# Alibaba Supplier Shortlist by Price, MOQ and Trust (`v0iddo/alibaba-supplier-shortlist`) Actor

Get a ranked shortlist of Alibaba.com suppliers for each product you name: each supplier scored on price against the market median, fit to your minimum order, Verified, Trade Assurance, years, rating and units sold, with its best offer and the reasons. One price per shortlist.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/v0iddo/alibaba-supplier-shortlist.md
- **Developed by:** [vøiddo](https://apify.com/v0iddo) (community)
- **Categories:** E-commerce, Automation
- **Features:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $343.00 / 1,000 shortlists

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

## Alibaba Supplier Shortlist by Price, MOQ and Trust

Get a ranked shortlist of Alibaba.com suppliers for each product you name: each supplier scored on price against the market median, fit to your minimum order, Verified, Trade Assurance, years, rating and units sold, with its best offer and the reasons. One price per shortlist.

### Who uses it

- Amazon, Shopify and Etsy sellers sourcing a new product: the ten suppliers worth a message, instead of 150 offers to sort by hand.
- Sourcing agents and purchasing teams: one comparable list per product for a client, with the reason each supplier is on it.
- Agents and automations: one call per product returns a short ranked answer, not a page of rows.

### What a run costs

At $0.49 per shortlist, the price for an Apify account without a discount; on Apify's paid plans each one costs less (see the Pricing tab). Nothing else is charged.

| You ask for | Shortlists | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| One product, the top 10 suppliers from 3 pages (about 140 offers) | 1 | $0.49 |
| A sourcing round: 5 products | 5 | $2.45 |
| A category map: 20 products | 20 | $9.80 |

- Pay per shortlist: one price for each product's ranked list of suppliers (see the Pricing tab), with the platform usage of the run included. A product without offers costs nothing.
- No login, no cookies, no account on Alibaba.com: public pages only.
- Export to JSON, CSV, Excel, XML or HTML, or read the rows through the Apify API.
- Start it from the Console, on a schedule, through the API, or as a tool for agents over MCP.
- Tested every day on its example input, with the rows checked, and repaired when a check fails.

### What you get

Every result is one row in the run's dataset. Download it as JSON, CSV, Excel or HTML, or read it through the Apify API. The main fields:

| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `rank` | Rank |
| `score` | Score |
| `supplierName` | Supplier |
| `supplierCountry` | Country |
| `bestPrice` | Best price |
| `bestMinOrder` | Min order |
| `fitsTargets` | Fits targets |
| `verifiedSupplier` | Verified |
| `supplierYears` | Years |
| `why` | Why |
| `bestOfferUrl` | Best offer |

Example row:

```json
{
  "searchTerm": "led strip lights",
  "rank": 1,
  "score": 86.4,
  "fitsTargets": true,
  "priceFit": true,
  "moqFit": true,
  "supplierName": "Shenzhen Hongtai World Lighting Co., Ltd.",
  "supplierCountry": "China",
  "supplierCountryCode": "CN",
  "supplierYears": 15,
  "verifiedSupplier": true,
  "tradeAssurance": true,
  "goldSupplier": true,
  "responseRate": 98.7,
  "supplierRating": 4.8,
  "supplierReviews": 52,
  "bestPrice": 0.9,
  "bestPriceMax": 1.2,
  "currency": "USD",
  "bestMinOrder": 1,
  "minOrderUnit": "meter",
  "bestOfferTitle": "Led Strip Silicone Profile Diffuser Silicone Neon Light Strips Led Strip Lights Driveway Lighting with Silicone",
  "bestOfferUrl": "https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Led-Strip-Silicone-Profile-Diffuser-Silicone_1601567633729.html",
  "image": "https://s.alicdn.com/@sc04/kf/H09f8b639fac84489a0f8ce01bca7d299k.jpg",
  "marketMedianPrice": 3.2,
  "priceVsMedianPct": -72,
  "offersRead": 94,
  "suppliersSeen": 71,
  "suppliersMatched": 71,
  "offersOfSupplier": 2,
  "unitsSold": 517,
  "certifications": [
    "CE",
    "DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY",
    "ROHS"
  ],
  "otherOffers": [
    {
      "productId": "1601207566874",
      "title": "Neon Flex LED Strip 12V Silicone Waterproof",
      "priceMin": 1.35,
      "minOrder": 5,
      "url": "https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Neon-Flex-LED-Strip_1601207566874.html"
    }
  ],
  "why": "from $0.90, 72% under the median $3.20 of the 94 offers read; minimum order 1 meter fits your 50; Verified; Trade Assurance; Gold Supplier; 15 years on Alibaba; response rate 98.7%; rated 4.8 from 52 reviews; 517 sold across 2 offers",
  "chargeUnits": 1
}
```

### How to use it

1. Open the **Input** tab (or call the actor through the API, see below).
2. Fill in **Products**, **Target price per unit (USD)**, **Your order size (units)**, **Suppliers per shortlist**, **Pages read per product**; the form opens with a working example.
3. Set **Maximum results** to cap the size and the cost of the run.
4. Click **Start**. Rows appear on the **Output** tab while the run works.
5. Download the dataset, or connect it to Google Sheets, Make, Zapier, n8n or a webhook.

### Input

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `searchTerms` | array | no | Products as a buyer would type them, one per line, for example led strip lights. Each product gets its own shortlist. |
| `targetPrice` | number | no | The most you want to pay per unit. Suppliers with an offer at or under it come first. Empty: price only counts in the score. |
| `targetMOQ` | integer | no | How many units you plan to order first. Suppliers whose minimum order is this or less come first. Empty: a smaller minimum order scores higher. |
| `shortlistSize` | integer | no | How many suppliers each product's shortlist names. Default: `10`. |
| `maxPages` | integer | no | Alibaba result pages (about 47 offers each) read for each product. More pages, more suppliers to choose from; the price per shortlist stays the same. Default: `3`. |
| `supplierCountries` | array | no | Only suppliers from these countries: names or codes, for example China, Vietnam, IN, Hong Kong. |
| `verifiedSupplier` | boolean | no | Only suppliers with Alibaba's verified badge. Default: `false`. |
| `tradeAssurance` | boolean | no | Only suppliers that take Trade Assurance orders. Default: `false`. |
| `minSupplierRating` | select | no | Only suppliers rated at least this (out of 5). Allowed: any, 4, 4.5, 4.8. Default: `"any"`. |
| `certifications` | array | no | Only offers with any of these certifications, for example CE, RoHS, FCC. |
| `maxItems` | integer | no | The run stops after this many result rows. It also caps what one run can cost. Default: `100`. |
| `proxyConfiguration` | object | no | Leave as is: the run starts on the cheapest network the site accepts and switches to Apify Proxy automatically when the site blocks it. Pick proxy groups here only to force one specific network. |

Field names from other tools work too: `query` is read as `searchTerms` and `limit` as `maxItems`. Select values match in any letter case or spelling.

Example input:

```json
{
  "searchTerms": [
    "led strip lights"
  ],
  "targetPrice": 5,
  "targetMOQ": 50,
  "maxPages": 2,
  "shortlistSize": 10,
  "maxItems": 20
}
```

### Pricing

You pay once per shortlist, at the price per shortlist on the Pricing tab, however many suppliers it names and however many pages were read for it. A product with no offers on Alibaba, or none left after your filters, gives no shortlist and costs nothing. The run also stops at your spending limit.

### Limits and notes

- Reads Alibaba's public keyword pages (alibaba.com/wholesale/...), the same pages as our Alibaba Scraper; its search box pages are closed to automated access in robots.txt. Supplier contact details are not collected.
- The score, out of 100: price 35 (how many offers read cost the same or more), order size 15, trust 35 (Verified 10, Trade Assurance 8, Gold Supplier 3, years up to 8, response rate up to 6), proof 15 (rating up to 8, units sold up to 7). Each row's why lists what earned it.
- With a target price or order size, the suppliers that fit both come first, then the score decides. Each supplier's best offer is the one that fits best and then costs least; otherOffers lists up to 4 more.
- The market median is that of the offers read, so more pages give a steadier median and more suppliers.
- Prices are as shown to a visitor of the English site, usually in US dollars.
- On an Apify account without a paid plan a run returns up to 3 results; on any paid Apify plan it returns up to **Maximum results**.
- Only publicly visible data is collected. No login, no paywalled content, no personal contact details.
- The actor reads only pages that the site's robots.txt leaves open to automated access.
- Sites change their pages from time to time. The actor is checked automatically and repaired when a check fails.
- Each run sends the developer a short usage record: the number of results, success or the kind of error, paid plan or not, how it was started and a hashed account code, so repeat runs count once. Nothing from your input or results is sent.

### Run it through the API

Python, with the `apify-client` package:

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>")
run = client.actor("v0iddo/alibaba-supplier-shortlist").call(run_input={"searchTerms": ["led strip lights"], "targetPrice": 5, "targetMOQ": 50, "maxPages": 2, "shortlistSize": 10, "maxItems": 20})
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)
```

JavaScript, with the `apify-client` package:

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>' });
const run = await client.actor('v0iddo/alibaba-supplier-shortlist').call({"searchTerms": ["led strip lights"], "targetPrice": 5, "targetMOQ": 50, "maxPages": 2, "shortlistSize": 10, "maxItems": 20});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);
```

One HTTP call that waits for the run and returns the rows (for runs that finish within 5 minutes):

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/v0iddo~alibaba-supplier-shortlist/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"searchTerms": ["led strip lights"], "targetPrice": 5, "targetMOQ": 50, "maxPages": 2, "shortlistSize": 10, "maxItems": 20}'
```

### Use it from an agent (MCP)

Claude, Cursor, VS Code and other MCP clients can call this actor as a tool through the Apify MCP server. Add it to the client's MCP configuration:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=v0iddo/alibaba-supplier-shortlist",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

Then ask, for example:

- "Shortlist the 10 best Alibaba suppliers of silicone phone cases under $1.50 a piece for a first order of 200."
- "Which verified Trade Assurance suppliers of yoga mats on Alibaba should I message first, and why?"
- "Rank Alibaba suppliers of LED strip lights from Vietnam or India by price, minimum order and trust."

### FAQ

#### Do I need an account on Alibaba.com, cookies or an API key?

No. The actor reads only what every visitor of Alibaba.com can see, without logging in. You only need an Apify account to start it.

#### How many results can one run return?

Up to 3,000 rows per run. Without a limit it stops at 100. Set **Maximum results** to the number you need; large jobs can also be split into several runs or scheduled.

#### How am I charged?

Once per shortlist (one product), at the price on the Pricing tab for your Apify plan. The platform usage of the run is included, and the pages read cost nothing more.

#### Why did my run return no results?

The status message of the run says why: nothing matched the input, the input was not a page the actor understands, the page is closed to automated access by robots.txt, or the site refused every network the actor tried. Check the input against the example above and run it again with a small limit.

#### Can I run it on a schedule?

Yes. Save your input as a task and add a schedule in the Apify Console (daily, hourly or with a cron expression). Each run gets its own dataset, so you keep a history.

#### Which formats can I export?

JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, HTML table and RSS from the Output tab or the API. Integrations send the rows to Google Sheets, Slack, Make, Zapier, n8n or a webhook.

#### Is collecting this data allowed?

The actor collects only what Alibaba.com publishes to every visitor, without a login, and it reads only pages that robots.txt leaves open. Public data can still be personal data under laws such as the GDPR, and sites have their own terms: make sure your use of the data follows the rules that apply to you.

#### What happens when Alibaba.com changes its pages?

Automated tests run the actor every day on the example input and check the rows, not only that the run finished. When a check fails, the actor is repaired and rebuilt; the build history on this page shows each update.

#### Something is missing or wrong. Where do I report it?

Open an issue on the Issues tab of this actor with the run link. Requests for a new field are welcome too.

### Related actors

- [Alibaba Scraper: Prices, MOQ, Verified Suppliers](https://apify.com/v0iddo/alibaba-scraper)
- [Bluesky Scraper](https://apify.com/v0iddo/bluesky-scraper)
- [Coles Price Scraper: Specials, Unit Prices / $0.50 per 1,000](https://apify.com/v0iddo/coles-scraper)
- [Google Maps Scraper: Places, Phones, Hours / $1.50 per 1,000](https://apify.com/v0iddo/google-maps-scraper)
- [Internshala Scraper](https://apify.com/v0iddo/internshala-scraper)
- [Moz Top 500 Scraper: Domain Rankings](https://apify.com/v0iddo/moz-scraper)
- [North Data Scraper](https://apify.com/v0iddo/north-data-scraper)
- [Rakuten Ichiba Listings Scraper](https://apify.com/v0iddo/rakuten-japan-listings-scraper)

# Actor input Schema

## `searchTerms` (type: `array`):

Products as a buyer would type them, one per line, for example led strip lights. Each product gets its own shortlist.

## `targetPrice` (type: `number`):

The most you want to pay per unit. Suppliers with an offer at or under it come first. Empty: price only counts in the score.

## `targetMOQ` (type: `integer`):

How many units you plan to order first. Suppliers whose minimum order is this or less come first. Empty: a smaller minimum order scores higher.

## `shortlistSize` (type: `integer`):

How many suppliers each product's shortlist names.

## `maxPages` (type: `integer`):

Alibaba result pages (about 47 offers each) read for each product. More pages, more suppliers to choose from; the price per shortlist stays the same.

## `supplierCountries` (type: `array`):

Only suppliers from these countries: names or codes, for example China, Vietnam, IN, Hong Kong.

## `verifiedSupplier` (type: `boolean`):

Only suppliers with Alibaba's verified badge.

## `tradeAssurance` (type: `boolean`):

Only suppliers that take Trade Assurance orders.

## `minSupplierRating` (type: `string`):

Only suppliers rated at least this (out of 5).

## `certifications` (type: `array`):

Only offers with any of these certifications, for example CE, RoHS, FCC.

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

The run stops after this many result rows. It also caps what one run can cost.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Leave as is: the run starts on the cheapest network the site accepts and switches to Apify Proxy automatically when the site blocks it. Pick proxy groups here only to force one specific network.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "searchTerms": [
    "led strip lights"
  ],
  "targetPrice": 5,
  "targetMOQ": 50,
  "shortlistSize": 10,
  "maxPages": 2,
  "verifiedSupplier": false,
  "tradeAssurance": false,
  "minSupplierRating": "any",
  "maxItems": 20,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

One dataset row per processed item.

# 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 = {
    "searchTerms": [
        "led strip lights"
    ],
    "targetPrice": 5,
    "targetMOQ": 50,
    "shortlistSize": 10,
    "maxPages": 2,
    "maxItems": 20,
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("v0iddo/alibaba-supplier-shortlist").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 = {
    "searchTerms": ["led strip lights"],
    "targetPrice": 5,
    "targetMOQ": 50,
    "shortlistSize": 10,
    "maxPages": 2,
    "maxItems": 20,
    "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("v0iddo/alibaba-supplier-shortlist").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 '{
  "searchTerms": [
    "led strip lights"
  ],
  "targetPrice": 5,
  "targetMOQ": 50,
  "shortlistSize": 10,
  "maxPages": 2,
  "maxItems": 20,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}' |
apify call v0iddo/alibaba-supplier-shortlist --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,v0iddo/alibaba-supplier-shortlist"
        }
    }
}
```

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/FDnVaUqtovodZaBPd/builds/pzJGIwq61rjP8VgTH/openapi.json