# Journalist Request Finder 📰 (HARO alternative) (`tagadanar/journalist-request-finder`) Actor

Find open journalist source requests from SourceBottle call-outs and Bluesky #journorequest posts, a free HARO alternative. Full brief, outlet, deadline and country in flat rows. Keyword filter and only-new daily alerts. $2 per 1,000 requests + $0.005/run, usage included. No login.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/tagadanar/journalist-request-finder.md
- **Developed by:** [Tagada Data](https://apify.com/tagadanar) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation, News, SEO tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.40 / 1,000 journalist requests

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

## Journalist Request Finder (HARO alternative)

Find open journalist source requests in one dataset: SourceBottle call-outs and #journorequest posts on Bluesky, filtered by the topics you can speak on. Every row carries the full brief, the outlet, the deadline and a link to reply. It works as a HARO alternative for founders, PR agencies, SEO and digital PR teams looking for press mentions and backlinks.

$2 per 1,000 requests on Free ($1.40 on Gold), plus $0.005 per run, with platform usage included. No account, login or API key is needed, and nothing is held back: requests posted today are delivered today.

### What you get

One row per request. SourceBottle rows are structured (deadline, country, outlet, verified media flag). Bluesky rows carry the post text, its author, hashtags and links.

| Fields | Contents |
| --- | --- |
| `platform`, `id`, `url` | `SourceBottle` or `Bluesky`, a stable ID and the page to read or answer the request |
| `title`, `requestText` | The call-out title (SourceBottle) and the full request text: summary plus details, or the whole post |
| `summary`, `details` | SourceBottle's two text blocks, kept separate |
| `outlet`, `posterRole`, `verifiedMedia` | Outlet or publication as SourceBottle prints it, the poster's role (Journalist, Blogger, PR Pro, Writer...) and SourceBottle's verified media tick |
| `postedBy`, `authorHandle` | Bluesky author name and handle (SourceBottle does not show names publicly) |
| `country`, `sourceMustBeLocal`, `sourcesPaid` | Where the request is aimed, whether sources must be local, and whether successful sources are paid |
| `deadline`, `deadlineText` | Deadline as a date (`2026-11-03`) and as printed, with time and time zone |
| `beats`, `hashtags`, `links` | SourceBottle sections the call-out is listed under, Bluesky hashtags and links in the post |
| `postedAt`, `matchedKeywords`, `scrapedAt` | Posting date (day only on SourceBottle), which of your keywords matched, capture time |

Values the origin does not show stay `null`; nothing is guessed. A Bluesky deadline is only copied as text (`deadlineText`) when the post states one.

### Sources and volume

- **SourceBottle**: all six country editions (Australia, New Zealand, UK & Ireland, Canada, United States, Singapore) and all twelve sections. On 27 October 2026 it listed 293 open call-outs, with about 20 new ones per weekday. Call-outs past their deadline are always left out.
- **Bluesky**: posts tagged #journorequest or #journorequests, about 4 a day, from journalists and from request relays. Replies are skipped. Without a login Bluesky only serves the newest 100 posts per tag (roughly the last three weeks), so older posts in a long window are not reached and the run status says so.

X (Twitter) is not covered. Mastodon was checked on five large instances and had no #journorequest post since September 2026, so it is not included.

### Examples

The prefill: requests from the last 7 days on four broad topics.

```json
{
  "keywords": ["business", "finance", "marketing", "health"],
  "postedWithinDays": 7,
  "maxResults": 25
}
```

Every open request, no topic filter:

```json
{
  "postedWithinDays": 30,
  "maxResults": 500
}
```

UK and US SourceBottle call-outs only, for a fintech spokesperson:

```json
{
  "keywords": ["fintech", "banking", "personal finance", "crypto"],
  "sources": ["sourcebottle"],
  "countries": ["UK", "US"],
  "postedWithinDays": 14
}
```

A daily alert: schedule this once a day and only requests not delivered before come back.

```json
{
  "keywords": ["cybersecurity", "data privacy", "AI"],
  "postedWithinDays": 3,
  "maxResults": 200,
  "onlyNew": true,
  "monitorKey": "security-spokesperson"
}
```

### Pricing

- $0.002 per request delivered on the Free plan, $0.0018 Bronze, $0.0016 Silver, $0.0014 Gold.
- $0.005 per run. A run reads every listing page and call-out page in your window, whatever it delivers, and the start fee pays for that.
- Requests that do not match your keywords, were delivered before (only-new), closed or passed their deadline cost nothing.

A daily alert that finds 20 new requests costs about $0.045 on Free. A day with nothing new costs $0.005.

### Run status

The status line names every zero: how many requests each source listed, how many were outside your window, past deadline, not matching your keywords or already delivered. A run with nothing new for you succeeds with `NO_NEW` (only-new) or `NO_MATCH` (keywords) and charges only the run start. If a source cannot be read, the run says which one, and a run that delivers nothing because a source failed ends as failed instead of pretending there was nothing.

### FAQ

**Is this a HARO alternative?** Yes. Instead of waiting for an email digest, you get the public journalist requests (SourceBottle call-outs and #journorequest posts) in a dataset you can filter, export or send to Slack, Sheets or email with an Apify integration.

**How do I answer a request?** Open `url`. SourceBottle asks you to sign up (free) to respond; Bluesky posts are answered by DM or reply as the journalist asks. This actor only reads public pages and never posts or applies for you.

**Do I need a SourceBottle or Bluesky account?** No.

**How do I get only new requests every day?** Turn on `onlyNew`, give the alert a `monitorKey` and schedule the actor daily. The history is kept per list name and per filter set, so changing keywords starts a fresh history.

**Why is `postedBy` empty on SourceBottle rows?** SourceBottle shows the outlet and the poster's role, not the journalist's name, until you log in. `outlet` and `posterRole` carry what is public.

**Does it find #journorequest on X/Twitter?** No. X needs a login. Bluesky relays such as The Source Radar repost many requests spotted on X, and those relay posts are included.

**How fresh is the data?** Each run reads the live pages, so a request posted a minute ago is included.

Keywords: journalist requests, HARO alternative, #journorequest, journo request, media requests, PR opportunities, source requests, SourceBottle scraper, Bluesky journorequest, digital PR, press coverage, backlinks, expert commentary, Help a Reporter Out alternative.

# Changelog

This Actor's version history is a separate document: https://apify.com/tagadanar/journalist-request-finder/changelog.md

# Actor input Schema

## `keywords` (type: `array`):

Plain words or phrases you can comment on, such as cybersecurity, personal finance or small business. A request is kept when its title, text or outlet mentions any of them (whole words, plurals included). Leave empty to get every open request.

## `sources` (type: `array`):

Both are public and need no account. SourceBottle carries most of the volume with structured deadlines. Bluesky carries #journorequest posts from journalists and request relays.

## `countries` (type: `array`):

Which SourceBottle editions to read. Most call-outs are Australian; the other editions add their local requests. Each row also carries the call-out's own country. Does not apply to Bluesky.

## `postedWithinDays` (type: `integer`):

Only requests posted within this many days. SourceBottle requests past their deadline are always left out.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Stop after this many requests, newest first. You pay per request delivered.

## `onlyNew` (type: `boolean`):

For a scheduled run: skip requests that an earlier run with the same list name and the same filters already delivered or checked. A run with nothing new succeeds with NO_NEW and charges only the run start.

## `monitorKey` (type: `string`):

History name for only-new runs on your Apify account. Use different names for independent alert lists. Letters, digits, underscores and hyphens only.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "keywords": [
    "business",
    "finance",
    "marketing",
    "health"
  ],
  "sources": [
    "sourcebottle",
    "bluesky"
  ],
  "countries": [
    "AU",
    "NZ",
    "UK",
    "CA",
    "US",
    "SG"
  ],
  "postedWithinDays": 7,
  "maxResults": 25,
  "onlyNew": false,
  "monitorKey": "default"
}
```

# 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 = {
    "keywords": [
        "business",
        "finance",
        "marketing",
        "health"
    ],
    "postedWithinDays": 7,
    "maxResults": 25
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("tagadanar/journalist-request-finder").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 = {
    "keywords": [
        "business",
        "finance",
        "marketing",
        "health",
    ],
    "postedWithinDays": 7,
    "maxResults": 25,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("tagadanar/journalist-request-finder").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 '{
  "keywords": [
    "business",
    "finance",
    "marketing",
    "health"
  ],
  "postedWithinDays": 7,
  "maxResults": 25
}' |
apify call tagadanar/journalist-request-finder --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,tagadanar/journalist-request-finder"
        }
    }
}
```

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/55FrwsnaeWXmpW4Rl/builds/w2OYnzv5yJEM7Tj4P/openapi.json