scraper \
  --input '{"searchQueries":["title:(moon) AND creator:nasa"],"maxItems":50}'

Fetch results

Every run writes to a dataset. Fetch items as JSON, CSV, or Excel by changing format:

# JSON
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/datasets/<DATASET_ID>/items?token=<TOKEN>&clean=true&format=json"

# CSV
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/datasets/<DATASET_ID>/items?token=<TOKEN>&clean=true&format=csv"

# Paginate large datasets
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/datasets/<DATASET_ID>/items?token=<TOKEN>&offset=1000&limit=1000"

<DATASET_ID> is returned as defaultDatasetId in the run object. Use offset and limit to page through large result sets. clean=true drops empty and internal fields.

Billing and limits

• Pay per result. You are charged per item returned (result event). The details add-on charges only when the file list was actually obtained. See the pricing tab for current prices.
• No charge on failure. If a run errors, the actor writes a single item with a populated error field and does not charge for it. Empty runs cost nothing.
• Spend cap respected. Set maxTotalChargeUsd on the run; once reached, the actor stops emitting and charging further billable results.
• Free Apify plans are capped at 10 items per run. Upgrade for higher maxItems.
• AI add-ons (withAiSummary, withAiTopics) require a paid plan and are charged only when the model returns usable output.

FAQ and troubleshooting

A run returned 0 items. Why? The query matched nothing or the media type filtered everything out. Zero-result runs are not charged. Loosen the query or set mediaType to all.

How do I fetch one specific item? Put its identifier or archive.org/details/... URL in itemUrls. Direct items are fetched regardless of mediaType.

How do I get downloadable file URLs? Keep withFiles on (the default). Each item's files array includes a direct downloadUrl per file.

Can I use native Internet Archive query syntax? Yes. Put an expression such as title:(moon) AND creator:nasa in searchQueries.

Why are the AI fields null? The AI add-ons are off by default and require a paid plan. Enable withAiSummary or withAiTopics on a paid plan to populate aiSummary and aiTopics.

Is this an official Internet Archive tool? No. This actor is independent and has no affiliation with the Internet Archive. It reads only data that is publicly available through archive.org.

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More scrapers at scrapers.lat

Built and maintained by scrapers.lat, where we publish scrapers for US and Latin American public platforms: company registries, government data, finance, e-commerce and more. Browse the catalog or request a custom scraper at scrapers.lat.

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Independent tool, not affiliated with the Internet Archive. Accesses only publicly available archive.org data.