Scrape Leads and Data with Apify in Claude

• By Praveen Jha · Updated 2026-10-23 · 6 min read · Developer & MCP tools

Set up the Apify MCP server inside Claude, then pull leads, Google Maps data, social posts and SERP results - all from a normal chat, with no code.

You → Claude → Apify MCP Server → Apify Actors (scrapers) → Structured data back in chat

What this guide gives a developer / operator

The two setup routes: API token (recommended) and OAuth custom connector.

• The exact enabled-tools value to paste during setup: actors,docs,apify/rag-web-browser.
• Eight ready use cases - leads, maps, social, prices, SEO/SERP, automation and brand monitoring.
• A copy-paste prompt library and a pre-flight checklist.

Time and cost: Setup takes a few minutes. You start on a free Apify account created at apify.com; scraping usage beyond the free tier is billed by Apify, not by Claude.

For: developers and operators handing this workflow to a team. By Praveen Jha | praveenjha.com

How it works

Apify is a scraping platform built around Actors - ready-made scrapers for websites, Google Maps, social platforms and search results. The Apify MCP server exposes those Actors to Claude as tools. You describe what you want in plain English; Claude picks and runs an Actor, and the results come back into the chat as structured data you can analyse, summarise or export.

Prerequisites

A free Apify account (sign up at apify.com).

Your Apify API token, from the Apify Console under API & Integrations.

Claude Desktop, signed in, with access to Customize → Connectors.

Setup - API token route

Step 1 - Create the Apify account

Create a free account at apify.com.

Step 2 - Copy your API token

In the Apify Console, go to API & Integrations and copy your API token. Treat this token like a password - see Token safety on page 6.

Step 3 - Open the connector directory in Claude

In Claude Desktop, go to Customize → Connectors → Browse connectors.

Step 4 - Install the Apify MCP server

Search for Apify MCP server and install it.

Setup, continued

Step 5 - Paste the token and set the enabled tools

Paste your API token, and set the enabled tools to exactly:

Copy-ready text

actors,docs,apify/rag-web-browser

What each tool group does: actors lets Claude find and run Apify scrapers; docs lets it read Apify documentation while it works; apify/rag-web-browser is the RAG Web Browser Actor used for web search and page scraping.

Step 6 - Enable and update

Enable the connector, and update it if Claude prompts you to.

Step 7 - Turn Apify on in the chat

In a chat, click "+", hover over Connectors and toggle on Apify. The connector only works in chats where it is toggled on.

Alternative route - OAuth custom connector

If you prefer not to paste an API token, use OAuth instead:

1. In Claude Desktop, go to Customize → Connectors → Add custom connector.
2. Enter the server URL:

Copy-ready text

https://mcp.apify.com

3. Authorize with OAuth when prompted, and sign in to Apify to approve access.

First test: In a chat with Apify toggled on, ask: "Find the latest news about autonomous AI agents and summarize the key developments." A working setup returns a summary built from live scraped results, not from model memory.

Eight things to do with it

Prompt library

Copy, paste and swap the bracketed parts. The first three are ready to use as written.

Web search and summaries

Copy-ready text

Find the latest news about autonomous AI agents and summarize the key
developments.

Local business and maps leads

Copy-ready text

Scrape the top 10 restaurants in Prague from Google Maps with their contact
details.

SEO and SERP analysis

Copy-ready text

Search for 'sustainable fashion brands' and extract the top 50 results with
titles, descriptions, and URLs.

Prompt library, continued

Social media data

Copy-ready text

Scrape the most recent posts from [Instagram profile / Facebook page] and
summarise the main themes, then list any comments asking about price or
availability.

Price monitoring

Copy-ready text

Scrape the current price and stock status for [product] on [store / marketplace]
and compare it with the competitor listings you find.

Lead generation and market research

Copy-ready text

Scrape [business type] in [city] from Google Maps. Return a table with business
name, phone, website and rating, and flag the ones with no website.

Brand monitoring

Copy-ready text

Search forums, review sites and social media for mentions of [brand] from the last
30 days and summarise the sentiment and the most common complaints.

Working pattern for any scrape

1. Scope it first: name the site or platform, the location or query, and the result count ("top 10", "top 50") so runs stay small and cheap while you test.
2. Ask for a table: request the fields you need (name, phone, website, rating, URL) so the output is ready to copy into a spreadsheet or CRM.
3. Then analyse: follow up in the same chat - deduplicate, filter, rank or summarise - before starting a bigger run.

Token safety

Your Apify API token is a credential. It controls your Apify account and its usage billing. Paste it only into the Apify MCP connector settings in Claude (or use the OAuth route and skip the token entirely). Never paste it into a chat message, a shared document or a screenshot. If it leaks, regenerate it in the Apify Console under API & Integrations and update the connector.

Troubleshooting

Pre-flight checklist

• [ ] Free Apify account created at apify.com
• [ ] API token copied from API & Integrations (or OAuth route chosen)
• [ ] Apify MCP server installed from Browse connectors
• [ ] Enabled tools set to actors,docs,apify/rag-web-browser
• [ ] Connector enabled and updated if prompted
• [ ] Apify toggled on in the chat via "+" → Connectors
• [ ] First test prompt returned live scraped results

Related guide: Praveen's Guide - Find Content Ideas with Claude - also uses Apify. Praveen Jha | praveenjha.com

Related pages

• Free AI guides (Resources)
• Learn AI
• Contact Praveen