DuckDuckGo Search Results Scraper

Scrape DuckDuckGo organic search results for SEO, market research, competitive intelligence, and rank tracking workflows. The Actor accepts one query or a list of queries and exports ranked DuckDuckGo results with title, URL, domain, snippet, region, page, and scrape timestamp.

What you can do

• Track organic result positions for keywords.
• Export SERP result URLs for outreach or research.
• Compare results across DuckDuckGo region settings.
• Collect snippets and displayed domains for SEO analysis.

Input

Provide either query for one search or queries for a batch. Use maxResults to cap saved results per query. region accepts DuckDuckGo region codes such as us-en, uk-en, de-de, or wt-wt. safeSearch supports strict, moderate, and off.

Input recipes

Single keyword

{
  "query": "apify web scraping",
  "maxResults": 10,
  "region": "us-en",
  "safeSearch": "moderate",
  "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": false }
}

Multiple keywords

{
  "queries": ["best web scraping tools", "duckduckgo seo rank tracker"],
  "maxResults": 25,
  "region": "us-en",
  "safeSearch": "moderate",
  "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true }
}

Examples

Example: use the single-keyword recipe for a quick SERP export. Use the multiple-keyword recipe when you need comparable rank data for a keyword set. Keep maxResults low for monitoring tasks and increase it only when you need deeper SERP coverage.

Output

Each dataset item represents one organic DuckDuckGo result:

• query, rank, resultTitle, title
• url, domain, displayUrl, redirectUrl
• snippet, region, page, scrapedAt

API usage

Run the Actor with the Apify API or client libraries by passing the same JSON input shown above. After the run succeeds, download results from the default dataset returned by the run metadata.

$apify call <username>/duckduckgo-search-results-scraper --input-file input.json

Pricing and cost expectations

The Actor uses pay-per-event charging: a small run-start charge plus a per-result event. Set maxResults to the number of search results you actually need to control cost. See the live Apify Pricing tab for the current rates.

Limits

Each input query can request up to 300 organic results. DuckDuckGo may return fewer results for narrow keywords, strict safe-search settings, or regions with limited coverage.

Reliability tips

DuckDuckGo may occasionally return fewer results than requested or show anti-automation pages. The Actor preserves partial output already extracted. Enable Apify Proxy for larger batches or repeated searches.

FAQ

Why did my run return fewer results than requested?

DuckDuckGo can return fewer organic results than requested or stop pagination. The Actor saves partial output already extracted.

What should I do if DuckDuckGo blocks the request?

Enable Apify Proxy and retry with lower volume.

Related actors

For broader search workflows, combine DuckDuckGo exports with other SERP or SEO data Actors in your Apify account.

Support

Open an Actor issue with the run ID, input, and expected result count if you need help.

Who is it for

This Actor is useful for SEO teams, growth marketers, researchers, and developers who need structured DuckDuckGo SERP data without manually copying search result pages.

MCP usage

You can connect the Actor to Apify MCP-compatible workflows and trigger it with the same JSON input used in the Apify Console. Use compact inputs for agent workflows, then let the agent read the default dataset after the run finishes.

Add MCP server

$claude mcp add apify -- npx -y @apify/actors-mcp-server

MCP JSON config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@apify/actors-mcp-server"],
      "env": { "APIFY_TOKEN": "MY-APIFY-TOKEN" }
    }
  }
}

Example prompts for MCP usage

Example prompt: "Run DuckDuckGo Search Results Scraper for apify web scraping and return the top 10 URLs."

Example prompt: "Compare DuckDuckGo results for these three keywords and summarize repeated domains."

Legality and responsible use

Only scrape public search result pages and use the data for lawful purposes. Respect DuckDuckGo, target websites, and applicable privacy, intellectual property, and database rights rules in your jurisdiction.

API usage examples

Node.js

import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';
const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });
const run = await client.actor('fetch_cat/duckduckgo-search-results-scraper').call({ query: 'apify web scraping', maxResults: 10 });
console.log(run.defaultDatasetId);

Python

from apify_client import ApifyClient
client = ApifyClient('MY-APIFY-TOKEN')
run = client.actor('fetch_cat/duckduckgo-search-results-scraper').call(run_input={'query': 'apify web scraping', 'maxResults': 10})
print(run['defaultDatasetId'])

cURL

curl -X POST 'https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/fetch_cat~duckduckgo-search-results-scraper/runs?token=MY-APIFY-TOKEN' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"query":"apify web scraping","maxResults":10}'

Field notes

• rank is the saved organic result position for the query.
• url is the destination URL.
• redirectUrl is present only when DuckDuckGo provides a redirect link.
• displayUrl is the visible URL text when available.
• snippet may be null if DuckDuckGo omits a description.

Pagination behavior

The Actor follows available next-page payloads until it reaches maxResults or DuckDuckGo stops returning additional result pages.

Partial results

If a later request is blocked or empty, already saved results remain in the dataset.

Region tips

Use wt-wt for broad worldwide results, or choose a country-language pair when you need a localized SERP snapshot.

Safe-search tips

Use moderate for most business research. Use strict for more filtered output, or off when your use case requires unfiltered SERP visibility.

Cost control tips

Start with 10 results per query, inspect quality, then increase maxResults only for keywords where deeper pages are useful.