# Express Category Scraper (`getdataforme/express-category-scraper`) Actor The Express Category Scraper extracts detailed product data from the Express website, including pricing, availability, and reviews. It offers customizable scraping, proxy support, and exports data in JSON, CSV, or Excel formats, making it ideal for market analysis and competitive intelligence. - **URL**: https://apify.com/getdataforme/express-category-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [GetDataForMe](https://apify.com/getdataforme) (community) - **Categories:** AI, Automation, E-commerce - **Stats:** 3 total users, 0 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $9.00 / 1,000 results 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 ## Express Category Scraper The Express Category Scraper is a powerful tool designed to extract detailed product information from the Express website. It enables users to gather comprehensive data on products, including pricing, availability, and reviews, making it ideal for market analysis and competitive intelligence. ### Features - **Comprehensive Data Extraction**: Scrapes detailed product information, including pricing, reviews, and images. - **High Data Quality**: Ensures accurate and up-to-date information by using reliable proxy configurations. - **Customizable Scraping**: Allows users to specify search queries and limit the number of items scraped. - **Efficient Performance**: Optimized for speed and efficiency, handling large datasets with ease. - **Proxy Support**: Utilizes Apify's residential proxies to bypass geographical restrictions and prevent IP bans. - **Flexible Output Formats**: Exports data in JSON, CSV, or Excel formats for easy integration with other tools. ### Input Parameters | Parameter | Type | Required | Description | Example | |---------------------|----------|----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------| | `searchQuery` | String | Yes | Enter the search keywords to find specific product categories. | "mens" | | `maxItems` | Integer | No | Maximum number of items to scrape. | 100 | | `proxyConfiguration`| Object | No | Specifies proxy servers to hide the scraper's origin, using Apify's proxies.| `{ "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"] }` | ### Example Usage #### Input JSON ```json { "searchQuery": "mens", "maxItems": 50, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"] } } ``` #### Output JSON ```json [ { "productId": "01697320", "name": "Textured Stripe Short Sleeve Shirt", "key": "01697320", "gender": "men", "pricing": { "listPrice": 48, "salePrice": { "min": 14.97, "max": 28.8, "raw": "$14.97-$28.80" }, "onSale": true, "promoMessage": "Price Reflects 40% Off" }, "images": { "main": "https://images.express.com/is/image/expressfashion/0020_01697320_0001_f002?cache=on&wid=480&fmt=jpeg&qlt=85,1&resmode=sharp2&op_usm=1,1,5,0&defaultImage=Photo-Coming-Soon", "imageSet": [ "https://images.express.com/is/image/expressfashion/0020_01697320_0001_f002?cache=on&wid=480&fmt=jpeg&qlt=85,1", "https://images.express.com/is/image/expressfashion/0020_01697320_0001_f001?cache=on&wid=480&fmt=jpeg&qlt=85,1", "https://images.express.com/is/image/expressfashion/0020_01697320_0001_f003?cache=on&wid=480&fmt=jpeg&qlt=85,1", "https://images.express.com/is/image/expressfashion/0020_01697320_0001_f004?cache=on&wid=480&fmt=jpeg&qlt=85,1", "https://images.express.com/is/image/expressfashion/0020_01697320_0001_a001?cache=on&wid=480&fmt=jpeg&qlt=85,1" ] }, "url": "https://www.express.com/clothing/men/textured-stripe-short-sleeve-shirt/pro/01697320", "reviews": { "rating": 1.5, "count": 2 }, "colors": [ { "color": "white", "isDefault": true, "skuUpc": "0020_01697320_0001", "imageSet": [ "0020_01697320_0001_f002", "0020_01697320_0001_f001", "0020_01697320_0001_f003", "0020_01697320_0001_f004", "0020_01697320_0001_a001" ] } ], "meta": { "newProduct": false, "onlineExclusive": false, "marketplaceProduct": false, "productDescription": "A versatile short sleeve shirt complete with a full-button front, a camp collar, and a textured stripe detail." } } ] ``` ### Use Cases - **Market Research and Analysis**: Gather data on product trends and consumer preferences. - **Competitive Intelligence**: Monitor competitor pricing and product offerings. - **Price Monitoring**: Track price changes and promotional offers. - **Content Aggregation**: Compile product information for e-commerce platforms. - **Academic Research**: Analyze consumer behavior and market dynamics. - **Business Automation**: Automate data collection for business intelligence tools. ### Installation and Usage ``` 1. Search for "Express Category 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 a JSON array where each object contains detailed product information, including `productId`, `name`, `pricing`, `images`, `url`, `reviews`, `colors`, and `meta` data. This structure allows for easy parsing and integration with other systems. ### 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 ## `searchQuery` (type: `string`): Enter the Search Keywords ## `maxItems` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of items to scrape. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Specifies proxy servers that will be used by the scraper in order to hide its origin. ## Actor input object example ```json { "searchQuery": "mens", "maxItems": 100, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `results` (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 '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "searchQuery": "mens", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("getdataforme/express-category-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 = { "searchQuery": "mens", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"], }, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("getdataforme/express-category-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 '{ "searchQuery": "mens", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } }' | apify call getdataforme/express-category-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "type": "http", "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,getdataforme/express-category-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 ` 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/CMctTrWpBwJbFoBFv/builds/438GAddN2RhneXLJW/openapi.json