# VS Code Marketplace Scraper — Extension Intelligence (`straightforward_hydra/vscode-marketplace-scraper`) Actor

Search the VS Code Marketplace for extensions: installs, downloads, ratings, trending, categories, version, repo & pricing. Keyless dev-tool market intel.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/straightforward\_hydra/vscode-marketplace-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Dev D](https://apify.com/straightforward_hydra) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.00 / 1,000 extensions

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

## VS Code Marketplace Scraper — Extension Intelligence 🧩

**Search the Visual Studio Code Marketplace — or look up any extensions by id — and get clean records with installs, downloads, ratings, trending scores, categories, latest version, repository and pricing. No API key.**

The Marketplace is backed by the same public gallery API the VS Code app uses. This Actor turns it into structured extension-market intelligence — perfect for **dev-tool market research, competitor tracking, trend discovery and datasets**.

***

### What you get per extension

`extension_id` · `name` · `display_name` · `publisher` · `publisher_display_name` · `verified_publisher` · `short_description` · `installs` · `updates` · `downloads` · `average_rating` · `weighted_rating` · `rating_count` · `trending_daily` / `trending_weekly` / `trending_monthly` · `categories` · `tags` · `version` · `last_updated` · `published_date` · `release_date` · `repository` · `pricing` · `marketplace_url`.

### Examples

**Top extensions for a search term**

```json
{ "mode": "search", "searchText": "python", "sortBy": "installs", "maxResults": 100 }
```

**Trending / recently updated in a category**

```json
{ "mode": "search", "category": "Machine Learning", "sortBy": "updated", "maxResults": 50 }
```

**Look up specific extensions**

```json
{ "mode": "extensions", "extensionIds": ["ms-python.python", "esbenp.prettier-vscode"] }
```

### Use cases

- **Dev-tool market research** — install/rating leaders per category and search term.
- **Competitor & trend tracking** — trending scores and update recency over time.
- **Datasets & dashboards** — a clean, structured slice of the extension ecosystem.

### Notes

- **No API key.** Uses the public VS Code Marketplace gallery API (`extensionquery`).
- **Sort options:** installs, rating, recently updated, recently published, name, relevance.
- **Categories** include e.g. *Programming Languages, Themes, Snippets, Linters, Formatters, Debuggers, Machine Learning, Data Science, Testing, Azure*.
- Extension metadata belongs to its publishers; use responsibly.

***

#### Keywords

VS Code, Visual Studio Code, marketplace, extensions, plugins, installs, downloads, ratings, trending, dev tools, developer tools, market intelligence, publisher, extensionquery, no API key.

# Actor input Schema

## `mode` (type: `string`):

search = query the marketplace; extensions = fetch specific extensions by id.

## `searchText` (type: `string`):

Free-text query, e.g. "python", "docker", "ai". Leave empty to list top extensions overall.

## `category` (type: `string`):

Marketplace category, e.g. "Programming Languages", "Themes", "Linters", "Snippets", "Machine Learning", "Formatters", "Debuggers".

## `sortBy` (type: `string`):

Ordering of search results.

## `extensionIds` (type: `array`):

One or more extensions as publisher.name, e.g. "ms-python.python", "esbenp.prettier-vscode".

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Cap on extensions returned in search mode.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "search",
  "searchText": "python",
  "sortBy": "installs",
  "extensionIds": [
    "ms-python.python",
    "esbenp.prettier-vscode"
  ],
  "maxResults": 100
}
```

# 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 = {
    "searchText": "python",
    "extensionIds": [
        "ms-python.python",
        "esbenp.prettier-vscode"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("straightforward_hydra/vscode-marketplace-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 = {
    "searchText": "python",
    "extensionIds": [
        "ms-python.python",
        "esbenp.prettier-vscode",
    ],
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("straightforward_hydra/vscode-marketplace-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 '{
  "searchText": "python",
  "extensionIds": [
    "ms-python.python",
    "esbenp.prettier-vscode"
  ]
}' |
apify call straightforward_hydra/vscode-marketplace-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=straightforward_hydra/vscode-marketplace-scraper",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/dmXnn68YWymNNKVgM/builds/YppZdl1fxZayBzyQA/openapi.json