# Open Directory Link Scraper (`moving_beacon-owner1/open-directory-link-scraper`) Actor

Open Directory Link Scraper is an Apify Actor that extracts all hyperlinks from web pages and open directory listings. It can recursively crawl directory trees or same-host links, filter files by extension, and returns clean, absolute URLs with metadata such as file type and source page.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/moving\_beacon-owner1/open-directory-link-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Jamshaid Arif](https://apify.com/moving_beacon-owner1) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Automation, Other
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $9.99 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
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.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — 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

## Open Directory Link Scraper (Apify Actor)

Extracts every hyperlink from any page or "index of" open directory, resolved
to absolute URLs. Optionally filters by file extension and recurses into
directory trees or same-host links.

### Input

| Field | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `startUrls` | Pages / open-directory URLs to scrape |
| `extensions` | Keep only links ending in these, e.g. `["pdf","zip"]` (empty = all) |
| `recursive` | Follow subdirectory links in "index of" listings |
| `followSameHostLinks` | Follow ANY same-host link — turns it into a bounded crawler |
| `maxDepth` | Link-hops from a start URL (0 = start URLs only) |
| `maxPages` | Hard cap on pages fetched for the whole run |
| `dedupeLinks` | Emit each distinct URL only once |
| `proxyConfiguration` | Optional — most open directories need none |
| `requestDelaySecs` | Pause between fetches (default 0.5) |

### Output

```json
{
  "text": "report-2024.pdf",
  "url": "https://files.example.com/docs/report-2024.pdf",
  "extension": "pdf",
  "is_directory": false,
  "source_url": "https://files.example.com/docs/"
}
```

### Modes

- **List one page's links** (default) — no recursion, just the start URLs.
- **Harvest an open directory** — set `recursive: true` to walk `index of`
  subdirectories and collect every file link. Pair with `extensions` to grab,
  say, only `pdf` or `mp3` files.
- **Bounded same-host crawl** — set `followSameHostLinks: true` to follow any
  same-host link up to `maxDepth` / `maxPages`.

The crawler never leaves the start URL's host, skips `mailto:`/`tel:`/anchor
links, and ignores the sort/parent links common in Apache/nginx directory
listings.

# Actor input Schema

## `startUrls` (type: `array`):

Pages or open-directory URLs to scrape links from.

## `extensions` (type: `array`):

Keep only links ending in these extensions, e.g. pdf, zip, mp3. Leave empty to keep all links.

## `recursive` (type: `boolean`):

For 'index of' style open directories, follow subdirectory links and harvest their contents too. Ignored for normal web pages unless 'Follow same-host links' is on.

## `followSameHostLinks` (type: `boolean`):

Follow any same-host link, not just directory links. Turns the Actor into a bounded same-host crawler. Use with maxPages / maxDepth to stay contained.

## `maxDepth` (type: `integer`):

How many link-hops from a start URL to follow (0 = only the start URLs themselves).

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

Hard cap on the number of pages fetched across the whole run.

## `dedupeLinks` (type: `boolean`):

Emit each distinct URL only once across the whole run.

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

Optional. Most open directories need no proxy; enable if a host rate-limits you.

## `requestDelaySecs` (type: `number`):

Polite pause between page fetches.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "startUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.python.org/"
    }
  ],
  "extensions": [],
  "recursive": false,
  "followSameHostLinks": false,
  "maxDepth": 3,
  "maxPages": 200,
  "dedupeLinks": true,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  },
  "requestDelaySecs": 0.5
}
```

# 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 = {
    "startUrls": [
        {
            "url": "https://www.python.org/"
        }
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("moving_beacon-owner1/open-directory-link-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 = { "startUrls": [{ "url": "https://www.python.org/" }] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("moving_beacon-owner1/open-directory-link-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 '{
  "startUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.python.org/"
    }
  ]
}' |
apify call moving_beacon-owner1/open-directory-link-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=moving_beacon-owner1/open-directory-link-scraper",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/85SqDQqpXM3Zcs4mS/builds/KWSaYwRRHYMilxBSc/openapi.json