# German Company Register — Handelsregister Scraper (`studio-amba/handelsregister-scraper`) Actor Search and extract German company data from the official Handelsregister. Look up by company name, register number, city, or legal form. Returns company name, legal form, address, business purpose, share capital, directors, and registration history. No cookies, no login. - **URL**: https://apify.com/studio-amba/handelsregister-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Studio Amba](https://apify.com/studio-amba) (community) - **Categories:** Business, Lead generation - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN 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/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-usage ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. 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. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use 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 ## German Company Register Scraper — Handelsregister Data Extract German company data from the official Handelsregister (commercial register). Search by company name, register number, city, federal state, or legal form. Returns company name, legal form, address, business purpose, share capital, directors, and registration history. No cookies, no login required. ### How to scrape German company data This actor searches the official German Handelsregister at handelsregister.de and extracts structured company data. The Handelsregister is Germany's official commercial register, maintained by local courts across all 16 federal states. Every GmbH, AG, KG, OHG, and other commercial entity is registered here. #### Search by Company Name Enter a company name or keyword. The actor searches across all German courts and returns matching companies with their registration details. #### Search by Register Number Look up a specific company by its register number (e.g., "HRB 6667"). Combine with a court name for exact matches. #### Filter by Location or Legal Form Narrow results by city, postal code, federal state, or register type (HRB for corporations, HRA for partnerships, VR for associations). ### What data does German Company Register Scraper extract? | Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | **companyName** | String | Full registered company name | | **court** | String | Registering court (Amtsgericht) | | **state** | String | Federal state (Bundesland) | | **registerType** | String | Register type: HRA, HRB, GnR, PR, or VR | | **registerNumber** | String | Registration number | | **status** | String | Active or deleted | | **registeredOffice** | String | Registered office location | | **legalForm** | String | Legal form (GmbH, AG, KG, OHG, UG, SE, etc.) | | **address** | String | Full business address | | **postalCode** | String | German postal code (PLZ) | | **city** | String | City name | | **businessPurpose** | String | Registered business purpose (Unternehmensgegenstand) | | **shareCapital** | String | Share/registered capital amount | | **currency** | String | Capital currency (EUR) | | **directors** | Array | Managing directors / board members with roles | | **prokuristen** | Array | Authorized signatories (Prokuristen) | | **registrationDate** | String | Date of first registration | | **lastModified** | String | Date of last modification | | **url** | String | Source URL | | **scrapedAt** | String | ISO timestamp of extraction | ### Input Parameters | Parameter | Type | Default | Description | |-----------|------|---------|-------------| | **Company Name / Keywords** | String | — | Search by company name or keywords | | **Register Number** | String | — | Exact register number (e.g., "HRB 6667") | | **Register Type** | Select | All | HRA (partnerships), HRB (corporations), GnR, PR, VR | | **City** | String | — | Filter by city name | | **Postal Code** | String | — | Filter by PLZ | | **Federal State** | Select | All | Filter by Bundesland | | **Include Full Details** | Boolean | `true` | Fetch detailed company profile (directors, capital, purpose) | | **Active Companies Only** | Boolean | `true` | Skip deleted/dissolved companies | | **Max Results** | Integer | `100` | Maximum companies to return | | **Proxy Configuration** | Object | Residential | Proxy settings | ### Example output ```json { "companyName": "Siemens Aktiengesellschaft", "court": "München", "state": "Bayern", "registerType": "HRB", "registerNumber": "6684", "status": "active", "registeredOffice": "München", "legalForm": "AG", "address": "Werner-von-Siemens-Straße 1, 80333 München", "postalCode": "80333", "city": "München", "businessPurpose": "Elektrotechnik und Elektronik", "shareCapital": "2,550,000,000", "currency": "EUR", "directors": [ { "name": "Roland Busch", "role": "Vorstand" } ], "prokuristen": [], "registrationDate": "02.10.1897", "lastModified": null, "publications": [], "url": "https://www.handelsregister.de/rp_web/erweitertesuche.xhtml", "scrapedAt": "2026-05-20T14:30:00.000Z" } ```` ### Tips for best results - **Exact matches**: Use the register number field for precise lookups. "HRB 6684" at court "München" returns exactly one result. - **Bulk research**: Search by city + legal form to find all GmbHs in Berlin, all AGs in Frankfurt, etc. - **Due diligence**: Enable "Include Full Details" to get directors, capital, and business purpose — essential for KYC/AML checks. - **Regional analysis**: Use the Federal State filter to focus on specific markets (Bayern, NRW, etc.). - **Active filter**: Keep "Active Companies Only" enabled unless you specifically need dissolved companies for historical research. ### How much does it cost? German Company Register Scraper runs on the Apify platform. You pay only for compute resources used. | Search size | Estimated time | Estimated cost | |-------------|---------------|----------------| | 10 companies (with details) | ~1 minute | ~$0.01 | | 100 companies (with details) | ~10 minutes | ~$0.08 | | 1,000 companies (search only) | ~5 minutes | ~$0.05 | | 1,000 companies (with details) | ~90 minutes | ~$0.70 | Apify's free tier includes $5 of monthly compute — enough to research hundreds of companies at no cost. ### Can I integrate? Yes. Send company data directly to your existing tools: - **Google Sheets** — Build a German company database - **HubSpot / Salesforce** — Enrich CRM contacts with official register data - **Slack** — Get notified about new company registrations matching your criteria - **Webhooks** — Push to any HTTP endpoint for custom workflows ### Can I use it as an API? Yes. Call German Company Register Scraper programmatically: #### Python ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient client = ApifyClient("YOUR_API_TOKEN") run = client.actor("studio-amba/handelsregister-scraper").call(run_input={ "searchQuery": "Siemens", "state": "by", "maxResults": 20, }) for company in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(f"{company['companyName']} ({company['registerType']} {company['registerNumber']})") ``` #### JavaScript ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; const client = new ApifyClient({ token: 'YOUR_API_TOKEN' }); const run = await client.actor('studio-amba/handelsregister-scraper').call({ searchQuery: 'GmbH', city: 'Berlin', maxResults: 50, }); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach(c => console.log(`${c.companyName} | ${c.legalForm} | ${c.city}`)); ``` ### FAQ #### What is the Handelsregister? The Handelsregister is Germany's official commercial register. It contains public information about all registered commercial entities — companies (GmbH, AG, KG), partnerships, cooperatives, and associations. It is maintained by local courts (Amtsgerichte) across all 16 federal states. #### What is an HRB number? HRB stands for "Handelsregister Abteilung B" — the section for corporations (GmbH, AG, UG, SE, KGaA). HRA is for partnerships and sole traders. Each company gets a unique number within its court. #### How to find a German company's registration? Search by company name in this actor. It checks all German courts simultaneously. You can also search by city, postal code, or federal state to narrow results. #### Is this data public? Yes. The Handelsregister is a public register. Anyone can look up company information. This actor automates the lookup process for research, due diligence, and lead generation. ### Limitations - Detail fetching adds significant time per company due to rate limiting - Some older companies have limited digital records - The Handelsregister site has a rate limit of ~60 requests/hour without proxy - Register publications and official documents are not included (these require separate paid requests) - Data represents the current state of the register — historical changes require document ordering ### Other European company register scrapers Working with European business data? Combine with these tools: - **[Belgian Company Enrichment](https://apify.com/studio-amba/kbo-enrichment)** — Belgian KBO/BCE company register - **[French Company Registry](https://apify.com/studio-amba/french-company-enrichment)** — French company data from official sources - **[Staatsblad Scraper](https://apify.com/studio-amba/staatsblad-scraper)** — Belgian Official Gazette ### Your feedback Found a bug or want a feature? Open an issue on the [Issues tab](https://console.apify.com/actors/studio-amba~handelsregister-scraper/issues). Your feedback helps improve this actor. # Actor input Schema ## `searchQuery` (type: `string`): Search for companies by name or keywords. Example: 'Siemens', 'BMW', 'Volkswagen'. ## `registerNumber` (type: `string`): Exact register number to look up. Example: 'HRB 6667'. ## `registerType` (type: `string`): Type of register to search. ## `city` (type: `string`): Filter by city name. Example: 'München', 'Berlin', 'Hamburg'. ## `postalCode` (type: `string`): Filter by postal code (PLZ). ## `state` (type: `string`): Filter by German federal state (Bundesland). ## `includeDetails` (type: `boolean`): Fetch the full company detail page (AD printout) for each result. Gives directors, capital, business purpose. Slower but more complete. ## `activeOnly` (type: `boolean`): Only return currently active companies (skip deleted/dissolved). ## `maxResults` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of companies to return. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Apify proxy configuration. Recommended for larger runs to avoid rate limits. ## Actor input object example ```json { "searchQuery": "Siemens", "registerType": "all", "state": "all", "includeDetails": true, "activeOnly": true, "maxResults": 20, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } } ``` # 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": "Siemens", "maxResults": 20, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("studio-amba/handelsregister-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": "Siemens", "maxResults": 20, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"], }, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("studio-amba/handelsregister-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).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": "Siemens", "maxResults": 20, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } }' | apify call studio-amba/handelsregister-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=studio-amba/handelsregister-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "German Company Register — Handelsregister Scraper", "description": "Search and extract German company data from the official Handelsregister. Look up by company name, register number, city, or legal form. Returns company name, legal form, address, business purpose, share capital, directors, and registration history. No cookies, no login.", "version": "0.0", "x-build-id": "082ttydFgizOE5Uv1" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/studio-amba~handelsregister-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-studio-amba-handelsregister-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/studio-amba~handelsregister-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-studio-amba-handelsregister-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/studio-amba~handelsregister-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-studio-amba-handelsregister-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "searchQuery": { "title": "Company Name / Keywords", "type": "string", "description": "Search for companies by name or keywords. Example: 'Siemens', 'BMW', 'Volkswagen'." }, "registerNumber": { "title": "Register Number", "type": "string", "description": "Exact register number to look up. Example: 'HRB 6667'." }, "registerType": { "title": "Register Type", "enum": [ "all", "HRA", "HRB", "GnR", "PR", "VR" ], "type": "string", "description": "Type of register to search.", "default": "all" }, "city": { "title": "City", "type": "string", "description": "Filter by city name. Example: 'München', 'Berlin', 'Hamburg'." }, "postalCode": { "title": "Postal Code", "type": "string", "description": "Filter by postal code (PLZ)." }, "state": { "title": "Federal State", "enum": [ "all", "bw", "by", "be", "bb", "hb", "hh", "he", "mv", "ni", "nw", "rp", "sl", "sn", "st", "sh", "th" ], "type": "string", "description": "Filter by German federal state (Bundesland).", "default": "all" }, "includeDetails": { "title": "Include Full Details", "type": "boolean", "description": "Fetch the full company detail page (AD printout) for each result. Gives directors, capital, business purpose. Slower but more complete.", "default": true }, "activeOnly": { "title": "Active Companies Only", "type": "boolean", "description": "Only return currently active companies (skip deleted/dissolved).", "default": true }, "maxResults": { "title": "Max Results", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 10000, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of companies to return.", "default": 100 }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "Proxy Configuration", "type": "object", "description": "Apify proxy configuration. Recommended for larger runs to avoid rate limits." } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```