# Substack Scraper (`scraper_guru/substack-scraper`) Actor Extract complete data from Substack newsletters including posts, authors, engagement metrics, and article text. 13 fields per post. Fast and reliable. - **URL**: https://apify.com/scraper\_guru/substack-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [LIAICHI MUSTAPHA](https://apify.com/scraper_guru) (community) - **Categories:** Developer tools, News, Social media - **Stats:** 43 total users, 2 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 5 bookmarks - **User rating**: 2.65 out of 5 stars ## Pricing from $0.35 / 1,000 posts This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. 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 ## Substack Newsletter Scraper 📰 Extract complete data from Substack newsletters including posts, authors, engagement metrics, and full article text. ### What does this Actor do? 🎯 This actor scrapes Substack newsletters and extracts **13 data points** per post: #### Content Data - Post headline & subheading - Full article text (or preview for paid posts) - Post URL #### Author Information - Author name - Author profile URL #### Publishing Data - Publication date - Free vs Paid status #### Engagement Metrics - Number of likes ❤️ - Number of comments 💬 - Number of restacks 🔄 ### Perfect for 💡 - **Content Researchers** - Analyze trends across newsletters - **Competitive Analysis** - Track what competitors publish - **Data Scientists** - Build training datasets - **Writers** - Research popular topics - **AI Developers** - Collect training data ### Input ```json { "substackUrls": [ "https://tedhope.substack.com", "https://theankler.com" ], "scrapingMethod": "sitemap", "maxPostsPerSubstack": 100, "batchSize": 20 } ```` | Field | Type | Required | Description | |-------|------|----------|-------------| | substackUrls | Array | Yes | List of Substack URLs | | scrapingMethod | String | No | "sitemap" or "archive" | | maxPostsPerSubstack | Number | No | Limit posts (0 = unlimited) | | batchSize | Number | No | Substacks per batch | ### Output ```json { "substack_url": "https://example.substack.com", "post_url": "https://example.substack.com/p/post-title", "headline": "Amazing Post Title", "subheading": "Subtitle here", "author_name": "John Doe", "author_url": "https://substack.com/@johndoe", "date": "December 10, 2024", "free_or_paid": "Free", "likes": 156, "comments": 23, "restacks": 12, "article_text": "Full article content...", "content_type": "full" } ``` ### Features ✨ - **Two scraping methods** - Sitemap (fast) or Archive (fallback) - **Complete metadata** - 13 fields per post - **Engagement metrics** - Likes, comments, restacks - **Smart extraction** - Handles paywalled content - **Structured output** - Clean JSON/CSV format ### Pricing 💰 Memory is automatically adjusted based on your input — no manual configuration needed. | Scale | Approximate Cost | Time | |-------|-----------------|------| | 10 Substacks | $0.01-0.05 | 2-5 min | | 100 Substacks | $0.50-1.00 | 30-60 min | | 1,000 Substacks | $5-10 | 5-10 hours | **Start with Apify's free tier** - includes $5 monthly credit! ### Tips 💪 1. **Test first** - Try 2-3 Substacks initially 2. **Use sitemap** - Faster and more reliable 3. **Set limits** - Use maxPostsPerSubstack for large newsletters 4. **Schedule runs** - Set up weekly/monthly automation ### FAQ ❓ **Q: Can I scrape paywalled content?** A: You'll get previews for paid posts, not full content. **Q: How long does it take?** A: ~10-30 seconds per Substack with 100 posts. **Q: What if sitemap doesn't work?** A: Use "archive" method as fallback. **Q: How much memory does it use?** A: Memory is allocated dynamically based on how many URLs you provide — you don't need to configure anything manually. Typical runs use 512MB–1GB. *** ### Changelog 📋 #### v1.0.4 — April 2, 2026 🔧 **Bug Fixes & Performance Improvements** - **Fixed: Incomplete scraping results** — The scraper was mishandling Substack's nested sitemap indexes, causing runs to stop prematurely after just a few posts. It now correctly parses all sitemap levels and captures 100% of available posts. - **Fixed: Memory misconfiguration** — Default memory was incorrectly set to 16GB, making runs unnecessarily expensive. Memory is now dynamically allocated based on your input (scales with number of URLs provided), with a maximum cap of 2GB. Typical single-URL runs now use ~1GB. - **Improved: Cost efficiency** — For a standard single-newsletter scrape, costs are now reduced by ~94% compared to previous versions. *** #### v1.0.0 — Initial Release 🚀 - Full post scraping via Sitemap and Archive methods - 13 data fields per post including engagement metrics - Batch processing support - Paid/free post detection *** ### Support 📧 - 📖 [Apify Documentation](https://docs.apify.com) - 💬 [Contact Support](https://apify.com/contact) ### About 👨‍💻 Built by MUSTAPHA LIAICHI - Automation & Web Scraping Specialist *** **Happy Scraping! 🚀** # Actor input Schema ## `substackUrls` (type: `array`): List of Substack newsletter URLs to scrape. Format: https://newsletter.substack.com ## `scrapingMethod` (type: `string`): Choose how to discover posts: Sitemap (faster, recommended) or Archive page (fallback if sitemap unavailable) ## `maxPostsPerSubstack` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of posts to scrape from each Substack. Set to 0 for unlimited. ## `batchSize` (type: `integer`): Number of Substacks to process in each batch. Lower values = more stable. ## Actor input object example ```json { "substackUrls": [ "https://tedhope.substack.com" ], "scrapingMethod": "sitemap", "maxPostsPerSubstack": 10, "batchSize": 20 } ``` # 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 = { "substackUrls": [ "https://tedhope.substack.com" ], "maxPostsPerSubstack": 10 }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("scraper_guru/substack-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 = { "substackUrls": ["https://tedhope.substack.com"], "maxPostsPerSubstack": 10, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("scraper_guru/substack-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 '{ "substackUrls": [ "https://tedhope.substack.com" ], "maxPostsPerSubstack": 10 }' | apify call scraper_guru/substack-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=scraper_guru/substack-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Substack Scraper", "description": "Extract complete data from Substack newsletters including posts, authors, engagement metrics, and article text. 13 fields per post. Fast and reliable.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "XWfscVuBcaXuVPETg" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/scraper_guru~substack-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-scraper_guru-substack-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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/scraper_guru~substack-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-scraper_guru-substack-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/scraper_guru~substack-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-scraper_guru-substack-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": [ "substackUrls" ], "properties": { "substackUrls": { "title": "Substack URLs", "minItems": 1, "type": "array", "description": "List of Substack newsletter URLs to scrape. Format: https://newsletter.substack.com", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "scrapingMethod": { "title": "Scraping Method", "enum": [ "sitemap", "archive" ], "type": "string", "description": "Choose how to discover posts: Sitemap (faster, recommended) or Archive page (fallback if sitemap unavailable)", "default": "sitemap" }, "maxPostsPerSubstack": { "title": "Max Posts Per Substack", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 10000, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of posts to scrape from each Substack. Set to 0 for unlimited.", "default": 0 }, "batchSize": { "title": "Batch Size", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 100, "type": "integer", "description": "Number of Substacks to process in each batch. Lower values = more stable.", "default": 20 } } }, "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 } } } } } } } } } } ```