# McMaster-Carr Product Scraper (`parseforge/mcmaster-carr-scraper`) Actor

Scrapes McMaster-Carr product data by keyword search across the public catalog. Returns part numbers, prices, specs, and source URLs as flat rows.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/mcmaster-carr-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Automation, Developer tools, E-commerce
- **Features:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 20 total users, 2 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 1 bookmarks
- **User rating**: 5.00 out of 5 stars

## Pricing

from $11.99 / 1,000 result items

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?

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

[![ParseForge](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/main/banner-v4.webp)](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp)

### McMaster-Carr Product Scraper

**Scrape McMaster-Carr product data from any category or search, up to a million items per run.** Get part numbers, prices, specs, and source URLs in one flat schema. No login or API key. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

McMaster-Carr's catalog is huge, but there is no public API for pulling product data at scale. This Actor reads the public category sitemap directly, filters by keyword like 'bolts' or 'timing belts', and returns each matching product as a clean row. You get the data you need for sourcing, pricing, or catalog sync without writing any code.

| Who uses it | What they scrape McMaster-Carr for |
|---|---|
| Procurement managers | Build a price list of McMaster-Carr parts for vendor comparison |
| Industrial engineers | Pull specs for components like bolts or timing belts into a design spreadsheet |
| E-commerce sellers | Monitor McMaster-Carr catalog for new products or price changes |
| Data analysts | Collect product data for market research on industrial supplies |

### What it does

This Actor collects McMaster-Carr product data by keyword search across the public catalog, and returns each product as a flat row with part numbers, prices, specs, and source URLs.

- 🔍 **Keyword search:** Filter categories by product name or part number, like 'bolts' or 'stainless'.
- 📊 **Flat output:** Each product is one row with part number, price, specs, and source URL.
- ⚙️ **Scalable runs:** Set maxItems from 1 to 1,000,000 to control how many products you collect.
- 📁 **Multiple exports:** Download as CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML for easy integration.

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

### What you can do with McMaster-Carr data

**📋 Build a price list for sourcing.**

A procurement manager runs the Actor with searchQuery 'bolts' and maxItems 1000 to get current prices and part numbers for vendor comparison.

**🔧 Pull specs for engineering design.**

An industrial engineer collects data on 'timing belts' to get dimensions and material specs into a CAD or spreadsheet workflow.

**📈 Monitor catalog changes.**

An e-commerce seller schedules weekly runs with searchQuery 'stainless' to track new products or price updates on McMaster-Carr.

**🧪 Gather data for market research.**

A data analyst scrapes the full catalog by leaving searchQuery empty and setting maxItems high to analyze industrial supply trends.

### Why choose this scraper

| | What you get |
|---|---|
| **No API key needed** | Scrape public McMaster-Carr data without registration or OAuth |
| **Keyword filtering** | Target specific products like 'bolts' or 'stainless' instead of the whole catalog |
| **Flat schema** | Every product is a single row, ready for spreadsheets or databases |
| **Flexible volume** | Collect from 1 to 1,000,000 products per run |

### How it compares

This Actor focuses on keyword-based category scraping from the McMaster-Carr sitemap, while competitors offer different depths of product detail.

| Feature | ParseForge | McMaster-Carr Scraper - Part Numbers, Prices & Specs | McMaster-Carr Product Scraper | McMaster-Carr Scraper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keyword search filtering | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Category sitemap scraping | Yes | Not listed | Yes | Not listed |
| Part numbers | Yes | Yes | Not listed | Yes |
| Prices | Yes | Yes | Not listed | Yes |
| Full spec detail pages | Not listed | Yes | Not listed | Yes |
| Tiered quantity pricing | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Yes |

### Configure the run

Drive the Actor with a searchQuery like 'bolts' or 'timing belts', and set maxItems to limit how many products are collected per run. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

```json
{
 "maxItems": 10,
 "searchQuery": "bolts"
}
```

A larger pull:

```json
{
 "maxItems": 200,
 "searchQuery": "bolts"
}
```

### Pricing

Pay-per-result: **$0.01599 per result** collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $1.60 |
| 1,000 results | $15.99 |
| 10,000 results | $159.90 |

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 [McMaster-Carr Product Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/mcmaster-carr-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 McMaster-Carr 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/mcmaster-carr-scraper"
```

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

### Troubleshooting

**Why am I getting no results?**

Your searchQuery may be too specific. Try a broader keyword like 'bolt' instead of 'hex bolt 1/4-20', or leave searchQuery empty to get all categories.

**Why is the run slow?**

Large maxItems values can take time. Reduce maxItems or narrow your searchQuery to speed up the run.

**Why are some products missing data?**

Not all products have the same fields on McMaster-Carr. Missing data is normal for products without certain specs or prices.

**Can I scrape product detail pages?**

This Actor is designed for category-level data. For full spec tables from detail pages, use a dedicated McMaster-Carr product scraper.

### FAQ

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need a McMaster-Carr account or API key? | No. This Actor scrapes the public catalog sitemap, so no login or API key is required. |
| What data does this Actor return? | It returns product data including part numbers, prices, specifications, and source URLs, depending on what is available on the public pages. |
| Can I scrape the entire McMaster-Carr catalog? | Yes. Leave searchQuery empty and set maxItems to a high number like 1,000,000 to collect all categories. |
| How do I filter for specific products? | Use the searchQuery field with a keyword like 'bolts' or 'timing belts'. The Actor filters categories before collecting products. |
| What export formats are supported? | You can export the results as CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML from the Apify dataset. |
| Is this Actor legal to use? | You should only scrape public data in accordance with McMaster-Carr's terms of service and applicable laws. Apify is not responsible for how you use the data. |
| How many products can I scrape in one run? | You can set maxItems from 1 to 1,000,000. The actual number depends on the searchQuery and available products. |
| Does this Actor scrape product detail pages? | This Actor focuses on category-level data from the sitemap. For full spec tables from detail pages, consider a dedicated product scraper. |
| Can I schedule this Actor to run automatically? | Yes, you can set up a schedule in Apify to run it daily, weekly, or at any interval. |
| What if I get no results? | Check your searchQuery. Try a broader keyword or leave it empty to get all categories. Also ensure maxItems is high enough. |

### 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 McMaster-Carr Supply Company. 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

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

How many products to collect per run.

## `searchQuery` (type: `string`):

Filter categories by keyword. Leave empty to get all categories. Examples: 'bolts', 'timing belts', 'stainless'.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "maxItems": 10,
  "searchQuery": "bolts"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (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,
    "searchQuery": "bolts"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/mcmaster-carr-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,
    "searchQuery": "bolts",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/mcmaster-carr-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,
  "searchQuery": "bolts"
}' |
apify call parseforge/mcmaster-carr-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parseforge/mcmaster-carr-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/WfdB97vLvjB5GO6Sg/builds/GqFz4tydcOU3geZtO/openapi.json