# BizQuest Scraper (`crawlerbros/bizquest-scraper`) Actor

Scrape business-for-sale listings from BizQuest.com. Supports URL-based input and filter-based input (keyword, location). Optional per-listing detail enrichment.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/crawlerbros/bizquest-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Crawler Bros](https://apify.com/crawlerbros) (community)
- **Categories:** E-commerce, Other, Lead generation
- **Stats:** 9 total users, 0 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.00 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#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

## BizQuest Scraper

Scrape business-for-sale listings from [BizQuest](https://www.bizquest.com) — no account or subscription required. Supports filters for keyword and US state, plus direct URL pasting for any custom filter combination. Access 50+ listings per run, with optional enrichment of each listing's detail page.

### What This Scraper Does

This actor fetches BizQuest listing pages and extracts publicly visible data: listing title, asking price, cash flow, gross revenue, city, state, industry, listing ID, images, and more. With **Fetch Listing Details** enabled, it retrieves additional fields from each listing's detail page (full description, financial breakdowns, broker info, photo gallery).

### Input

Two input modes — use either or both:

#### Mode 1: Paste BizQuest URLs (Start URLs)

Apply filters on BizQuest.com (state, city, industry, price range, etc.), then copy the URL from your browser and paste it as a Start URL.

**Examples:**

- All California businesses: `https://www.bizquest.com/businesses-for-sale-in-california-ca/`
- Miami businesses: `https://www.bizquest.com/businesses-for-sale-in-miami-fl/`
- Restaurants nationwide: `https://www.bizquest.com/restaurants-for-sale/`
- California restaurants: `https://www.bizquest.com/restaurants-for-sale-in-california-ca/`
- A single listing: `https://www.bizquest.com/business-for-sale/thriving-turnkey-daycare-center/BW2417284/`

#### Mode 2: Use Filter Fields

Provide any combination of:

- **Keyword** — `"pizza"`, `"franchise"`, `"daycare"`
- **Location** — US state full name (`"California"`) or 2-letter abbreviation (`"CA"`)

For city/county/industry/price filters, use Mode 1.

#### Input Fields

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| **Start URLs** | List of strings | BizQuest search or listing URLs. Default: `["https://www.bizquest.com/businesses-for-sale/"]`. |
| **Keyword** | String (optional) | Keyword search term. |
| **Location** | String (optional) | US state name or 2-letter abbreviation. |
| **Fetch Listing Details** | Boolean | If `true`, fetches each listing's detail page for richer output. Doubles HTTP requests. Default: `false`. |
| **Max Items** | Integer | Maximum listings to return (1–10,000). Default: 50. |
| **Proxy Configuration** | Proxy object | Apify proxy. **Residential proxy required for reliable detail-page fetching** — BizQuest uses Akamai bot protection that blocks datacenter IPs. |

### Output

Each record represents one business listing. Fields marked `?` are optional and appear only when BizQuest publishes the data.

#### Core Fields (always when available)

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `url` | string | Canonical detail URL |
| `listingId` | string | BizQuest ID (e.g. `"BW2398228"`) |
| `title` | string | Listing title |
| `priceLabel` | string? | Formatted price as shown (e.g. `"$485,000"` or `"Contact for Price"`) |
| `askingPrice` | integer? | Price in USD (omitted for "Undisclosed") |
| `cashFlowLabel` | string? | Formatted cash flow / EBITDA label |
| `cashFlow` | integer? | Cash flow in USD (omitted when "Sign In to View" or undisclosed) |
| `location` | string? | Full location label (e.g. `"Miami, FL"`) |
| `city` | string? | City |
| `state` | string? | 2-letter US state abbreviation |
| `shortDescription` | string? | Teaser text from listing card |
| `thumbnail` | string? | Primary image URL |
| `scrapedAt` | string | ISO 8601 UTC timestamp |

#### Additional Fields (when **Fetch Listing Details** is enabled)

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `description` | string? | Full listing description |
| `reasonForSelling` | string? | |
| `grossRevenue` | integer? | USD |
| `ebitda` | integer? | USD |
| `inventoryValue` | integer? | USD |
| `ffeValue` | integer? | Furniture, fixtures & equipment |
| `realEstateValue` | integer? | USD |
| `monthlyRent` | integer? | USD |
| `yearEstablished` | integer? | |
| `employees` | string? | |
| `sellerFinancing` | boolean? | |
| `buildingSqft` | integer? | |
| `lotSize` | string? | |
| `franchiseBrand` | string? | |
| `trainingOffered` | string? | |
| `support` | string? | |
| `brokerName` | string? | |
| `brokerCompany` | string? | |
| `brokerPhone` | string? | Only when publicly visible |
| `photos` | string\[]? | Array of image URLs |
| `listingType` | string? | `"business"` or `"franchise"` |

Fields are included only when BizQuest returns data — no nulls in the output.

#### Error Records

If a URL can't be fetched/parsed, the record contains:

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `inputUrl` | The attempted URL |
| `error` | Human-readable error message |
| `scrapedAt` | Timestamp |

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Do I need a BizQuest account?**
No. The scraper only uses publicly visible listing data.

**Is a proxy required?**
Strongly recommended. BizQuest uses Akamai bot protection that blocks Apify datacenter IPs more aggressively than residential IPs. The actor defaults to Apify Residential proxy — no extra configuration needed. Local testing may work without proxy depending on your IP, but detail-page fetches are especially prone to blocks.

**Why are some prices "Undisclosed" or "Sign In to View"?**
Sellers often choose not to publish asking price, cash flow, or EBITDA publicly — or BizQuest requires an account to see them. The scraper preserves BizQuest's label in `priceLabel` / `cashFlowLabel` and omits the numeric field when the value isn't a real number.

**How many listings can I get?**
BizQuest shows ~50 listings per search page. The scraper paginates automatically via BizQuest's `/page-N/` URLs. Typical state-level searches return 100–2,000+ listings. Use `maxItems` to cap.

**What's the difference between Start URLs and Filters?**

- **Start URLs** — paste any BizQuest URL (search or detail). Supports every filter combination BizQuest offers.
- **Filters** — convenience fields for keyword + US state. Builds the search URL internally.
- Both can be combined in one run.

**Can I filter by city or industry?**
Yes, but via Start URLs. On BizQuest.com, navigate to your desired city/industry/combination, copy the URL, paste it as a Start URL. E.g. `https://www.bizquest.com/restaurants-for-sale-in-california-ca/`.

**Can I filter by price or cash flow range?**
Apply the filters on BizQuest.com's search UI, then paste the resulting URL into Start URLs.

**How fresh is the data?**
Near real-time. BizQuest publishes listings as sellers submit them.

**Difference vs. BizBuySell actor?**
Different source websites with partially overlapping listing pools. Some brokers post to both; many list on only one. Run both scrapers if you need comprehensive coverage.

**Why is broker phone sometimes missing?**
BizQuest brokers often hide their phone behind a "Contact Broker" form. The scraper only extracts publicly visible contact info.

**Can I run this on a schedule?**
Yes. Set up an Apify Schedule (daily/hourly) and dedupe downstream by `listingId`.

# Actor input Schema

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

BizQuest search result URLs (e.g. https://www.bizquest.com/businesses-for-sale-in-california-ca/) or individual listing URLs. Apply filters on BizQuest.com first, then paste the URL here.

## `keyword` (type: `string`):

Optional keyword filter (e.g. 'pizza'). NOTE: BizQuest's own search often ignores the ?q= parameter on the default browse URL — results may be the same regardless. For reliable keyword search, use a BizQuest industry URL in Start URLs (e.g. '/restaurants-for-sale/') which filters by category.

## `location` (type: `string`):

Optional US state filter — full name ('California') or 2-letter abbreviation ('CA'). For city/county filters, paste the URL from BizQuest directly into Start URLs.

## `fetchDetails` (type: `boolean`):

EXPERIMENTAL — attempts to fetch each listing's detail page for additional fields (description, broker info, photos, financials). BizQuest's Akamai bot protection currently blocks most detail-page fetches even from residential proxies; when a fetch fails the record is emitted with card-level data only. Doubles HTTP request count. Default: false.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of listings to return (1–10,000).

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

Proxy configuration. BizQuest uses Akamai bot protection. Residential proxy is strongly recommended — detail pages often fail from datacenter IPs.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "startUrls": [
    "https://www.bizquest.com/businesses-for-sale/"
  ],
  "fetchDetails": false,
  "maxItems": 50,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}
```

# 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": [
        "https://www.bizquest.com/businesses-for-sale/"
    ],
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true,
        "apifyProxyGroups": [
            "RESIDENTIAL"
        ]
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("crawlerbros/bizquest-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": ["https://www.bizquest.com/businesses-for-sale/"],
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": True,
        "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"],
    },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("crawlerbros/bizquest-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).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": [
    "https://www.bizquest.com/businesses-for-sale/"
  ],
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}' |
apify call crawlerbros/bizquest-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,crawlerbros/bizquest-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/htktd1gg2uQScXbo9/builds/hSDdnVwb2aoWgU2Va/openapi.json