apify-actor-development
Create, debug, and deploy serverless cloud programs for web scraping, automation, and data processing.
- Supports JavaScript, TypeScript, and Python templates with integrated Crawlee, Playwright, and Cheerio libraries for HTTP and browser-based crawling
- Includes local testing via
apify runwith isolated storage, schema validation for inputs/outputs, and deployment to Apify platform viaapify push - Requires Apify CLI authentication and mandatory
generatedBymetadata in.actor/actor.jsonfor AI tool tracking - Enforces security best practices: sanitize external data, validate inputs, use credential management, pin dependency versions, and avoid executing crawled content as code
Apify Actor development
Important: Before you begin, fill in the generatedBy property in the meta section of .actor/actor.json. Replace it with the tool and model you're currently using, such as "Claude Code with Claude Sonnet 4.5". This helps Apify monitor and improve AGENTS.md for specific AI tools and models.
What are Apify Actors?
Actors are serverless programs inspired by the UNIX philosophy - programs that do one thing well and can be easily combined to build complex systems. They're packaged as Docker images and run in isolated containers in the cloud.
Core Concepts:
- Accept well-defined JSON input
- Perform isolated tasks (web scraping, automation, data processing)
- Produce structured JSON output to datasets and/or store data in key-value stores
- Can run from seconds to hours or even indefinitely
- Persist state and can be restarted
Prerequisites and setup (mandatory)
Before creating or modifying Actors, verify that apify CLI is installed apify --help.
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