# Dataset Deduplicator & Cleaner (`starshaped_bullsnake/dataset-deduplicator-cleaner`) Actor

Remove duplicate rows from an Apify Dataset or inline JSON. Deduplicate by selected fields, trim strings, and write the cleaned rows to a new Dataset.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/starshaped\_bullsnake/dataset-deduplicator-cleaner.md
- **Developed by:** [Starshape Tools](https://apify.com/starshaped_bullsnake) (community)
- **Categories:**
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

Pay per usage

This Actor is paid per platform usage. The Actor is free to use, and you only pay for the Apify platform usage, which gets cheaper the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-usage

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
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.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## 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.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## Dataset Deduplicator & Cleaner

Remove duplicate rows from an Apify Dataset or inline JSON and write the cleaned rows to a new Dataset.

This Actor is intentionally simple: no external API, no credentials, and the default input runs immediately.

### What it does

- Reads rows from an Apify Dataset or inline JSON
- Deduplicates by one or more selected fields
- Can keep the first or last duplicate
- Optionally trims leading/trailing whitespace from text values
- Optionally compares text keys case-insensitively
- Writes the cleaned rows to the default Apify Dataset

### Quick test

Run the Actor with the default input.

The sample contains 3 rows, including two rows with `id = A001`.
With the default `keyFields = ["id"]` and `keep = first`, the output contains 2 rows.

### Example

Input:

```json
[
  {"id":"A001","name":" Alpha ","score":10},
  {"id":"A002","name":"Beta","score":20},
  {"id":"A001","name":"Alpha duplicate","score":99}
]
```

Output:

```json
[
  {"id":"A001","name":"Alpha","score":10},
  {"id":"A002","name":"Beta","score":20}
]
```

### Dataset mode

Choose a Dataset in **Source Dataset**. The Actor reads up to `maxItems` rows from it and writes the cleaned result to the run's default Dataset.

### Deduplication keys

Set **Deduplication key fields** to fields such as:

```text
email
```

or:

```text
firstName
lastName
company
```

Leave the list empty to compare the complete cleaned row.

### Notes

- The source Dataset is read-only.
- The Actor runs with limited permissions and requests READ access only to a Dataset explicitly selected by the user.
- `maxItems` is a safety limit, not pagination across multiple runs.
- String trimming applies to top-level fields only.

# Actor input Schema

## `sourceDatasetId` (type: `string`):

Optional Apify Dataset to clean. If empty, the inline sample rows below are used.

## `rows` (type: `array`):

JSON rows to clean when no Source Dataset is selected. The defaults intentionally contain one duplicate for a quick smoke test.

## `keyFields` (type: `array`):

Rows with the same values in these fields are treated as duplicates. Leave empty to compare the whole row.

## `keep` (type: `string`):

Choose whether the first or last row wins when duplicate keys are found.

## `trimStrings` (type: `boolean`):

Remove leading and trailing whitespace from top-level string fields before deduplication and output.

## `caseInsensitiveKeys` (type: `boolean`):

When enabled, text values used in deduplication keys are compared without letter-case differences.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Safety limit for rows read and processed in one run.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "rows": [
    {
      "id": "A001",
      "name": " Alpha ",
      "score": 10
    },
    {
      "id": "A002",
      "name": "Beta",
      "score": 20
    },
    {
      "id": "A001",
      "name": "Alpha duplicate",
      "score": 99
    }
  ],
  "keyFields": [
    "id"
  ],
  "keep": "first",
  "trimStrings": true,
  "caseInsensitiveKeys": false,
  "maxItems": 10000
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `dataset` (type: `string`):

No description

# 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 = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("starshaped_bullsnake/dataset-deduplicator-cleaner").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 = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("starshaped_bullsnake/dataset-deduplicator-cleaner").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 '{}' |
apify call starshaped_bullsnake/dataset-deduplicator-cleaner --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,starshaped_bullsnake/dataset-deduplicator-cleaner"
        }
    }
}

```

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/7aGkjhgvWrOheoy4w/builds/ez1JVk1itozls72LC/openapi.json