# Checkatrade Scraper (`vulnv/checkatrade`) Actor

Scrape Checkatrade business listings with this Apify actor. Extract data like company names, reviews, ratings, contact details, and more—ideal for lead generation, market research, or competitor analysis.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/vulnv/checkatrade.md
- **Developed by:** [VulnV](https://apify.com/vulnv) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation, Jobs, Other
- **Features:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 294 total users, 14 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 8 bookmarks
- **User rating**: 5.00 out of 5 stars

## Pricing

from $3.00 / 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?

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

## Checkatrade Scraper

The **Checkatrade Scraper** is a robust Apify actor that extracts detailed business listings from [Checkatrade.com](https://www.checkatrade.com). It gathers data on local tradespeople, including names, ratings, contact info, service descriptions, and more. Ideal for lead generation, competitive analysis, and directory building.

***

### Features

- **Business Details**: Extracts company name, location, logo, phone number, and trade profile URL.
- **Website & Social Media**: Intelligently extracts main business website and separates social media URLs (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc.).
- **Ratings & Reviews**: Collects average rating scores and service highlights.
- **Descriptions & Services**: Captures full company descriptions and services offered.
- **Trade Info**: Includes details like owner name, years on Checkatrade, and VAT registration.
- **Category & Location Filters**: Filter results by business category and target location.

***

### Input Schema

The actor accepts the following input parameters:

| Parameter              | Type      | Description                                                                                                     | Required | Default |
|------------------------|-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------|---------|
| `location`             | `string`  | The location to search for trades. Use formats like `city`, `postcode`, or `postcode area` (e.g. `GL`, `GL1`). | Yes      |         |
| `category`             | `string`  | Business category or subcategory to filter the listings.                                                        | Yes      | `2`     |
| `max_pages`            | `integer` | Maximum number of result pages to scrape. Set to `0` for no limit.                                             | No       | `0`     |
| `require_phone_number` | `boolean` | When enabled, only results that include a phone number (`contact.primary_phone`) are returned.                  | No       | `false` |

***

### Example Output

The actor returns structured results with rich business details, such as:

```json
{
  "name": "Build & Create Construction Ltd",
  "rating": "9.82",
  "phone_number": "02039594223",
  "area_served": "E6",
  "currencies_accepted": "GBP",
  "description": "Thank you for taking the time to look at the Checkatrade.com page for Build & Create Construction Ltd...",
  "website": "https://buildandcreate.co.uk",
  "social_media": [
    "https://www.facebook.com/buildandcreateltd",
    "https://www.instagram.com/buildandcreate"
  ],
  "trade_url": "https://www.checkatrade.com/trades/buildandcreateconstructionltd",
  "logo_url": "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/...",
  "location": "London",
  "trade_details": {
    "Owner": "Mr Clinton Ham",
    "Ltd Company": "11 years on Checkatrade",
    "VAT Registered": "Yes: 175113622"
  },
  "labels": [
    "Domestic Work",
    "Commercial Work",
    "Free Estimates",
    "Insurance Work Undertaken"
  ]
}
```

***

### How to Use

1. **Install the Actor**:
   - Add the actor from the Apify platform to your account.

2. **Configure Your Input**:
   - Enter a target `location` (e.g., `Bristol`, `SW1`, or `RG`).
   - Optionally filter by `category` using a category ID (e.g., `834` for waste clearance).

3. **Run the Actor**:
   - Start the actor and wait for it to scrape the listings.

4. **Access Your Results**:
   - View or download data in JSON, CSV, or Excel formats from the Apify dataset.

***

### Use Cases

- **Lead Generation**: Collect detailed business contacts in specific regions or categories, including main websites and social media profiles.
- **Market Research**: Analyze trade density, customer ratings, and service trends across different platforms.
- **Local Business Intelligence**: Track competitors, pricing approaches, and business presence both on main websites and social media.
- **SEO & Content**: Power directory websites or location-based service listings with verified data and social media links.
- **CRM Enrichment**: Integrate high-quality business leads with separated website and social media data into customer databases.

***

### Explore More Actors

✨ **Looking for something else?** Check out more actors on Apify that can help with your web automation and data extraction needs. Discover a wide range of tools tailored for different scenarios at 🌐 [Explore Vulnv's Actors on Apify](https://apify.com/vulnv).

📧 For inquiries or support, feel free to reach out to us at apify@vulnv.com.

# Actor input Schema

## `location` (type: `string`):

The location to search for trades. Use the format 'city' or 'postcode' or 'postcode area' (e.g., 'Gloucester', 'GL', 'GL1').

## `max_pages` (type: `integer`):

The maximum number of pages to scrape (each page contains up to 20 tradespeople). Set to 0 for no limit.

## `category` (type: `string`):

Select the business category or subcategory to filter results.

## `require_phone_number` (type: `boolean`):

When enabled, only results that include a phone number (contact.primary_phone) are returned.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "location": "e6 1ae",
  "max_pages": 1,
  "category": "2",
  "require_phone_number": false
}
```

# 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 = {
    "max_pages": 1
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("vulnv/checkatrade").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 = { "max_pages": 1 }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("vulnv/checkatrade").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 '{
  "max_pages": 1
}' |
apify call vulnv/checkatrade --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,vulnv/checkatrade"
        }
    }
}
```

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/ipvr4aPpM8aOgohJg/builds/rKBMQBxA2Bdepvqvo/openapi.json