# GitHub Repository Scraper - Stars, Forks, Topics & Activity (`feedforge/github-repo-scraper`) Actor

Scrape GitHub repositories by any search query. Stars, forks, language, topics, license and activity dates as JSON or CSV.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/feedforge/github-repo-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Dominik](https://apify.com/feedforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Lead generation
- **Features:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 3 total users, 2 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.20 / 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?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
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.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## 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.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## GitHub Repository Scraper - Stars, Forks, Topics & Activity

Extract GitHub repositories matching any search query, with stars, forks, topics, licence and activity dates.

### What you can do with it

- **Developer lead generation** - find maintainers and companies building in your space.
- **Technology trend research** - track adoption by language, topic or star growth.
- **Competitive intelligence** - monitor a competitor's public repos and release cadence.
- **Dependency and licence auditing** - pull licence data across many repos at once.
- **Feed an AI agent** - structured repo metadata with no HTML parsing.

### Input

Every field is optional. Run it with no configuration and it returns useful data
straight away.

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `search` | string | GitHub search syntax, e.g. 'stars:>1000 language:python' or 'topic:machine-learning pushed:>2026-01-01'. |
| `sort` | string | One of: stars, forks, updated. Default `stars`. |
| `maxItems` | integer | How many repos to return. GitHub caps any search at 1000 results. Default `200`. |
| `token` | string | Anonymous access is limited to 60 requests/hour. A personal access token raises this to 5,000/hour. Leave empty for small runs. |

### Output

Flat JSON records, exportable as JSON, CSV, Excel or XML. Fields the source does
not publish come back as `null` rather than being omitted, so your schema stays
stable between runs.

### Pricing

Pay per result. You are charged only for records actually delivered - a run that
matches nothing costs nothing.

### Keeping it fresh

Use Apify **Schedules** to run this on a timer and your dataset stays current
without you touching it. Add a webhook to push new records straight into your
database, Google Sheet or Slack channel.

### Reliability

This reads the source's own public API - no logins, no bot circumvention. That is
a deliberate choice: actors that depend on defeating bot protection break without
warning. This one does not.

# Actor input Schema

## `search` (type: `string`):

GitHub search syntax, e.g. 'stars:>1000 language:python' or 'topic:machine-learning pushed:>2026-01-01'.

## `sort` (type: `string`):

One of: stars, forks, updated.

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

How many repos to return. GitHub caps any search at 1000 results.

## `token` (type: `string`):

Anonymous access is limited to 60 requests/hour. A personal access token raises this to 5,000/hour. Leave empty for small runs.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "search": "stars:>5000 language:python",
  "sort": "stars",
  "maxItems": 200
}
```

# 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 = {
    "search": "stars:>5000 language:python"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("feedforge/github-repo-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 = { "search": "stars:>5000 language:python" }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("feedforge/github-repo-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 '{
  "search": "stars:>5000 language:python"
}' |
apify call feedforge/github-repo-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,feedforge/github-repo-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/TcYiuvYNNpVs0XzuT/builds/Fh7LLswetX0hL70aa/openapi.json