# Snapchat Public Explore Search Scraper (`w3crawler/snapchat-search-scraper`) Actor

Use bounded Playwright sessions on public Snapchat Explore search pages to extract normalized lens, Spotlight, user, place, and topic result cards.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/w3crawler/snapchat-search-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [w3crawler](https://apify.com/w3crawler) (community)
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.99 / 1,000 search results

This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage.

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

### What does Snapchat Public Explore Search Scraper do?

Snapchat Public Explore Search Scraper opens the public [Snapchat Explore](https://www.snapchat.com/explore) search page and extracts visible lens, Spotlight, user, place, and topic cards. Try it with a short phrase such as `coffee`, choose the result types you need, and receive normalized records ready for analysis. On Apify, runs can be started from the Console or API and connected to schedules, webhooks, integrations, monitoring, and proxy transport.

### Why use Snapchat Public Explore Search Scraper?

Use the Actor to discover public Snapchat lenses and creators around a topic, monitor visible search coverage, assemble research datasets, or feed public result links into a downstream workflow. Stable record IDs, deduplication, strict limits, and explicit run diagnostics make the output easier to automate than manually browsing and copying cards.

### How to use Snapchat search scraping

1. Open the Actor’s **Input** tab.
2. Enter a public search phrase.
3. Select the content types and a small `maxItems` value.
4. Keep direct browser access for the first attempt; enable standard Apify Proxy only when the direct route is unavailable.
5. Start the run and download the successful records from the Dataset tab.

The Actor uses one bounded Playwright browser session because Explore cards are rendered dynamically. It does not log in, call private APIs, solve CAPTCHAs, or bypass access controls.

### Input

Important fields are `query`, `contentTypes`, `maxItems` (1–100), `maxPages` (1–10), `pageScrollDelayMs`, `requestDelayMs`, `locale`, `headless`, `maxResponseBytes`, `timeoutSecs` (5–60), and standard `proxyConfiguration`.

```json
{
  "query": "coffee",
  "contentTypes": ["lens", "spotlight", "user"],
  "maxItems": 10,
  "maxPages": 2,
  "headless": true,
  "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": false }
}
```

### Output

The dataset contains successful public result cards only. Diagnostics remain in `OUTPUT_SUMMARY` and its `OUTPUT` compatibility alias, while `SOURCE_METADATA` documents the access policy and browser transport.

```json
{
  "recordType": "lens",
  "status": "success",
  "query": "coffee",
  "title": "Coffee Lens",
  "url": "https://www.snapchat.com/unlock/?type=SNAPCODE&uuid=...",
  "position": 1,
  "sourceTransport": "Playwright via Apify Proxy"
}
```

You can download the dataset in various formats such as JSON, HTML, CSV, or Excel.

### Data table

| Field | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `recordId` | Stable hash of result type and URL |
| `recordType` | `lens`, `spotlight`, `user`, `place`, or `topic` |
| `title`, `description` | Visible card text |
| `url`, `imageUrl` | Normalized public links |
| `username`, `topic`, `placeName` | Type-specific identity when visible |
| `position` | Result order in the normalized output |
| `sourceUrl`, `httpStatus` | Request provenance |
| `proxyUsed`, `scrapedAt` | Transport and collection metadata |

### How much does it cost to scrape Snapchat search?

Cost is mainly the browser’s run time and memory. A one-page, low-item run is typically cheapest. Free-tier users can apply available platform credits; actual cost depends on the current Apify plan, proxy choice, and page response time. Keep `maxPages` and delays as low as your use case permits.

### Tips and advanced options

Start with one page and 5–25 items. Filter `contentTypes` to reduce irrelevant output. Use a locale that matches the audience you are researching. Requests use one browser attempt with no full-session retry loop; an access-controlled page therefore ends promptly with an explicit diagnostic rather than multiplying traffic or cost.

### FAQ, disclaimers, and support

Results can vary by time, locale, region, and Snapchat layout. An empty dataset can be valid when the target returns no cards or blocks the session; inspect `OUTPUT` for the reason. This Actor collects only public information, and users are responsible for complying with Snapchat’s terms, privacy rights, intellectual-property rules, rate limits, and applicable law. Use the Actor’s Issues tab for reproducible bugs or to discuss a custom solution.

# Changelog

This Actor's version history is a separate document: https://apify.com/w3crawler/snapchat-search-scraper/changelog.md

# Actor input Schema

## `query` (type: `string`):

Non-empty public Snapchat Explore search phrase.

## `contentTypes` (type: `array`):

Result types to retain: lens, spotlight, user, place, or topic. An empty array accepts all supported types.

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

Maximum unique result records saved.

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

Maximum number of page extraction and scroll passes.

## `pageScrollDelayMs` (type: `integer`):

Wait after navigation and each scroll for lazy-loaded cards.

## `requestDelayMs` (type: `integer`):

Wait between scroll passes.

## `locale` (type: `string`):

Browser locale and Accept-Language prefix.

## `headless` (type: `boolean`):

Run Playwright without a visible browser window.

## `maxResponseBytes` (type: `integer`):

Maximum rendered page HTML retained for one browser attempt.

## `timeoutSecs` (type: `integer`):

Maximum navigation wait per browser attempt.

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

Optional Apify Proxy configuration used as a transparent browser transport. Direct public browser access is used by default.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "query": "coffee",
  "contentTypes": [
    "lens",
    "spotlight",
    "user",
    "place",
    "topic"
  ],
  "maxItems": 25,
  "maxPages": 2,
  "pageScrollDelayMs": 700,
  "requestDelayMs": 500,
  "locale": "en-US",
  "headless": true,
  "maxResponseBytes": 5000000,
  "timeoutSecs": 45,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `dataset` (type: `string`):

No description

## `runSummary` (type: `string`):

No description

## `sourceMetadata` (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 = {
    "query": "coffee"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("w3crawler/snapchat-search-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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "query": "coffee" }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("w3crawler/snapchat-search-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 '{
  "query": "coffee"
}' |
apify call w3crawler/snapchat-search-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,w3crawler/snapchat-search-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 <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/hFAKO8bMJCtsT3IIZ/builds/3TNYp1eWNRC3KBxYu/openapi.json