# Speedrun.com Games Scraper (`parseforge/speedrun-com-scraper`) Actor

Scrapes Speedrun.com game directory entries by optional name or abbreviation search. Returns each game as a flat row with ID, abbreviation, release year, and platform counts. Supports bulk mode for faster collection.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/speedrun-com-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Games, Automation, Integrations
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 90.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $7.50 / 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.
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

[![ParseForge](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/main/banner.jpg)](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp)

### Speedrun.com Games Scraper

**Scrape Speedrun.com games data for any title, up to a million records per run.** Every game comes with its ID, abbreviation, release year, and platform counts. No API key or registration needed. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

Speedrun.com's official API rate-limits requests and requires you to page through results one chunk at a time. This Actor reads the public game directory directly, lets you filter by name or abbreviation, and returns every match in a consistent flat schema. Bulk mode gives you a lighter payload for faster collection when you only need the core identifiers.

| Who uses it | What they scrape Speedrun.com for |
|---|---|
| Speedrun archivists | Building a complete catalog of every game that has a leaderboard on the platform. |
| Data analysts | Studying which game genres, platforms, or release years attract the most speedrunning activity. |
| Community managers | Monitoring new game additions to spot emerging speedrunning communities early. |

### What it does

This Actor collects Speedrun.com game entries by optional name or abbreviation search and returns each one as a flat row.

- ⚡ **Bulk mode:** A lighter, faster payload that returns core game identifiers without the full metadata, ideal for large catalogs.
- 🔍 **Name search:** Filter the game directory by a substring match on the game's display name.
- 🏷️ **Abbreviation filter:** Narrow results to a single game by its unique abbreviation slug.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

### What you can do with Speedrun.com data

**📋 Build a game directory.**

An archivist runs the Actor with no filters and maxItems set to 1,000,000 to pull every game ever submitted to Speedrun.com into a single CSV.

**🔎 Find a game by partial name.**

A researcher enters a name substring like 'Mario' to collect every game title that contains that word, then cross-references release years.

**📊 Track platform diversity.**

A data analyst scrapes the full game list in bulk mode, then counts platform occurrences to report which consoles dominate the speedrunning scene.

### Why choose this scraper

| | What you get |
|---|---|
| **No API key** | Reads the public API endpoints directly. No app registration or OAuth flow. |
| **Flat output** | Every game is one row. No nested JSON to unpack before analysis. |
| **Bulk or full** | Choose bulk mode for speed and core fields, or turn it off for the complete game object. |

### How it compares

This Actor focuses on the Speedrun.com game directory, while the competitors below also scrape leaderboard runs and world records.

| Feature | ParseForge | Speedrun.com Scraper | Speedrun Scraper | Speedrun.com Leaderboard & Runs Scraper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game directory scraping | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Bulk mode for faster collection | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Filter by game abbreviation slug | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Leaderboard runs and world records | Not listed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Runner names and video proof links | Not listed | Yes | Yes | Yes |

### Configure the run

Drive the Actor with an optional game name substring and an optional abbreviation slug. Filters are passed directly to the Speedrun.com API so only matching games reach your dataset. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

```json
{
 "maxItems": 10
}
```

A larger pull:

```json
{
 "maxItems": 200
}
```

### Pricing

Pay-per-result: **$0.0085 per result** collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $0.85 |
| 1,000 results | $8.50 |
| 10,000 results | $85.00 |

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

### Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. [Upgrade your Apify plan](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp) to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

### Run it

1. [Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp).
2. Open the [Speedrun.com Games Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/speedrun-com-scraper?fpr=vmoqkp).
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click **Start**.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the **Dataset** tab.

Run it programmatically through the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) (`run-sync-get-dataset-items`) or the [ApifyClient](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js) for JavaScript and Python.

### Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to Speedrun.com through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=parseforge/speedrun-com-scraper"
```

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

### Troubleshooting

**Why am I getting no results?**

Check your name or abbreviation filter. The name search is a substring match, so a typo or an overly specific string can return zero games. Try a shorter substring or remove the filter to confirm the Actor works.

**Why is my run limited to 10 items?**

Free Apify accounts are capped at 10 items per run as a preview. Upgrade to a paid plan to raise the maxItems limit up to 1,000,000.

**Why are some fields missing from my output?**

You likely have bulk mode enabled. Bulk mode uses a lighter API payload that omits some metadata fields. Turn bulk mode off in the input to receive the full game object.

**The abbreviation filter returns an error.**

Abbreviation slugs are case-sensitive and must match exactly. Verify the slug on Speedrun.com. Common examples are 'sms' for Super Mario Sunshine and 'oot' for Ocarina of Time.

**The run is taking too long.**

Enable bulk mode for faster collection. If you are pulling the entire game directory, expect the run to take several minutes. Reduce maxItems if you only need a sample.

### FAQ

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Does this Actor scrape leaderboard runs or world records? | No, this Actor collects game directory entries only. For leaderboard runs, world records, and player times, use a dedicated Speedrun.com runs scraper. |
| What is the difference between bulk mode and the default mode? | Bulk mode uses a lighter API endpoint that returns fewer fields per game but is faster and better suited for collecting large catalogs. Turn bulk mode off to get the full game object with all metadata. |
| Do I need a Speedrun.com account or API key? | No. The Actor reads the public API endpoints that do not require authentication. You can start scraping immediately. |
| How many games can I collect in one run? | Free Apify users are limited to 10 items as a preview. Paid users can set maxItems up to 1,000,000, which covers the entire Speedrun.com game directory. |
| What does the abbreviation filter do? | Every game on Speedrun.com has a unique abbreviation slug, like 'sms' for Super Mario Sunshine. Enter that slug to retrieve exactly one game record. |
| Can I combine the name search and abbreviation filter? | Yes. Both filters are optional and can be used together. The API applies them as query parameters, so results must match all provided filters. |
| What export formats are supported? | The Actor outputs to CSV, JSON, Excel, and XML. You choose the format in the Apify dataset settings after the run completes. |
| Is the data live or cached? | The Actor calls the Speedrun.com API directly on each run, so you always receive the current game directory as it exists at that moment. |
| Can I schedule this Actor to run daily? | Yes. Apify supports scheduled runs. Set it to run once a day to track new game additions to the Speedrun.com directory. |
| What happens if I set maxItems higher than the number of matching games? | The Actor stops when it has collected all available matches. You will not get duplicate rows or errors; the dataset contains every game that met your filters. |

### Related actors

Browse the full [ParseForge collection](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp) for more scrapers.

🆘 **Need help?** Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ **Disclaimer.** This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Speedrun.com. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.

# Actor input Schema

## `bulk` (type: `boolean`):

When true, use the lighter bulk payload. Faster, fewer fields per game.

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

Free users are limited to 10 items (preview). Paid users can collect up to 1,000,000 items.

## `name` (type: `string`):

Optional name substring search.

## `abbreviation` (type: `string`):

Optional game abbreviation slug.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "bulk": true,
  "maxItems": 10
}
```

# 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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "maxItems": 10
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/speedrun-com-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 = { "maxItems": 10 }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/speedrun-com-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 '{
  "maxItems": 10
}' |
apify call parseforge/speedrun-com-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parseforge/speedrun-com-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/oM32cvnO9t0VuVZ5E/builds/bym5z7cabEa0PO8Yg/openapi.json