# Bidspotter Auctions Scraper (`getdataforme/bidspotter-auctions-scraper`) Actor

Extract comprehensive auction data from Bidspotter.com with this Apify actor. Automate scraping of listings, bids, descriptions, and images for market research, price monitoring, and business intelligence. Features fast CheerioCrawler, flexible URLs, scalable performance, and clean JSON output.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/getdataforme/bidspotter-auctions-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [GetDataForMe](https://apify.com/getdataforme) (community)
- **Categories:** Agents, Developer tools, Lead generation
- **Stats:** 15 total users, 2 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.05 / actor start

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/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

## Bidspotter Auctions Scraper

### Introduction

The Bidspotter Auctions Scraper is a powerful Apify Actor designed to extract comprehensive auction data from Bidspotter.com, a leading online auction platform. It automates the collection of auction listings, including details like item descriptions, current bids, closing times, and seller information, enabling users to gather valuable insights efficiently. Whether you're conducting market research, monitoring prices, or aggregating data for business intelligence, this scraper delivers reliable, structured data to streamline your workflows.

### Features

- **Comprehensive Data Extraction**: Scrapes detailed auction information including titles, descriptions, bidding history, and images.
- **Flexible URL Handling**: Supports multiple start URLs for targeted or broad scraping across different auction categories.
- **High Performance**: Built on CheerioCrawler for fast, efficient crawling with configurable request limits to avoid overload.
- **Data Quality Assurance**: Ensures clean, structured output with error handling for missing or malformed data.
- **Scalable and Reliable**: Handles large-scale extractions with built-in rate limiting and retry mechanisms.
- **Easy Integration**: Outputs data in JSON format, compatible with various tools for analysis and automation.
- **Customizable Depth**: Allows control over crawl depth and request volume to suit specific needs.

### Input Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description | Example |
|-----------|------|----------|-------------|---------|
| startUrls | array | Yes | URLs to start the crawl with. Can include auction listing pages or category pages. | `[{"url": "https://www.bidspotter.com/en-us/auction-catalog/catalog-id/123"}]` |
| maxRequestsPerCrawl | integer | No | Maximum number of requests the crawler can make. Helps control resource usage and avoid rate limits. Default is 100. | `50` |

### Example Usage

#### Input JSON

```json
{
  "startUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.bidspotter.com/en-us/auction-catalog/catalog-id/123"
    }
  ],
  "maxRequestsPerCrawl": 100
}
```

#### Output JSON

```json
[
  {
    "auctionId": "12345",
    "title": "Vintage Car Collection",
    "description": "A collection of classic cars from the 1960s.",
    "currentBid": 15000,
    "currency": "USD",
    "closingTime": "2023-10-15T14:00:00Z",
    "seller": "Auto Auctions Inc.",
    "images": ["https://example.com/image1.jpg"],
    "url": "https://www.bidspotter.com/en-us/auction-catalog/catalog-id/123/lot/12345"
  }
]
```

### Use Cases

- **Market Research**: Analyze auction trends and pricing for specific industries like automotive or collectibles.
- **Competitive Intelligence**: Monitor competitors' auction listings and bidding patterns.
- **Price Monitoring**: Track bid prices and closing times for real-time alerts on valuable items.
- **Content Aggregation**: Build databases of auction data for e-commerce platforms or news sites.
- **Academic Research**: Collect data for studies on auction dynamics and consumer behavior.
- **Business Automation**: Integrate with CRM systems to automate lead generation from auction participants.

### Installation and Usage

1. Search for "Bidspotter Auctions Scraper" in the Apify Store
2. Click "Try for free" or "Run"
3. Configure input parameters
4. Click "Start" to begin extraction
5. Monitor progress in the log
6. Export results in your preferred format (JSON, CSV, Excel)

### Output Format

The output is an array of JSON objects, each representing an auction item. Key fields include:

- `auctionId`: Unique identifier for the auction.
- `title`: Name of the auction item.
- `description`: Detailed description of the item.
- `currentBid`: Latest bid amount.
- `currency`: Currency of the bid (e.g., USD).
- `closingTime`: ISO 8601 timestamp for auction end.
- `seller`: Name of the seller or auction house.
- `images`: Array of image URLs.
- `url`: Direct link to the auction page.

Data is structured for easy parsing and integration into databases or analytics tools.

### Support

For custom/simplified outputs or bug reports, please contact:

- Email: support@getdataforme.com
- Subject line: "custom support"
- Contact form: https://getdataforme.com/contact/

We're here to help you get the most out of this Actor!

***

# Actor input Schema

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

URLs to start scraping from (auction listing pages or search results). Use the search listing URL to scrape all auction catalogues.

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

Maximum number of requests that can be made by this crawler.

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

Specifies proxy servers that will be used by the scraper in order to hide its origin.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "startUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.bidspotter.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/bscpau/catalogue-id-bscpau10387"
    }
  ],
  "maxItems": 1000,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ],
    "apifyProxyCountry": "US"
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (type: `string`):

No description

# 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.bidspotter.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/bscpau/catalogue-id-bscpau10387"
        }
    ],
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true,
        "apifyProxyGroups": [
            "RESIDENTIAL"
        ],
        "apifyProxyCountry": "US"
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("getdataforme/bidspotter-auctions-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.bidspotter.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/bscpau/catalogue-id-bscpau10387" }],
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": True,
        "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"],
        "apifyProxyCountry": "US",
    },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("getdataforme/bidspotter-auctions-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": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.bidspotter.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/bscpau/catalogue-id-bscpau10387"
    }
  ],
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ],
    "apifyProxyCountry": "US"
  }
}' |
apify call getdataforme/bidspotter-auctions-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,getdataforme/bidspotter-auctions-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/VyNZAeCCRsQ3K3W2z/builds/mxAFWt3wvKitQZd0H/openapi.json