# Viata Scraper — Belgian Online Pharmacy Products & Prices (`studio-amba/viata-scraper`) Actor Scrape pharmacy products from Viata.be via their Algolia search index. Health, beauty, and wellness products from a Belgian online pharmacy. - **URL**: https://apify.com/studio-amba/viata-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Jelle Desramaults](https://apify.com/studio-amba) (community) - **Categories:** E-commerce - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing Pay per event This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## 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 ## Viata Scraper Scrape pharmacy products, prices, and health data from Viata.be — a Belgian online pharmacy specializing in health, beauty, and wellness products with bilingual Dutch/French support. ### What is Viata Scraper? Viata is a licensed Belgian online pharmacy offering thousands of OTC medicines, vitamins, supplements, skincare products, and natural remedies. Unlike marketplace-style pharmacies, Viata curates a focused selection with detailed product attributes including dosage forms, active substances, and administration methods — making it a goldmine for pharmaceutical data. This scraper connects directly to Viata's Algolia search index, allowing you to pull structured product data at high speed without any browser overhead. Bilingual support means you get the same products with fully localized Dutch or French names and descriptions. **Common use cases:** - **Belgian pharmacy price comparison** — Cross-reference Viata prices with Farmaline, Multipharma, and Shop Apotheke to build a complete Belgian pharmacy pricing database - **Health supplement tracking** — Monitor pricing and availability of vitamins, probiotics, and natural supplements across seasons - **Brand analysis** — Study how brands like Eucerin, Bioderma, or Teva position their products on the Belgian market - **Pharmaceutical data enrichment** — Use Viata's rich attribute data (active substances, dosage forms, administration methods) to enrich your own product databases - **Promotional monitoring** — Track Viata's discount campaigns and "Viata Choice" selections to understand their merchandising strategy ### What data does Viata Scraper extract? - 💊 **Product name & brand** — Complete product name and brand/manufacturer - 💰 **Price & discounts** — Current price, original list price, and discount percentage - 🏥 **Pharmaceutical attributes** — Dosage form, active substance, administration method, and product type - 📦 **Stock status** — Whether the product is currently in stock - 🏷️ **Identifiers** — EAN barcode, internal SKU/reference, and Algolia product ID - 🗂️ **Category hierarchy** — Full category tree from broad to specific - 🖼️ **Product images** — Direct image URLs - 🌐 **Bilingual data** — Dutch (NL) and French (FR) localized content - ✨ **Viata Choice & promo flags** — Whether a product is a Viata-recommended pick or currently on promotion ### How to scrape Viata.be #### Search by keyword Enter a term like "paracetamol", "vitamine D", or "zonnebrandcreme" to find matching products. #### Filter by category Use the **Category** input with Viata's category names such as `Geneesmiddelen`, `Pijn en koorts`, or `Beauty & Lichaamsverzorging`. #### Filter by brand Set the **Brand** input to a brand slug like `teva`, `bioderma`, or `eucerin` (lowercase). This filters to products from that manufacturer only. #### Input parameters | Field | Type | Default | Description | |-------|------|---------|-------------| | `searchQuery` | String | — | Search keyword (e.g., "paracetamol") | | `category` | String | — | Category name to filter by | | `brand` | String | — | Brand slug in lowercase (e.g., "bioderma") | | `maxResults` | Integer | 100 | Maximum products to return (up to 50,000) | | `language` | String | `nl` | `nl` for Dutch, `fr` for French | | `proxyConfiguration` | Object | — | Proxy settings for large runs | **Tip:** Brand slugs must be lowercase (e.g., "eucerin" not "Eucerin"). Check Viata.be's URL structure for the exact slug if unsure. ### Output ```json { "name": "Perdolan Volwassenen 500mg Tabletten 30 Stuks", "brand": "Perdolan", "price": 4.15, "originalPrice": 4.95, "discount": "-16%", "currency": "EUR", "ean": "5400265014644", "sku": "BE-PER-500-30", "productId": "78432", "inStock": true, "url": "https://www.viata.be/nl/perdolan-volwassenen-500mg-tabletten-30", "imageUrl": "https://www.viata.be/media/catalog/product/perdolan-500mg-30tab.jpg", "description": "Perdolan Volwassenen bevat paracetamol 500mg en is bestemd voor de symptomatische behandeling van pijn en koorts bij volwassenen.", "specs": { "Dosage Form": "tabletten", "Active Substance": "paracetamol", "Administration": "oraal", "Product Type": "geneesmiddel" }, "category": "Pijn en koorts", "categories": ["Geneesmiddelen", "Pijn en koorts"], "language": "nl", "scrapedAt": "2026-04-03T10:15:00.000Z" } ```` ### How much does it cost? Viata Scraper queries Viata's Algolia search index directly — no browser rendering, no page downloads, just fast API calls. | Volume | Estimated CU | Estimated Cost | |--------|-------------|----------------| | 100 products | ~0.01 CU | < $0.01 | | 1,000 products | ~0.05 CU | ~$0.03 | | 5,000 products | ~0.25 CU | ~$0.13 | | 20,000 products | ~1 CU | ~$0.50 | Actual costs depend on your Apify subscription plan. ### Can I integrate? Yes. Full integration support through Apify's ecosystem: - **Google Sheets** — Sync Belgian pharmacy prices to your team's spreadsheet - **Webhooks** — Trigger downstream processes when scraping finishes - **Zapier / Make / n8n** — Connect Viata data to your CRM, database, or notification tools - **Amazon S3 / Google Cloud** — Store pharmaceutical datasets for long-term analysis - **Slack / Email** — Get notified about price changes on tracked products ### Can I use it as an API? Yes. Call the scraper from any programming language. #### Python ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient client = ApifyClient("YOUR_API_TOKEN") run = client.actor("studio-amba/viata-scraper").call(run_input={ "searchQuery": "vitamine D", "language": "nl", "maxResults": 50, }) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(f"{item['name']} — EUR {item['price']}") if item.get('specs'): print(f" Active: {item['specs'].get('Active Substance', 'N/A')}") ``` #### JavaScript ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; const client = new ApifyClient({ token: 'YOUR_API_TOKEN' }); const run = await client.actor('studio-amba/viata-scraper').call({ searchQuery: 'vitamine D', language: 'nl', maxResults: 50, }); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach(item => { console.log(`${item.name} — EUR ${item.price}`); }); ``` ### FAQ **How does Viata compare to Farmaline?** Both are Belgian online pharmacies, but they operate on different platforms and often have different pricing. Farmaline has a larger catalog (~70,000 products) while Viata focuses on a more curated selection. Running both scrapers lets you do direct price comparison across Belgian pharmacies. **What are the pharmaceutical attribute fields?** Viata stores rich product metadata in Algolia attributes. The scraper maps these to the `specs` object: `Dosage Form` (tablet, capsule, cream, syrup), `Active Substance` (paracetamol, ibuprofen, etc.), `Administration` method (oral, topical, etc.), and `Product Type` (medicine, supplement, cosmetic). **Does the scraper return out-of-stock products?** Yes. Unlike Farmaline (which filters to in-stock items), Viata's Algolia index does not allow stock-based filtering. All products are returned with their `inStock` status in the output, so you can filter client-side. **What format should brand names be in?** Use lowercase slug format for the brand filter: "teva", "bioderma", "eucerin", "a.vogel". This matches how Viata stores brand data internally in their Algolia attribute fields. **Can I get products in both Dutch and French simultaneously?** Not in a single run. Set `language` to `nl` or `fr` and run the scraper twice if you need both. Product IDs are the same across languages, so you can join the results. **What kind of products does Viata sell?** Viata's catalog spans OTC medicines (pijn en koorts, allergie, verkoudheid), vitamins and supplements, skincare and beauty products, baby care, natural and homeopathic remedies, personal hygiene, and medical devices. They position themselves as a health-focused pharmacy with curated product selection rather than a mass-market catalog. ### Tips for working with Viata data Viata's rich attribute system makes it especially useful for pharmaceutical analysis: 1. **Build a Belgian pharmacy price index** — Combine Viata data with Farmaline and Multipharma data, joining on EAN codes, to create a comprehensive Belgian pharmacy price comparison dataset. 2. **Use attribute fields for segmentation** — The `specs` object contains dosage form, active substance, administration method, and product type. These fields let you slice the data in ways that generic e-commerce scrapers cannot. 3. **Track "Viata Choice" products** — Viata highlights recommended products with a "Viata Choice" flag. Tracking which products get this designation over time reveals their merchandising strategy. 4. **Monitor discount cycles** — The `discount` and `originalPrice` fields let you track when Viata runs promotions. Schedule weekly runs to build a promotional calendar. 5. **Combine languages for SEO research** — Run the scraper in both NL and FR to get Dutch and French product names for the same items, useful for multilingual SEO or content localization. ### Limitations - Viata's Algolia API keys may change, requiring actor updates - The stock filter is not available on Viata's Algolia — you get all products regardless of stock status - Product descriptions may contain residual HTML entities - Rating and review data is not available through Viata's Algolia index - Price-per-unit is not provided by Viata (unlike Farmaline) ### Other pharmacy scrapers Combine Viata data with other pharmacy sources for comprehensive coverage: - [Farmaline Scraper](https://apify.com/studio-amba/farmaline-scraper) — Belgium's largest online pharmacy (70,000+ products, bilingual NL/FR) - [Shop Apotheke Scraper](https://apify.com/studio-amba/shopapotheke-scraper) — Europe's leading online pharmacy (DE/AT/CH/BE/FR/IT) - [dm Scraper](https://apify.com/studio-amba/dm-scraper) — Germany's largest drugstore chain (beauty, health, household) - [Apotheek.be Scraper](https://apify.com/studio-amba/apotheek-scraper) — Belgian pharmacy directory with locations and opening hours - [Matas Scraper](https://apify.com/studio-amba/matas-scraper) — Denmark's leading beauty and pharmacy retailer - [Multipharma Scraper](https://apify.com/studio-amba/multipharma-scraper) — One of Belgium's largest pharmacy chains ### Your feedback Building a Belgian pharmacy comparison tool? Running into data quality issues? Want more fields extracted? [Open an issue](https://console.apify.com/actors/studio-amba/viata-scraper/issues) or contact us on Apify. We maintain this scraper actively and welcome feature requests. # Actor input Schema ## `searchQuery` (type: `string`): Search for products by name or keyword (e.g., 'paracetamol', 'vitamine D', 'zonnebrandcrème'). Leave empty to browse by category or scrape everything. ## `category` (type: `string`): Filter by product category (e.g., 'Geneesmiddelen', 'Pijn en koorts', 'Beauty & Lichaamsverzorging'). Leave empty for all categories. ## `brand` (type: `string`): Filter by brand/manufacturer (e.g., 'teva', 'bioderma', 'eucerin'). Use lowercase slug format. Leave empty for all brands. ## `maxResults` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of products to return. ## `language` (type: `string`): Language for product data. Dutch and French return the same products with localized names and descriptions. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Proxy settings. Not strictly required for this site, but recommended for very large runs. ## Actor input object example ```json { "maxResults": 100, "language": "nl" } ``` # 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 = {}; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("studio-amba/viata-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 = {} # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("studio-amba/viata-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 '{}' | apify call studio-amba/viata-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=studio-amba/viata-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Viata Scraper — Belgian Online Pharmacy Products & Prices", "description": "Scrape pharmacy products from Viata.be via their Algolia search index. Health, beauty, and wellness products from a Belgian online pharmacy.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "UZvy4VA3GdyPjMiqO" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/studio-amba~viata-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-studio-amba-viata-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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/studio-amba~viata-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-studio-amba-viata-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/studio-amba~viata-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-studio-amba-viata-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": "Search Query", "type": "string", "description": "Search for products by name or keyword (e.g., 'paracetamol', 'vitamine D', 'zonnebrandcrème'). Leave empty to browse by category or scrape everything." }, "category": { "title": "Category", "type": "string", "description": "Filter by product category (e.g., 'Geneesmiddelen', 'Pijn en koorts', 'Beauty & Lichaamsverzorging'). Leave empty for all categories." }, "brand": { "title": "Brand", "type": "string", "description": "Filter by brand/manufacturer (e.g., 'teva', 'bioderma', 'eucerin'). Use lowercase slug format. Leave empty for all brands." }, "maxResults": { "title": "Max Results", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 50000, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of products to return.", "default": 100 }, "language": { "title": "Language", "enum": [ "nl", "fr" ], "type": "string", "description": "Language for product data. Dutch and French return the same products with localized names and descriptions.", "default": "nl" }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "Proxy Configuration", "type": "object", "description": "Proxy settings. Not strictly required for this site, but recommended for very large runs." } } }, "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 } } } } } } } } } } ```