Pexels Stock Image Scraper

What does Pexels Stock Image Scraper do?

Pexels Stock Image Scraper collects structured photo search results from Pexels using a keyword or a public Pexels photo search URL. It returns image titles, descriptions, image links, dimensions, colors, tags, publication details, photographer information, reactions, and the search context in an Apify dataset.

Use it to build image research datasets, find visual assets for content projects, analyze photo trends, or maintain a searchable catalog of Pexels results. You can run a small keyword search in Apify Console or collect results from a filtered search URL across multiple pages.

Why use Pexels Stock Image Scraper?

• Fast image discovery - Search Pexels by topic and collect many relevant photo records without manual copy-paste.
• Useful image links - Keep the Pexels photo page, download page, direct download link, and preview URLs together.
• Rich metadata - Review titles, alt text, tags, colors, dimensions, publication dates, photographer profiles, badges, and reaction counts.
• Search-aware datasets - Each item can include the query, locale, source URL, page number, total results, and pagination context.
• Flexible collection - Set a result limit, start page, maximum page count, locale, orientation, size, and color filters.
• Workflow-ready exports - Download results as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, and other formats supported by Apify datasets.
• Repeatable research - Schedule runs, connect webhooks, or send results to tools such as Google Sheets, Airtable, Make, and Zapier.

What data can you extract from Pexels?

Field	Type	Description
id	Number	Pexels photo identifier.
type	String	Pexels record type, normally photo.
slug	String	Photo slug used in the Pexels page URL.
title	String	Photo title.
description	String	Photo description when available.
alt	String	Alternative description text.
photo_url	String	Public Pexels photo page URL.
download_page_url	String	Pexels download page URL.
download_image_url	String	Direct image download URL when available.
small_image_url	String	Small image preview URL.
medium_image_url	String	Medium image preview URL.
large_image_url	String	Large image preview URL.
width	Number	Image width in pixels.
height	Number	Image height in pixels.
aspect_ratio	Number	Image width divided by image height.
license	String	License label supplied by Pexels.
created_at	String	Creation timestamp when available.
updated_at	String	Last update timestamp when available.
publish_at	String	Publication timestamp when available.
tags	Array	Pexels tags associated with the photo.
colors	Array	Dominant color values associated with the photo.
main_color_rgb	String	Main color value when supplied.
photographer_id	Number	Photographer identifier.
photographer_name	String	Photographer display name.
photographer_slug	String	Photographer profile slug.
photographer_username	String	Photographer username.
photographer_location	String	Photographer location.
photographer_avatar_small	String	Small photographer avatar URL.
photographer_avatar_medium	String	Medium photographer avatar URL.
photographer_hero	Boolean	Whether the photographer has hero status.
photographer_active_hero	Boolean	Whether hero status is currently active.
photographer_instagram	String	Instagram profile value when available.
photographer_twitter	String	Twitter profile value when available.
photographer_badges	Array	Photographer badge labels.
photographer_badges_count	Number	Number of photographer badges.
reactions_emotional_count	Number	Emotional reaction count.
reactions_technical_count	Number	Technical reaction count.
reactions_stylistic_count	Number	Stylistic reaction count.
reactions_emotional_reacted	Boolean	Whether the emotional reaction is active.
reactions_technical_reacted	Boolean	Whether the technical reaction is active.
reactions_stylistic_reacted	Boolean	Whether the stylistic reaction is active.
user	Object	Original photographer profile metadata.
image	Object	Original image variant metadata and URLs.
reactions	Object	Original reaction counters and flags.
search	Object	Query, locale, source URL, page, and result-count context.

Fields are omitted when Pexels does not provide a value. This keeps each dataset item compact while preserving the available metadata.

How to use Pexels Stock Image Scraper

1. Open the Actor in Apify Console.
2. Enter a Pexels photo search URL or a keyword. At least one of these inputs is needed.
3. Set results_wanted and, when needed, max_pages or page.
4. Add optional orientation, size, color, or locale filters.
5. Run the Actor and inspect the dataset preview.
6. Download the results or connect the dataset to your preferred workflow.

Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
url	String	No	https://www.pexels.com/search/summer/	Public Pexels photo search URL. Use a URL with existing filters when you want to preserve search settings.
keyword	String	No	summer	Search keyword used when a URL is not provided, or used as the active query when both inputs are supplied.
results_wanted	Integer	No	20	Maximum number of photo results to save. Minimum: 1.
max_pages	Integer	No	10	Maximum number of result pages to process. Minimum: 1.
page	Integer	No	1	Page number from which to start collecting results. Minimum: 1.
orientation	String	No	-	Optional filter such as horizontal, vertical, or square.
size	String	No	-	Optional Pexels size filter.
color	String	No	-	Optional dominant color filter.
locale	String	No	en-us	Locale override such as en-us or de-de.
proxyConfiguration	Object	No	{"useApifyProxy": false}	Optional Apify Proxy settings for more reliable access during larger or repeated runs.

Usage Examples

Basic Keyword Search

Collect the first 20 Pexels photos matching a keyword:

{
  "keyword": "summer",
  "results_wanted": 20
}

Search from a Pexels URL

Use a public search URL when the URL already represents the search you want to collect:

{
  "url": "https://www.pexels.com/search/office%20desk/",
  "results_wanted": 50,
  "max_pages": 3
}

Filtered Search from a Later Page

Collect vertical photos with a color filter while starting from page 2:

{
  "keyword": "travel",
  "results_wanted": 40,
  "max_pages": 4,
  "page": 2,
  "orientation": "vertical",
  "color": "blue",
  "locale": "en-us"
}

Sample Output

Each dataset item represents one Pexels photo. A typical item looks like this:

{
  "id": 8455817,
  "type": "photo",
  "slug": "color-flipflops-on-the-sand",
  "title": "Color Flipflops on the Sand",
  "description": "Vibrant flip flops stand in the sand against a clear blue sky.",
  "alt": "Vibrant flip flops stand in the sand against a clear blue sky.",
  "photo_url": "https://www.pexels.com/photo/color-flipflops-on-the-sand-8455817/",
  "download_page_url": "https://www.pexels.com/photo/8455817/download/",
  "download_image_url": "https://images.pexels.com/photos/8455817/pexels-photo-8455817.jpeg?cs=srgb&dl=pexels-rdne-8455817.jpg&fm=jpg",
  "small_image_url": "https://images.pexels.com/photos/8455817/pexels-photo-8455817.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=130",
  "medium_image_url": "https://images.pexels.com/photos/8455817/pexels-photo-8455817.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=350",
  "large_image_url": "https://images.pexels.com/photos/8455817/pexels-photo-8455817.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=1440",
  "width": 4442,
  "height": 6663,
  "aspect_ratio": 0.6666666667,
  "license": "Pexels",
  "publish_at": "2021-06-23T22:00:45.455Z",
  "tags": ["beach", "summer", "vacation"],
  "colors": ["#008b8b", "#00bfff", "#cd5c5c"],
  "photographer_name": "RDNE Stock project",
  "photographer_slug": "rdne",
  "photographer_location": "Los Angeles",
  "photographer_hero": false,
  "photographer_active_hero": false,
  "photographer_badges": [],
  "photographer_badges_count": 0,
  "reactions_emotional_count": 0,
  "reactions_technical_count": 0,
  "reactions_stylistic_count": 0,
  "search": {
    "query": "summer",
    "locale": "en-us",
    "source_url": "https://www.pexels.com/search/summer/",
    "page": 1,
    "total_photo_results": 5186,
    "current_page": 1
  }
}

Tips for Best Results

• Validate the URL first - Use a public Pexels photo search URL, not a video search, user page, or unrelated Pexels page.
• Start small - Test with results_wanted: 20 before collecting a larger dataset.
• Use max_pages as a safety limit - Increase it when the search needs deeper pagination, but keep it aligned with the requested result count.
• Keep filters specific - Use orientation, size, and color filters when they are important to your research or asset selection.
• Review licensing information - Check the Pexels license and current platform terms before publishing or redistributing an image.
• Schedule repeat runs for monitoring - Compare datasets over time to track new photos, photographer activity, or changes in search results.

Integrations

• Google Sheets - Review photo candidates, tags, colors, and links in a shared spreadsheet.
• Airtable - Create a searchable image catalog with filters for topics, photographers, colors, and dimensions.
• Make or Zapier - Send new dataset items to content, marketing, or approval workflows.
• Webhooks - Notify your service after a run finishes.
• Apify API - Retrieve datasets programmatically for applications, enrichment, and scheduled pipelines.

Apify datasets can be exported as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, and other supported formats.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a keyword and a URL?

Yes. Provide either one or both. A keyword is convenient for a new search, while a URL is useful when you want to start from a specific Pexels search page and preserve its context.

Does the Actor support Pexels video or user pages?

No. This Actor is intended for Pexels photo search URLs. Use a photo search URL such as https://www.pexels.com/search/nature/.

Can I collect more than one page of results?

Yes. The Actor continues through result pages until it reaches results_wanted, reaches max_pages, or Pexels has no more results. Use page to start from a later page.

Does the Actor download image files?

No. It stores image and download URLs in the dataset. You can use those links in a separate download or content workflow.

Why is a field missing from an item?

A field is omitted when Pexels does not provide that value for the photo. Check several records before treating a missing field as a collection problem.

Can I export Pexels results to CSV or Excel?

Yes. Download the Apify dataset as CSV, Excel, JSON, XML, or another available format after the run completes.

Is it legal to collect Pexels data?

Public data collection may be permitted for some uses, but you are responsible for following Pexels terms, license requirements, privacy rules, and applicable laws. Confirm that each image is suitable for your intended use before publishing it.

Related Actors

• Unsplash Image Scraper - Collect image metadata and download links from Unsplash.
• Pixabay Image Scraper - Search Pixabay images and collect image URLs, tags, and creator information.
• OpenVerse Image Scraper - Find openly licensed images with license and attribution metadata.

Support

For issues, feature requests, or source-page changes, use the Issues tab on the Actor page in Apify Console.

Legal Notice

This Actor is intended for lawful research, content planning, asset discovery, and data workflows. Users are responsible for complying with Pexels terms, image licenses, copyright rules, privacy requirements, and other applicable laws. Do not assume that a collected image can be republished without checking its current license and permitted use.