Apple Podcast Scraper Apify FAQ: search, watchlists, and episode export

Factual answers from the published Apple Podcast Scraper Apify input schema and README. Official iTunes Search and Lookup APIs, plus public Apple and RSS endpoints. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple. For storefront rank movement, see Apple Podcasts Chart Scraper. For public ratings on IDs you already have, see Apple Podcasts Reviews Scraper.

Open Input → Start. Search + limit 3 ≈ $0.0125 (Start $0.005 + result $0.0025 × 3). From $2.50 / 1,000. No API key. CSV/JSON.

Open Apple Podcast Scraper Apify Input → Start

Open taroyamada/apple-podcast-scraper on the Apify Store

Search versus charts and reviews

Use this FAQ when the job is Apple Podcasts Scraper: keyword search, chartRequests snapshots, watchlists, and optional recent episodes. It does not emit rank movement reports or review rows.

	Apple Podcasts Scraper	Chart Scraper	Reviews Scraper
Intent	Search, chart snapshot, watchlist lookup, optional episodes	Top Podcasts chart rows and optional rank movement	Public review rows, optional rating report, delta monitor
Primary input	`searchTerm`, `lookupIds`, `chartRequests`	`countries`, optional `genreId`, `limit`	`podcastIds`, `countries`, `maxPagesPerPair`
Optional report	None; chart path is a snapshot only	One movement report when a `monitorKey` sees new, changed, or dropped ranks	One `podcast_review_report` when `generateReport` is true

None of these Actors is affiliated with or endorsed by Apple. Rank and search results are public catalog metadata, not download counts, audience estimates, or advertising guarantees.

What does Apple Podcasts Scraper do?

It finds public Apple Podcasts shows and metadata through official Apple/iTunes endpoints. You can search by keyword, snapshot chart rankings, look up known collection IDs, and optionally include recent episode context. Output is source-linked dataset rows with fields such as collectionId, showName, publisher, country, rank, episodeTitle, sourceUrl, and fetchedAt.

Published first-run path: start with searchTerm technology, country us, limit 3, and includeEpisodes false. Live Input default for limit is 3. If 3 result rows and one Actor Start event charge, the estimate is $0.005 + (3 × $0.0025) = $0.0125. Then raise limit or switch to lookupIds / chartRequests after the payload is useful. See the cheapest Apple Podcasts first paid run.

Try this search + limit 3 input on Apify

How is Apple Podcasts Scraper different from Chart Scraper and Reviews Scraper?

Apple Podcasts Scraper is the search, episode, and watchlist actor. Its chartRequests path is a rank snapshot and does not emit movement reports. Apple Podcasts Chart Scraper is storefront Top Podcasts ranks and optional movement reports. Apple Podcasts Reviews Scraper reads public Customer Reviews RSS for collection IDs you already have.

Do I need a proxy or an Apple account?

No. The Actor uses public Apple and RSS endpoints. It does not require account sessions, browser automation, or private podcast dashboards. No proxy is required. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple.

Run without a proxy on Apify

How is Apple Podcasts Scraper priced?

Billing is pay-per-event. The live Store card is from $2.50 / 1,000 results. Published events are Actor Start at $0.005 (charged when the Actor starts; number of events charged depends on Actor memory, one event per GB, minimum one event) and result at $0.0025 (single result in the default dataset). You are not charged for Apify platform usage, only the fixed event price. The cheapest useful first paid run is search + limit 3: if 3 result rows and one Actor Start event charge, the estimate is $0.0125. Empty no-change watchlist polls are described as avoiding payable default-dataset writes when nothing is saved. Dry runs do not save results or send webhooks.

Open Input → Start. Search + limit 3 ≈ $0.0125 (Start $0.005 + result $0.0025 × 3). From $2.50 / 1,000.

See Apple Podcasts Scraper pricing on Apify

What input is required to start a run?

The published input schema has no required array. At least one of searchTerm, chartRequests, or lookupIds is required. searchTerm uses the iTunes Search API. chartRequests snapshot Apple rankings (feedType podcasts or podcast-episodes). lookupIds resolve known collection IDs through the iTunes Lookup API. Live limit default is 3 (range 1–200). Keep the first run at limit 3, then raise it after the output is useful.

{
  "searchTerm": "technology",
  "country": "us",
  "limit": 3,
  "includeEpisodes": false
}

See the cheapest Apple Podcasts first paid run, iTunes Search discovery, chart snapshots, and iTunes Lookup watchlist refresh.

Start a run on Apify Input

How do I export episode metadata?

Set includeEpisodes to true to fetch recent episodes for each resolved podcast. That path is slower. For official episode rankings, use chartRequests with feedType podcast-episodes. After a dataset run, export the default dataset (JSON or CSV from the dataset view). The published input does not expose a full-catalog dump; for a known show’s complete feed, read public RSS. See the episode metadata export workflow.

Export episode rows on Apify

Can I pull charts or search for more than one country?

Charts can. chartRequests is an array; each item can set its own country (ISO codes such as us, gb, jp). Search and lookup use a single default country per run. Rankings and search results differ by storefront, so compare rows by the country field instead of mixing ranks. See charts and search by country.

Run a country-specific request on Apify

How do dataset delivery, webhooks, and dry runs work on Apple Podcasts Scraper?

delivery defaults to dataset for reviewable output. Set delivery to webhook and provide webhookUrl after the payload shape is approved (Slack, Discord, Zapier, or any HTTP endpoint). The published enum is dataset or webhook. dryRun true runs without saving results or sending webhooks, which is useful before a live watch or webhook. See webhooks and dataset fields.

Configure delivery on Apify

When should I use RSS instead of this Actor?

If you already have a public feed URL and need that show’s published catalog (titles, descriptions, dates, enclosures), RSS is the direct source. RSS does not search Apple’s directory and does not include chart rank. Use this Actor for keyword search, country charts, and collection-ID watchlists. See RSS vs Apple Podcasts Scraper and RSS feed vs iTunes Search.

RSS & Atom Feed Extractor parses known publisher feeds into URL lists. Google News Scraper is query-based news discovery, not a podcast catalog.

Open Apple Podcasts Scraper on Apify

Does keyword search return chart rank or review text?

No. rank is null on search rows. This Actor does not document review text on the search path. For official rankings use chartRequests or Apple Podcasts Chart Scraper. For public ratings on IDs you already have, use Apple Podcasts Reviews Scraper.

Can I pass a public RSS feed URL into Apple Podcasts Scraper?

No. Published inputs are searchTerm, chartRequests, and lookupIds. additionalProperties is false. RSS is used internally when includeEpisodes is true. If you already have a public feed URL, read that feed or use RSS & Atom Feed Extractor.

Does includeEpisodes dump a show's full episode catalog?

No. includeEpisodes fetches recent episode context and is slower. The published input does not expose a per-show episode count, a date window, or a full-catalog dump. For official episode rankings, use chartRequests with feedType podcast-episodes.

What happens on an empty or no-change watchlist poll?

Empty no-change watchlist polls are described as avoiding payable default-dataset writes when nothing is saved. Result events are $0.0025 per default-dataset item ($2.50 per 1,000). Actor Start is $0.005 when the Actor starts (one event per GB, minimum one event). Dry runs do not save results or send webhooks.

Can I filter Apple Podcasts search results by genre?

No. This Actor does not document genre filters on searchTerm. Apple Podcasts Chart Scraper accepts an optional genreId for Top Podcasts charts. Pagination beyond limit is not documented.

What should I do with collection IDs after a search run?

Pass collection IDs into lookupIds for a watchlist refresh through the iTunes Lookup API. Use those IDs as podcastIds on Apple Podcasts Reviews Scraper if you need public ratings. This Actor does not emit review rows or rank-movement reports from a search run.

How to start a run

Open taroyamada/apple-podcast-scraper Input.
Paste searchTerm technology, country us, limit 3, includeEpisodes false.
Leave includeEpisodes false unless recent episode titles are required.
Leave delivery on dataset. Switch to webhook only after the payload shape is approved. Use dryRun to test without saving results or sending webhooks.