# Local Business Database Scraper (`sian.agency/local-business-database-scraper`) Actor

Retrieve a small sample of US business records for a city and state, including names, addresses, phone numbers, websites and categories when available. Export one row per returned business. This version reads one bounded page; it does not export an entire directory.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/sian.agency/local-business-database-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [SIÁN OÜ](https://apify.com/sian.agency) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation, Business
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $110.00 / 1,000 delivered business records

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

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

## Local Business Database Scraper 🏢

[![SIÁN Agency Store](https://img.shields.io/badge/Store-SI%C3%81N%20Agency-1AE392)](https://apify.com/sian.agency?fpr=sian) [![Local Business Data](https://img.shields.io/badge/Store-Local%20Business%20Data-1AE392)](https://apify.com/sian.agency/local-business-data-scraper?fpr=sian) [![Google Search](https://img.shields.io/badge/Store-Google%20Search-1AE392)](https://apify.com/sian.agency/google-serp-scraper?fpr=sian) [![Maps Photos](https://img.shields.io/badge/Store-Maps%20Photos-1AE392)](https://apify.com/sian.agency/google-maps-photos-scraper?fpr=sian)

#### 🏢 Export a small business directory sample for a US city and state

##### Names, addresses and available contact fields in one row per business

### 🔎 What is the Local Business Database Scraper — and when should you use it?

The **Local Business Database Scraper** turns small US city/state business directory samples with names, addresses and available contact fields into clean, structured rows you can filter, export and feed straight into a spreadsheet, database or AI agent. No account, no portal API key, no browser automation to maintain.

**Use it when you need:** a few stored business directory records for a US city and state.

**Use something else when:** you need live local business search or detail lookup. Use [Local Business Data Scraper](https://apify.com/sian.agency/local-business-data-scraper?fpr=sian) for live local business listings. This actor reads one bounded database page. Category filtering and complete-directory exports are unsupported.

### 🤖 Use with AI agents

Already connected to the [Apify MCP server](https://mcp.apify.com)? Just ask for this Actor by name: sian.agency/local-business-database-scraper

**Agentic payments:** Availability of [x402](https://www.x402.org/) and [Skyfire](https://www.skyfire.xyz/) depends on this Actor's current Store eligibility. Check the published listing for supported payment methods. Each delivered business record is billed once. Empty lists and failed retrievals have no business-result charge; a separate run-start fee applies.

Otherwise copy this prompt into Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any MCP-enabled assistant:

```text
I want a small business directory sample for a specified US locality using the Apify Actor `sian.agency/local-business-database-scraper`.

Use it when I need: a few stored business directory records for a US city and state.

Don't use it when: you need live local business search or detail lookup — use local-business-data-scraper instead.

How to call it: set operation search, city, full state name, and limit 1–5. Free-plan runs return at most one business. Read one dataset row per business.

Start with this input:
{
  "operation": "search",
  "city": "Chicago",
  "state": "Illinois",
  "limit": 1
}

Ask me which US city and full state name they want to research, then run the Actor and summarise the results as a table.
```

**Things you can ask your agent for:**

- *Inspect a small Chicago, Illinois business directory sample.*
- *Export a few Boston, Massachusetts businesses with available contact fields.*
- *Save a timestamped local business sample for later comparison.*

Machine-readable API, MCP config and OpenAPI definition for this Actor are published at [apify.com/sian.agency/local-business-database-scraper.md](https://apify.com/sian.agency/local-business-database-scraper.md).

### 📋 Overview

Retrieve 1–5 stored business records for a US city and full state name. Every delivered row must match the requested locality. This actor reads one bounded page; it does not export a complete directory.

- 🏙️ **Locality check:** City, state and country are checked before any business-result billing.
- 📞 **Available contacts:** Keep public phone and website fields when the record contains them.
- 🗂️ **Full detail:** The business object preserves the complete returned record.
- 🔢 **Bounded sample:** Request up to five businesses on paying plans or one on free plans.
- 📄 **Run report:** Review delivered records, accepted charges and input to retry.

***

### ✨ Features

- 🏢 One export row per returned business.
- 📍 Explicit US city and full state selection.
- 🧾 Business IDs and addresses for record comparison.
- 🌐 Websites, phone numbers and categories when available.
- 📊 JSON, CSV and Excel export through Apify.
- 🤖 Console, MCP and paid-plan API access.

### ⚡ Quick Start

Choose a city and state, keep the sample size small, and start the actor. Open the dataset for the returned business records. The Processing Report contains a summary and retry advice.

```json
{
  "operation": "search",
  "city": "Chicago",
  "state": "Illinois",
  "limit": 1
}
```

### 🚀 Getting Started

1. Enter a US city and select its full state name.
2. Choose a maximum of 1–5 businesses. Paying plans can request up to five; free-plan runs return at most one.
3. Start the actor and export the dataset. Review contact information before using it.

### 📥 Input Configuration

| Field | Type | Required | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| operation | string | No | search; this version has one operation |
| city | string | Yes | Full US city name |
| state | string | Yes | Full state name from the dropdown |
| limit | integer | No | Maximum businesses, 1–5; default 1 |

City and state have Console prefills, without API defaults. An empty API input fails validation before data retrieval or custom result charges. A platform run-start fee still applies. Category filters, cursor pagination and country selection are unsupported.

### 📤 Output

| Field | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| previewImageUrl | string or null | First available business photo |
| businessId | string | Business record identifier |
| businessName | string | Business name |
| address | string | Returned full address |
| city / state / country | string | Validated locality |
| latitude / longitude | number or null | Returned coordinates |
| phone | string or null | Available phone |
| website | string or null | Available website |
| categories | array | Returned category labels |
| mainCategory | string or null | Main category |
| placeUrl | string or null | Map listing URL |
| rating | number or null | Available rating |
| business | object | Complete returned business record |
| complete | boolean | True for useful delivered records |
| processedAt / scrapingDate | string | Actor processing/retrieval time in ISO8601 UTC |
| status | string | success or error |

A real Chicago sample returned Office of City Treasurer at 121 N LaSalle St #106, Chicago, IL 60602. A separate Boston, Massachusetts request returned a different matching record. These observations establish the tested locality checks, not nationwide completeness.

JSON preserves the nested business object. CSV and Excel encode nested structures as text. The Output tab also contains a Processing Report.

### 💼 Use Cases & Examples

#### Sales researchers

Inspect a small city business sample before deciding whether a directory fits your prospecting work.

#### Local marketers

Review names, websites and public addresses for the requested city and state.

#### Data analysts

Keep a timestamped sample of directory records for comparison.

#### Agencies

Export a few local business observations for a client research brief.

#### Business researchers

Inspect returned categories and contact fields without assuming every record has them.

#### Automation teams

Send returned business records to a spreadsheet or CRM for manual review.

### 🔗 Integration Examples

#### JavaScript

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';
const client = new ApifyClient({ token: 'YOUR_API_TOKEN' });
const run = await client.actor('sian.agency/local-business-database-scraper').call({ city: 'Chicago', state: 'Illinois', limit: 1 });
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);
```

#### Python

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient
client = ApifyClient('YOUR_API_TOKEN')
run = client.actor('sian.agency/local-business-database-scraper').call(run_input={'city': 'Chicago', 'state': 'Illinois', 'limit': 1})
print(list(client.dataset(run['defaultDatasetId']).iterate_items()))
```

#### cURL

```bash
curl -X POST 'https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/sian.agency~local-business-database-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"city":"Chicago","state":"Illinois","limit":1}'
```

#### Automation Workflows (N8N / Zapier / Make)

1. Trigger a run from a schedule or research request.
2. Call the actor with city, state and limit.
3. Read the dataset and review contact fields.
4. Save selected records to a spreadsheet or CRM.

### 📊 Performance & Pricing

Each delivered business record is charged once. Empty lists and retrieval failures have no business-result charge. A separate platform run-start fee applies to every run, including invalid inputs.

| Apify plan tier | Per business | Run start |
|---|---:|---:|
| Free | $0.50 | $0.02 |
| Bronze | $0.125 | $0.005 |
| Silver | $0.1175 | $0.005 |
| Gold, Platinum, Diamond | $0.11 | $0.005 |

Paying plans can request up to five businesses and receive event discounts. Free-plan users can test through Console or MCP. A billing limit can reduce the requested sample before retrieval. Check [current pricing](https://apify.com/sian.agency/local-business-database-scraper?fpr=sian) before running.

### ❓ Frequently Asked Questions

**Does this export every business?**

No. It reads one bounded first page with 1–5 businesses. No pagination, category filter or exhaustive coverage is offered.

**What is charged?**

Each delivered business record is charged once. Empty lists and retrieval failures have no business-event charge. A separate platform run-start fee applies.

**Which locations are supported?**

US city and full-state-name pairs. Chicago, Illinois and Boston, Massachusetts were tested. Other localities depend on available records; mismatched records are rejected.

**Are phones and websites guaranteed?**

No. These fields can be missing. JSON preserves the complete returned business object.

**Can I use an empty API input?**

No. Supply city and state. Console examples are prefilled; API calls do not inherit sample work.

**Can I use the API from a free plan?**

Direct API runs require a paying Apify plan. Free-plan users can test through Console or MCP.

### 🐛 Troubleshooting

**No businesses returned:** Check the city and state pair. An empty sample does not prove the locality has no businesses.

**Locality could not be retrieved reliably:** Returned records did not satisfy the requested locality. No business-result charge applies. Try a different supported locality or contact support.

**Billing limit reached:** Raise the limit enough to cover one business record plus the run-start fee.

**Contact field missing:** Not every stored business has a phone, website or rating. Inspect the business object before building a workflow around a field.

### ⚖️ Legal Disclaimer

Business records may contain personal data. Use the data only when you have an appropriate legal basis and follow applicable privacy requirements, including GDPR where relevant. Public availability does not remove those obligations.

Read Apify's discussion of [web scraping and the law](https://blog.apify.com/is-web-scraping-legal/). This actor is an independent SIÁN Agency product; it makes no claim of affiliation with a business directory or map service.

### 🤝 Support

Open an [actor issue](https://apify.com/sian.agency/local-business-database-scraper/issues) or email <apify@sian-agency.online>.

Built by [SIÁN Agency](https://www.sian-agency.online) · [More tools](https://apify.com/sian.agency?fpr=sian) · [Leave a review](https://apify.com/sian.agency/local-business-database-scraper/reviews)

# Changelog

This Actor's version history is a separate document: https://apify.com/sian.agency/local-business-database-scraper/changelog.md

# Actor input Schema

## `operation` (type: `string`):

One city/state request per run. Each useful business row is billed once; empty lists and failed retrievals have no business-event charge. A separate run-start fee applies.

## `city` (type: `string`):

🏙️ **CITY:** Enter the full US city name. A matching full state name is required. Results are validated against both values; unsupported localities fail without a business-result charge.

## `state` (type: `string`):

📍 **STATE:** Enter the full state name, for example Illinois or Massachusetts. Do not use postal abbreviations. Country is fixed to the United States.

## `limit` (type: `integer`):

🔢 **BUSINESSES:** Request 1–5 business records from the first page. Paying plans can request up to five; free-plan runs return at most one. Your billing limit can lower the requested count. No pagination or complete-directory guarantee.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "operation": "search",
  "city": "Chicago",
  "state": "Illinois",
  "limit": 1
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `localBusinessDatabaseBusinessRecords` (type: `string`):

One row per validated US business. Optional contact and category fields may be absent. Full returned business details are preserved in the business object.

## `scrapingSummary` (type: `string`):

HTML summary showing successful and failed results with key metrics

# 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 = {
    "operation": "search",
    "city": "Chicago",
    "state": "Illinois",
    "limit": 1
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("sian.agency/local-business-database-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 = {
    "operation": "search",
    "city": "Chicago",
    "state": "Illinois",
    "limit": 1,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("sian.agency/local-business-database-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 '{
  "operation": "search",
  "city": "Chicago",
  "state": "Illinois",
  "limit": 1
}' |
apify call sian.agency/local-business-database-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,sian.agency/local-business-database-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/crcZpSdRoraS64bTO/builds/3c0HktjAHUFS6e61a/openapi.json