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actors-mcp-server

Official
by apify
OverviewSchemaSourceRelated ServersDiscussionsAdmin
TypeScript
Hybrid

Search Actors

search-actors
Read-onlyIdempotent

Find pre-built Apify Actors by platform or use case, such as Instagram posts or Amazon products. Browse available scraping tools and MCP servers; returns summaries, not scraped data.

Instructions

Search the Apify Store to FIND and DISCOVER what scraping tools/Actors exist for specific platforms or use cases. This tool provides INFORMATION about available Actors - it does NOT retrieve actual data or run any scraping tasks.

Apify Store contains thousands of pre-built Actors (crawlers, scrapers, AI agents, and model context protocol (MCP) servers) for all platforms and services including social media, search engines, maps, e-commerce, news, real estate, travel, finance, jobs and more. Apify Store lists Actors published by Apify and by independent developers.

Use this tool when user wants to:

  • Find what scraping tools exist for a platform (e.g., "What tools can scrape Instagram?")

  • Discover available Actors for a use case (e.g., "Find an Actor for Amazon products")

  • Browse existing solutions (e.g., "Show me scrapers for news sites")

  • Learn about MCP servers or AI agents available in the Store

This tool discovers Actors; it does not retrieve their output. IMPORTANT: When the user wants detailed data from a specific platform or is looking for scraping tools, prefer searching the Store first — a relevant Actor often already exists. When the user names a specific Actor, look up that Actor directly instead of searching.

Usage:

  • Use 1-3 simple terms from the platform and/or data type the user named (e.g. "Instagram posts", "Twitter", "Amazon products"). With neither named, empty keywords return the Store's default ordering. A platform-only query is an option if more specific results do not fit.

Important limitations: This tool does not return full Actor documentation or detailed usage instructions - only summary information. Each result lists the Actor's input fields with their types (e.g. url: string, maxResults?: number) so you can construct an Actor call directly without another tool call. For complete Actor details (per-field descriptions, defaults, README), use the fetch-actor-details tool. The search is limited to publicly available Actors and excludes rental and restricted Actors.

Returns list of Actor cards with the following info:

  • Title: Markdown header linked to the Store page, followed by the full Actor name in code format

  • URL: Direct Store link

  • Description: Actor description or fallback

  • Pricing: Details with pricing link

  • Stats: Total and monthly users

  • Rating: Out of 5 (if available)

  • Developed by: Username linked to profile, marked (Apify) or (community)

  • Categories: Formatted or "Uncategorized"

  • Last modified: Date (if available)

  • Input fields: Inline list of input field names and types (e.g. url: string, maxResults?: number); ? marks optional fields, ... (+N more) marks a truncated list

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
limitNoThe maximum number of Actors to return (max = 10, default = 5).
offsetNoThe number of elements to skip from the start (default = 0). Has no effect when keywords are set: every offset returns the first results.
useCaseNoOptional. One plain sentence on what the user wants to achieve with the Actor, for example "compare competitor prices" (max 1024 characters). Never include personal information (names, emails, phone numbers, addresses, account details), URLs, secrets, API tokens or credentials. Respect the user's privacy: when unsure, leave it out.
keywordsNoSpace-separated keywords used to search pre-built solutions (Actors) in the Apify Store. The search engine searches across the Actor's name, description, username, and README content. Pass empty string ("") whenever the user has NOT named a specific platform (Instagram, Amazon, Google Maps) or a specific data type (posts, products, weather, news). Empty keywords return Actors in the Apify Store's default sort order, which is popularity in practice (most-used Actors first). Do NOT use ranking words ("top", "best", "popular") or bare task words ("scraper", "crawler", "extractor") as keyword values — they are not Actor names and produce noisy matches against README content. Otherwise, follow these rules: - Use 1-3 simple keyword terms maximum (e.g., "Instagram posts", "Twitter", "Amazon products") - Actors are named using platform or service name together with the type of data or task they perform - The most effective keywords are specific platform names (Instagram, Twitter, TikTok) and specific data types (posts, products, profiles, weather, news, reviews, comments) - If a user asks about "fetching Instagram posts", use "Instagram posts" as keywords - The goal is to find Actors that specifically handle the platform and data type the user mentioned Examples: ✅ "Instagram posts", "Twitter", "Amazon products", "TikTok comments" ✅ "" (empty) — returns the most popular Actors store-wide ❌ "Instagram posts profiles comments hashtags reels stories followers..." (too long) ❌ "top popular actors", "best scrapers", "trending" — ranking words aren't Actor keywords; pass "" instead ❌ "scraper", "extractor", "web crawler" — bare task words aren't Actor keywords; pass "" instead

Output Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
countYesNumber of Actors returned
queryYesThe search query used
actorsYesList of Actor cards matching the search query
userTierNoThe user's plan tier used to resolve the per-Actor pricing shown in the results
instructionsNoAdditional instructions for the LLM to follow when processing the search results.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed3 schema fields changedv0.19.5
    • changedInput schema / properties / offset / description
      Previous value: -"The number of elements to skip from the start (default = 0)"New value: +"The number of elements to skip from the start (default = 0). Has no effect when keywords are set: every offset returns the first results."
    • addedInput schema / properties / useCase
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "Optional. One plain sentence on what the user wants to achieve with the Actor, for example \"compare competitor prices\" (max 1024 characters).\nNever include personal information (names, emails, phone numbers, addresses, account details), URLs, secrets, API tokens or credentials.\nRespect the user's privacy: when unsure, leave it out.",
+  "type": "string"
+}
    • removedOutput schema / properties / actors / items / properties / stats / properties / bookmarks
      Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Number of bookmarks",
-  "type": "number"
-}
  2. Changed1 schema field changedv0.18.3
    • addedOutput schema / properties / actors / items / properties / inputFields / properties / properties / additionalProperties / properties / type / anyOf
      Added value: +[
+  {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  {
+    "items": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "type": "array"
+  }
+]
  3. Changed1 schema field changedv0.14.2
    • removedOutput schema / properties / actors / items / properties / stats / properties / successRate
      Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Success rate percentage",
-  "type": "number"
-}
  4. Addedv0.14.0
  5. Removedv0.13.0
  6. Changed3 schema fields changedv0.11.5
    • addedOutput schema / properties / actors / items / properties / pictureUrl
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "Actor picture URL",
+  "type": "string"
+}
    • changedOutput schema / properties / actors / items / properties / pricing / required
      Previous value: -[
-  "model",
-  "userTier"
-]New value: +[
+  "model"
+]
    • addedOutput schema / properties / userTier
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "The user's plan tier used to resolve the per-Actor pricing shown in the results",
+  "enum": [
+    "FREE",
+    "BRONZE",
+    "SILVER",
+    "GOLD",
+    "PLATINUM",
+    "DIAMOND"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}
  7. First observedv0.10.13

TDQS

A4.8/5.0
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare read-only, idempotent, non-destructive behavior, and the description adds meaningful context: it does not run tasks or retrieve output, searches only public Actors, excludes rental/restricted Actors, and returns summary cards with inline input fields.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is front-loaded and clearly sectioned, with usage, limitations, and return information separated. It is somewhat long and repeats the non-retrieval point more than once, but the structure keeps it usable.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Complete for a search tool with annotations and an output schema: it explains purpose, alternatives, search scope, limitations, and how to use the keywords parameter. An agent has enough information to select and invoke it correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so all four parameters are already documented. The description reinforces keyword strategy, empty-keyword default ordering, and platform-only queries, but it largely repeats the schema and does not add much about limit or offset.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource: search the Apify Store to find/discover scraping Actors. It explicitly distinguishes itself from data retrieval, scraping execution, and actor detail lookup, which cleanly separates it from siblings like call-actor and fetch-actor-details.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Gives explicit when-to-use scenarios such as finding tools for a platform or use case, and explicitly says to prefer Store search first when a relevant Actor may already exist. It also names the alternative for a specific Actor name: look it up directly rather than searching.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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