# HotFrog Scraper (`crawlerbros/hotfrog-scraper`) Actor Scrape HotFrog.com - US local business directory with millions of business listings. Search by keyword and location to get business names, phone numbers, addresses, categories, and descriptions. - **URL**: https://apify.com/crawlerbros/hotfrog-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Crawler Bros](https://apify.com/crawlerbros) (community) - **Categories:** Lead generation, Automation, SEO tools - **Stats:** 3 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $3.00 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage. Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have. 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 ## HotFrog Business Directory Scraper Extract US local business listings from [hotfrog.com](https://www.hotfrog.com) — one of the largest local business directories with millions of listings across the United States. Find businesses by keyword and location with phone numbers, addresses, descriptions, websites, and category information. No login or API key required. ### Features - **Keyword + Location Search** — Find any type of business in any US city or state - **Rich Business Data** — Phone number, address, city, state, description, website, category, and profile URL - **Verified Badge Detection** — Identifies DesignRush verified businesses - **Automatic Pagination** — Fetches multiple pages of results to reach your `maxItems` target - **No Login Required** — All data is publicly available ### Use Cases - Local business lead generation - Business contact database building - Market research and competitor analysis - Local SEO auditing and citation tracking - Building city-specific business directories ### Input | Field | Type | Required | Default | Description | |-------|------|----------|---------|-------------| | `searchQuery` | String | No | `plumber` | Type of business to search for (e.g., `dentist`, `HVAC repair`) | | `location` | String | No | `new-york` | City or location slug (e.g., `los-angeles`, `Chicago, IL`) | | `maxItems` | Integer | No | `30` | Maximum businesses to return (1–500) | #### Example Input — Plumbers in New York ```json { "searchQuery": "plumber", "location": "new-york", "maxItems": 50 } ```` #### Example Input — Dentists in Los Angeles ```json { "searchQuery": "dentist", "location": "Los Angeles, CA", "maxItems": 30 } ``` ### Output | Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | `businessName` | String | Business display name | | `businessId` | String | HotFrog internal business ID | | `phone` | String | Business phone number | | `address` | String | Street address | | `city` | String | City name | | `state` | String | 2-letter state code (e.g., `NY`) | | `description` | String | Business description (up to 500 characters) | | `website` | String | Business website URL | | `category` | String | Business category derived from profile URL | | `profileUrl` | String | Full HotFrog profile URL | | `logoUrl` | String | Business logo URL (when available) | | `verified` | Boolean | Whether the listing is verified | | `searchQuery` | String | Search term used | | `searchLocation` | String | Location searched | | `recordType` | String | Always `business` | | `scrapedAt` | String | ISO 8601 timestamp | | `sourceUrl` | String | Source search results page URL | #### Example Output ```json { "businessName": "Joe's Plumbing", "phone": "(212) 555-1234", "address": "123 Main St", "city": "New York", "state": "NY", "description": "Expert plumbing services available 24/7.", "website": "https://www.joesplumbing.com", "category": "Plumbers", "profileUrl": "https://www.hotfrog.com/find/united-states/new-york/plumber/joes-plumbing", "searchQuery": "plumber", "searchLocation": "new-york", "recordType": "business", "scrapedAt": "2025-01-15T10:23:45+00:00", "sourceUrl": "https://www.hotfrog.com/search/new-york/plumber" } ``` ### FAQ **Does this require an API key or login?** No. All listings on HotFrog are publicly accessible. **How do I specify the location?** You can use city names like `New York`, city-state like `Chicago, IL`, or URL slugs like `new-york`. The actor normalizes these into the correct URL format automatically. **What types of businesses can I search for?** Any business category works — `plumber`, `electrician`, `dentist`, `lawyer`, `restaurant`, `hair salon`, etc. **How many results per page does HotFrog show?** Typically 10–20 businesses per search results page. The actor automatically paginates to reach your `maxItems` limit. **Are phone numbers always available?** Not all listings include a phone number — the `phone` field is only included in the output when present. **Is the data current?** HotFrog business listings are maintained by business owners. Data freshness varies by listing; this scraper always fetches live data from HotFrog. # Actor input Schema ## `mode` (type: `string`): What data to fetch. ## `searchQuery` (type: `string`): Business type or keyword, e.g. plumber, pizza restaurant, dentist. ## `location` (type: `string`): City or state as URL slug, e.g. new-york, los-angeles, texas, chicago. ## `maxItems` (type: `integer`): Hard cap on emitted records. ## Actor input object example ```json { "mode": "search", "searchQuery": "plumber", "location": "new-york", "maxItems": 30 } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `businesses` (type: `string`): Dataset containing all scraped business listings. # 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 = { "mode": "search", "searchQuery": "plumber", "location": "new-york", "maxItems": 30 }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("crawlerbros/hotfrog-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 = { "mode": "search", "searchQuery": "plumber", "location": "new-york", "maxItems": 30, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("crawlerbros/hotfrog-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 '{ "mode": "search", "searchQuery": "plumber", "location": "new-york", "maxItems": 30 }' | apify call crawlerbros/hotfrog-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=crawlerbros/hotfrog-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "HotFrog Scraper", "description": "Scrape HotFrog.com - US local business directory with millions of business listings. Search by keyword and location to get business names, phone numbers, addresses, categories, and descriptions.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "XW3Nc0zg9okIoWNAc" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/crawlerbros~hotfrog-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-crawlerbros-hotfrog-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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/crawlerbros~hotfrog-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-crawlerbros-hotfrog-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/crawlerbros~hotfrog-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-crawlerbros-hotfrog-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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", "required": [ "mode" ], "properties": { "mode": { "title": "Mode", "enum": [ "search" ], "type": "string", "description": "What data to fetch.", "default": "search" }, "searchQuery": { "title": "Search query", "type": "string", "description": "Business type or keyword, e.g. plumber, pizza restaurant, dentist.", "default": "plumber" }, "location": { "title": "Location (city or state slug)", "type": "string", "description": "City or state as URL slug, e.g. new-york, los-angeles, texas, chicago.", "default": "new-york" }, "maxItems": { "title": "Max items", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 500, "type": "integer", "description": "Hard cap on emitted records.", "default": 30 } } }, "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 } } } } } } } } } } ```