---
title: "Developer docs · Scrape.ly"
description: "Use Actors or build your own: guides, the HTTP API, API clients, MCP, the JavaScript and Python SDKs, and the CLI."
url: https://scrape.ly/docs
markdown: https://scrape.ly/docs.md
---

# Scrape.ly developer docs

> Use Actors or build your own: guides, the HTTP API, API clients, MCP, the JavaScript and Python SDKs, and the CLI.

Every page below is Markdown, with absolute links between pages. "Try it" blocks in the API pages are `api-test` fences holding the request as JSON.

## Start here

### Use Actors

For teams who need data. Find a ready-made Actor in the Store, run it from the dashboard, API, or an AI agent, and take the results wherever you need them.

1. Start here: [Use Actors](https://scrape.ly/docs/use-actors.md)
2. Find an Actor in the Store: [Find Actors in the Store](https://scrape.ly/docs/store.md)
3. Run it and set its input: [Run Actors](https://scrape.ly/docs/run-actors.md)
4. Get and export the results: [Results & exports](https://scrape.ly/docs/results.md)
5. Automate runs, alerts, and webhooks: [Automations](https://scrape.ly/docs/automations.md)
6. Saved inputs, schedules, webhooks, and connected accounts: [Tasks, schedules & webhooks](https://scrape.ly/docs/integrations.md)
7. Call Actors from your code: [JavaScript client](https://scrape.ly/docs/client-js.md)
8. Connect AI agents over MCP: [MCP server](https://scrape.ly/docs/mcp.md)
9. Billing, usage, and limits: [Account & billing](https://scrape.ly/docs/account.md)
10. Create scoped API keys: [API keys & permissions](https://scrape.ly/docs/api-keys.md)

### Build Actors

For developers and creators. Write an Actor with the JavaScript or Python SDK, deploy it with the CLI, then publish it to the Store and earn from every run.

1. Start here: ship your first Actor: [Quick start](https://scrape.ly/docs/quickstart.md)
2. Follow the learning path: [Learning path](https://scrape.ly/docs/academy.md)
3. Learn how Actors work: [How Actors work](https://scrape.ly/docs/actors.md)
4. Store data and use proxies: [Storage](https://scrape.ly/docs/storage.md)
5. Run browsers on the Scrape.ly browser: [Scrape.ly Browser](https://scrape.ly/docs/browser.md)
6. Call AI models with the LLM gateway: [LLM gateway](https://scrape.ly/docs/llm-gateway.md)
7. Write it with the JavaScript or Python SDK: [JavaScript SDK](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-node.md)
8. Deploy and manage it with the CLI: [CLI reference](https://scrape.ly/docs/cli.md)
9. Publish and monetize it: [Publish & monetize](https://scrape.ly/docs/publishing.md)

### API reference

For both. Every REST endpoint, with a live console to try them.

1. Authentication, errors, and limits: [API overview](https://scrape.ly/docs/api-overview.md)
2. Run an Actor over HTTP: [API guide](https://scrape.ly/docs/api.md)

## Use Actors

Find Actors in the Store, run them, get results, and automate.

- [Use Actors](https://scrape.ly/docs/use-actors.md): Start here: find, run, and automate ready-made Actors, and what runs cost.
- [Find Actors in the Store](https://scrape.ly/docs/store.md): Search the Store, compare pricing models, and read reviews before you run.
- [Run Actors](https://scrape.ly/docs/run-actors.md): Start runs from the dashboard, API, clients, or CLI, with input, run options, and limits.
- [AI chat](https://scrape.ly/docs/ai-chat.md): Describe the data you need: the chat finds an Actor, runs it, and summarizes the results. When it asks for approval, and how it handles prompt injection.
- [Results & exports](https://scrape.ly/docs/results.md): View, export, download, and share run results, and how long they are kept.
- [Automations](https://scrape.ly/docs/automations.md): Run Actors on a schedule or after another run, get Slack, Discord, email, Google Sheets, or webhook messages when a run finishes, filter the results, and add an AI step.
- [Tasks, schedules & webhooks](https://scrape.ly/docs/integrations.md): Saved inputs, cron schedules, webhook and message reference, CI rebuilds, and connected accounts.

## API clients

Call Scrape.ly from your own JavaScript or Python app.

- [JavaScript client](https://scrape.ly/docs/client-js.md): Call the Scrape.ly API from Node.js or the browser with scrapely-client.
- [Python client](https://scrape.ly/docs/client-python.md): Sync and async Python client for running Actors and reading results.

## MCP & AI agents

Give Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients access to Actors.

- [MCP server](https://scrape.ly/docs/mcp.md): Connect Claude, Cursor, VS Code, and other MCP clients to Actors, runs, and storage.
- [Pay with x402](https://scrape.ly/docs/x402.md): Let AI agents pay per request with USDC on Base instead of an API token.

## Account & billing

Plans, credits, usage, limits, API keys, and notifications.

- [Account & billing](https://scrape.ly/docs/account.md): Plans, credits, usage, limits, and your API key.
- [API keys & permissions](https://scrape.ly/docs/api-keys.md): Create many API keys, limit them with scopes, resources, IPs, and spending caps, and revoke them.
- [Notifications](https://scrape.ly/docs/notifications.md): What Scrape.ly notifies you about, on which channel, and how to configure it.

## Build Actors

Ship your first Actor, then learn builds, runs, storage, proxies, the browser, AI models, and security.

- [Quick start](https://scrape.ly/docs/quickstart.md): Install the CLI, build an Actor from a template, deploy it, and get your first results.
- [Learning path](https://scrape.ly/docs/academy.md): The order to read the Build docs in, with walkthroughs from a first Actor to a paid listing.
- [How Actors work](https://scrape.ly/docs/actors.md): Lifecycle, input schema, versions, builds, runs, and Standby.
- [Storage](https://scrape.ly/docs/storage.md): Datasets, key-value stores, and request queues, with retention rules and limits.
- [Proxy](https://scrape.ly/docs/proxy.md): Managed residential and datacenter proxies, your own proxies, and how browsers fit in.
- [Scrape.ly Browser](https://scrape.ly/docs/browser.md): Run Playwright and Puppeteer on the hosted anti-bot browser: turn it on per Actor, set its location, and see what it costs.
- [LLM gateway](https://scrape.ly/docs/llm-gateway.md): Call OpenRouter models from a run with its run token: endpoints, pricing, holds, limits, and errors.
- [Security](https://scrape.ly/docs/security.md): API and run tokens, secrets, Actor permissions, data isolation, and webhook safety.

## JavaScript SDK

The JavaScript and TypeScript SDK for writing Actors.

- [JavaScript SDK](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-node.md): Build Actors in Node.js: get the SDK, imports, and a minimal Actor.
- [Lifecycle](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-node-lifecycle.md): Start, exit, fail, and initialize an Actor, with exit codes and local runs.
- [Input & output](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-node-input-output.md): Read Actor input and write results to datasets and key-value stores.
- [Storages & Crawlee](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-node-storages.md): Open datasets, key-value stores, and request queues, and run Crawlee crawlers.
- [Proxy & events](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-node-proxy-events.md): Platform proxy, Scrape.ly browser location, platform events, state, and reboots.
- [Actors & webhooks](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-node-actors.md): Call, start, abort, and metamorph Actors, add webhooks, and charge per event.
- [Environment](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-node-environment.md): Injected variables, configuration, the Scrape.ly browser, and the API client.
- [Standby mode](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-node-standby.md): Run an Actor as a long-lived HTTP service.
- [Errors & deployment](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-node-deploy.md): Fix common SDK errors, then test and deploy your Actor.
- [API reference](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-node-reference.md): Every Actor member and root export of the JavaScript SDK.

## Python SDK

The async Python SDK, preinstalled in Scrape.ly images.

- [Python SDK](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-python.md): Build Python Actors with the SDK preinstalled in Scrape.ly images.
- [Lifecycle](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-python-lifecycle.md): Initialize, exit, and fail Actors, and handle signals.
- [Input & output](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-python-input-output.md): Read input, including secrets, and write results to default storage.
- [Storages](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-python-storages.md): Open datasets, key-value stores, and request queues, locally or in the cloud.
- [Events & state](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-python-events.md): Platform events, state persistence, reboot, and status messages.
- [Actors & webhooks](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-python-actors.md): Call Actors, metamorph, add webhooks, charge events, and use API clients.
- [Environment & proxy](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-python-environment.md): Run environment, Scrape.ly browser, platform proxy, and HTTP serving.
- [Errors & deployment](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-python-deploy.md): Exceptions, troubleshooting, Dockerfiles, and testing.
- [API reference](https://scrape.ly/docs/sdk-python-reference.md): Every Actor method, option class, and root export.

## CLI

Create, push, run, and manage Actors from your terminal.

- [CLI reference](https://scrape.ly/docs/cli.md): Install the Scrape.ly CLI and see every command at a glance.
- [Authentication](https://scrape.ly/docs/cli-auth.md): Log in, manage tokens, and control which credentials and API the CLI uses.
- [Projects & running](https://scrape.ly/docs/cli-projects.md): Create, initialize, validate, push, pull, and run Actor projects.
- [Storage management](https://scrape.ly/docs/cli-storage.md): Read and write datasets and key-value stores, and inspect request queues.
- [Actor management](https://scrape.ly/docs/cli-actors.md): List, search, inspect, call, start, and delete Actors from the terminal.
- [Actor runtime](https://scrape.ly/docs/cli-actor-runtime.md): Commands for use inside a running Actor: input, output, storage, and charging.
- [Runs & builds](https://scrape.ly/docs/cli-runs-builds.md): Follow, wait for, abort, and manage runs and builds.
- [Tasks & schedules](https://scrape.ly/docs/cli-tasks-schedules.md): Run and publish saved tasks, and manage schedules and automations through the API.
- [Secrets, webhooks & API](https://scrape.ly/docs/cli-webhooks-secrets.md): Manage local secrets, configure webhooks, and call any API endpoint.
- [Config, CI/CD & troubleshooting](https://scrape.ly/docs/cli-config.md): Help, upgrades, config files, environment variables, CI/CD, and common fixes.

## Publish & monetize

List your Actor in the Store, set pricing, and get paid.

- [Publish & monetize](https://scrape.ly/docs/publishing.md): Store listings, pay-per-event pricing, charging from the SDKs, earnings, and reviews.

## API

Every REST endpoint, with a live console to try them.

- [API overview](https://scrape.ly/docs/api-overview.md): Base URL, authentication, token types, errors, rate limits, size limits, and API clients.
- [API guide](https://scrape.ly/docs/api.md): Authenticate, start a run, wait for it, and fetch the results with curl.
- [Actors](https://scrape.ly/docs/api-actors.md): Create, run, version, build, and publish Actors, plus CI and Store endpoints.
- [Actor runs](https://scrape.ly/docs/api-runs.md): List, inspect, abort, metamorph, resurrect, charge, and read logs and storages of runs.
- [Actor tasks](https://scrape.ly/docs/api-tasks.md): Saved inputs and run options, synchronous task runs, and published example tasks.
- [Datasets](https://scrape.ly/docs/api-datasets.md): Create datasets, push items, and export them as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, or RSS.
- [Key-value stores](https://scrape.ly/docs/api-key-value-stores.md): Store and read records by key, list keys, download a ZIP, and share signed URLs.
- [Request queues](https://scrape.ly/docs/api-request-queues.md): Add, lock, and update crawl requests so several workers can share one queue.
- [Automations](https://scrape.ly/docs/api-automations.md): Create and run automations: triggers, steps, filters, the AI step, deliveries, webhooks listed as automations, run history, and AI step costs.
- [Webhooks](https://scrape.ly/docs/api-webhooks.md): HTTP notifications for run and build events, with payloads, retries, and delivery logs.
- [Schedules](https://scrape.ly/docs/api-schedules.md): Run Actors and tasks on a cron schedule, as a view of your automations, and read each schedule log.
- [Users](https://scrape.ly/docs/api-users.md): Current user, profile, limits, plan and balance, usage, settings, and API key.
- [Store, reviews & issues](https://scrape.ly/docs/api-store.md): Search Store Actors, the public Store API, reviews, issues, and page views.
- [Earnings & monetization](https://scrape.ly/docs/api-earnings.md): Earnings, payouts, and monetization, acquisition, and debugging insights.
- [Messages & notifications](https://scrape.ly/docs/api-messaging.md): Direct messages, conversations, and dashboard notifications.
- [Search, alerts & utilities](https://scrape.ly/docs/api-misc.md): Health and auth checks, search, Actor alerts, bookmarks, templates, and integrations.
- [Standby mode](https://scrape.ly/docs/api-standby.md): Serve HTTP from a warm Actor container, with autoscaling, billing, and errors.