# DIY.com Scraper — B\&Q UK Hardware & Tools Products (`studio-amba/diy-com-scraper`) Actor Scrape products, prices, and specifications from DIY.com (B\&Q). UK's largest DIY and hardware retail chain. - **URL**: https://apify.com/studio-amba/diy-com-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Studio Amba](https://apify.com/studio-amba) (community) - **Categories:** E-commerce - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $1.20 / 1,000 result scrapeds 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? 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 ## DIY.com Scraper Grab tools, hardware, paint, and building materials data from diy.com, B\&Q's current domain and the UK's largest DIY retail chain. Search by keyword or point it at any category page and get structured product data back: price, brand, stock status, specs, images, and category breadcrumb. ### Why use this actor? Price monitoring, catalogue enrichment, and competitor tracking for anyone selling tools or building materials in the UK — DIY.com carries 40,000+ products across power tools, kitchens, bathrooms, decorating, and garden. No login or account needed, and no anti-bot protection to work around. ### Input | Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | `searchQuery` | string | Search term (e.g., `"drill"`, `"paint"`, `"decking"`) | | `categoryUrls` | array | Category page URLs | | `maxResults` | integer | Limit (default: 100, 0 = unlimited) | | `proxyConfiguration` | object | Proxy settings | Falls back to searching "drill" if no input is provided. ### Output | Field | Type | Example | |-------|------|---------| | `name` | string | `"Bosch Power for All 18V Li-ion Cordless Drill driver (1 x 2Ah) - EasyDrill 18V-40"` | | `brand` | string | `"Bosch"` | | `price` | number | `65` | | `originalPrice` | number | `79.99` | | `currency` | string | `"GBP"` | | `sku` | string | `"4053423232578"` | | `ean` | string | `"4053423232578"` | | `inStock` | boolean or null | `true` | | `rating` | number | `4.5` | | `reviewCount` | number | `56` | | `url` | string | Product URL | | `imageUrl` | string | Primary product image | | `imageUrls` | array | All product images | | `category` | string | `"Tools & equipment > Power tools > Drills > Drill drivers"` | | `description` | string | Product description | | `specs` | object | `{"Power voltage supply": "18V", "Length (mm)": "180mm"}` | | `scrapedAt` | string | ISO 8601 timestamp | ### Example output ```json { "name": "Bosch Power for All 18V Li-ion Cordless Drill driver (1 x 2Ah) - EasyDrill 18V-40", "brand": "Bosch", "price": 65, "currency": "GBP", "url": "https://www.diy.com/departments/bosch-power-for-all-18v-li-ion-cordless-drill-driver-1-x-2ah-easydrill-18v-40/4053423232578_BQ.prd", "sku": "4053423232578", "ean": "4053423232578", "description": "Versatile drilling and screwdriving when it comes to comfort and convenience, the EasyDrill 18V-40 is the multi-purpose tool of choice.", "inStock": true, "reviewCount": 56, "imageUrl": "https://media.diy.com/is/image/Kingfisher/bosch-power-for-all-18v-li-ion-cordless-drill-driver-1-x-2ah-easydrill-18v-40~4053423232578_07c_bq?width=284&height=284", "category": "Tools & equipment > Power tools > Drills > Drill drivers", "specs": { "Length (mm)": "180mm", "Pack quantity": "1", "Power voltage supply": "18V", "Product type": "Drill drivers", "Sold by": "B&Q" }, "scrapedAt": "2026-08-26T14:08:54.357Z" } ``` ### How the data is extracted DIY.com renders full product pages server-side, and each product page carries a `schema.org/Product` JSON-LD block with name, GTIN13/EAN, category, images, and structured specs (`additionalProperty`) — this actor reads that block directly instead of relying on brittle CSS selectors, then falls back to visible page elements for anything JSON-LD doesn't carry (brand, rating, reviews). This makes the scraper resilient to the site's ordinary front-end styling and markup changes. ### Cost DIY.com has no anti-bot protection (plain CloudFront-served HTML), so this runs on Apify's default automatic proxy pool at low compute cost — roughly **1,000+ products per $1** via plain HTTP requests, no headless browser required. Billing is per result: one product scraped is one charged result, plus a small per-run start fee. Usage cost only settles once a run finishes with status `SUCCEEDED` — a run that fails partway through is not billed for that attempt. ### Notes - Product URLs match the `{slug}_BQ.prd` pattern; `sku`/`ean` are the product's GTIN13 barcode. - Prices are always in GBP (UK-only retailer). - Pagination follows the site's own "next page" control and stops when it disappears. - `inStock` is `null` (not `false`) when the site doesn't report availability for a product — never silently coerced to "out of stock." ### How to scrape DIY.com data 1. Go to this actor's page on the [Apify Store](https://apify.com/store). 2. Click **Try for free** to open it in Apify Console. 3. Configure your search query or category URLs, set the maximum number of results, and adjust proxy settings if needed. 4. Click **Start** and wait for the run to finish. 5. Download your data in JSON, CSV, Excel, or connect it to your workflow via API. You can also schedule regular runs, set up webhooks for real-time notifications, or integrate the results directly into your application using the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api). ### Tips and tricks - **Start small**: test with `maxResults: 5` before running large scrapes. - **Use category URLs for depth**: a single category page like combi drills or decking returns dozens of products per page, with automatic pagination. - **Schedule runs**: set up recurring runs to keep your price data fresh. - **Integrate via API**: use the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api) or [client libraries](https://docs.apify.com/api/client) to fetch results programmatically. - **No login required**: this actor scrapes publicly available data without needing an account. ### Limitations - Data is scraped from the public website and may change without notice. - Not every product carries a customer rating or review count. - Very large scraping jobs may take longer due to pagination depth on broad category pages. - Respect the website's terms of service and use responsibly. ### Features - **No login required** — scrapes publicly available data from DIY.com without needing credentials or cookies. - **JSON-LD extraction** — reads the site's own structured product data for more reliable, less brittle results than plain CSS scraping. - **Structured output** — results are returned as clean JSON objects, ready for processing. - **Pagination handling** — automatically follows multiple pages of results. - **Proxy support** — configurable proxy settings for reliable, large-scale scraping. - **Flexible input** — search by keyword, provide category URLs, or both. - **Scheduled runs** — run on a schedule to keep your dataset up to date. - **API access** — integrate results into your workflow using the Apify API or webhooks. ### FAQ **Is it legal to scrape DIY.com?** Web scraping of publicly available data is generally permitted. This actor only accesses information that is publicly visible to any website visitor. Always review the website's terms of service before scraping. **How often should I run this scraper?** For price monitoring or competitive intelligence, daily or weekly runs are common. Set up a [schedule](https://docs.apify.com/schedules) in Apify Console to automate this. **Can I export the data to Google Sheets or Excel?** Yes. After each run, you can download results in CSV, JSON, or Excel format directly from Apify Console. You can also connect results to Google Sheets using Apify integrations. **What if the scraper stops working?** Websites change their structure occasionally. If you notice issues, please open an issue on the actor's page. We actively maintain this scraper and fix issues promptly. ### Related scrapers - [Screwfix Scraper](https://apify.com/studioamba/screwfix-scraper) — UK trade tools and hardware - [Wickes Scraper](https://apify.com/studioamba/wickes-scraper) — UK DIY and home improvement - [Toolstation Scraper](https://apify.com/studioamba/toolstation-scraper) — UK trade and DIY tools - [Hornbach Scraper](https://apify.com/studioamba/hornbach-scraper) — German/European DIY chain - [Brico Dépôt Scraper](https://apify.com/studioamba/bricodepot-scraper) — French/European DIY chain ### Need help? If you have questions about this actor, need a custom modification, or want automated data delivery, reach out at [studioamba.dev](https://studioamba.dev) or open an issue on this actor's page. We maintain 600+ web scrapers across Europe and offer managed data services for businesses that need structured data on a recurring basis. # Actor input Schema ## `searchQuery` (type: `string`): Search term to find products on DIY.com (e.g., 'drill', 'paint', 'decking'). ## `categoryUrls` (type: `array`): List of DIY.com category or search URLs to scrape products from. Capped at 50 URLs per run. ## `maxResults` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of products to scrape. Set to 0 for unlimited. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Select proxies to use for scraping. DIY.com has no anti-bot protection, so the default automatic proxy is sufficient. ## Actor input object example ```json { "searchQuery": "drill", "categoryUrls": [ { "url": "https://www.diy.com/departments/tools-equipment/power-tools/drills/combi-drills/DIY637289.cat" } ], "maxResults": 100, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true } } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `results` (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 '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "searchQuery": "drill", "categoryUrls": [ { "url": "https://www.diy.com/departments/tools-equipment/power-tools/drills/combi-drills/DIY637289.cat" } ], "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true } }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("studio-amba/diy-com-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 '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "searchQuery": "drill", "categoryUrls": [{ "url": "https://www.diy.com/departments/tools-equipment/power-tools/drills/combi-drills/DIY637289.cat" }], "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True }, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("studio-amba/diy-com-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 '{ "searchQuery": "drill", "categoryUrls": [ { "url": "https://www.diy.com/departments/tools-equipment/power-tools/drills/combi-drills/DIY637289.cat" } ], "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true } }' | apify call studio-amba/diy-com-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "type": "http", "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,studio-amba/diy-com-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 ` 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/VBZcPNbmEvlcaxLoh/builds/wzyDkO781iuXh1qmy/openapi.json