Apify consultants

Q: Can we automate web scraping on a schedule?

Yes. Apify supports scheduled runs for any Actor. You set a cron schedule (hourly, daily, weekly), and Apify runs the scraping task automatically, storing the results in its built-in dataset storage. We connect these scheduled runs to n8n workflows that pick up new data, process it, and push it to your CRM, database, or reporting tool without any manual intervention.

We can help you automate your business with Apify and hundreds of other systems to improve efficiency and productivity. Get in touch if you’d like to discuss implementing Apify.

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About Apify

Apify is a web scraping and browser automation platform that lets you extract data from websites, automate browser-based tasks, and run headless browser scripts in the cloud. It provides a library of pre-built scrapers (called Actors) for popular sites like Google Maps, Instagram, Amazon, and LinkedIn, plus the ability to build custom scrapers in JavaScript or Python. Results are delivered via API, webhooks, or direct download in formats like JSON, CSV, and Excel.

The problem Apify solves is manual data collection from the web. If your team spends time copying information from websites into spreadsheets, monitoring competitor pricing, gathering business listings, or collecting public reviews, Apify automates that work. It runs scraping tasks on a schedule, handles pagination and anti-bot measures, and delivers clean, structured data ready for analysis or import into your business systems.

At Osher, we use Apify as a data source within larger automated workflows built in n8n. A typical setup runs an Apify Actor on a schedule, collects the scraped data via API, transforms it into the right format, and loads it into your CRM, database, or analytics tool automatically. We have built Apify-powered pipelines for competitor price monitoring, lead generation from Google Maps listings, and market research data collection. If you need to extract data from the web at scale, our automated data processing team can design a scraping pipeline that feeds directly into your existing systems. See our BOM weather data pipeline case study for an example of how we build data extraction workflows.

Apify FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about how Apify consultants can help with integration and implementation

What does Apify actually do?

Apify is a cloud platform for web scraping and browser automation. It runs headless browsers in the cloud that visit websites, extract structured data, and return the results via API or downloadable files. It includes a library of pre-built scrapers for popular sites (Google Maps, Amazon, Instagram, LinkedIn) and tools for building custom scrapers for any website. Everything runs on Apify’s infrastructure, so you do not need to manage servers or proxy networks.

What is an Apify Actor?

An Actor is Apify’s term for a cloud-based scraping or automation script. Each Actor is designed for a specific task: scraping Google search results, extracting business listings from Google Maps, collecting product data from an e-commerce site, or automating a browser-based workflow. You configure an Actor with your parameters (search terms, URLs, geographic filters), run it, and collect the structured output. There are thousands of community-built Actors available, and you can build custom ones in JavaScript or Python.

How does Apify handle anti-bot measures on websites?

Apify provides built-in proxy rotation, browser fingerprint management, and request throttling to handle common anti-bot protections. It can rotate IP addresses across residential and data centre proxies, randomise browser headers and cookies, and manage request timing to avoid triggering rate limits. For heavily protected sites, Apify supports full browser rendering with Puppeteer or Playwright to handle JavaScript-heavy pages.

Can we automate web scraping on a schedule?

Is web scraping legal in Australia?

Scraping publicly available data is generally permissible, but there are important considerations around privacy laws, terms of service, and the nature of the data being collected. We always review the specific use case and target websites with our clients before building a scraping solution, ensuring that data collection practices comply with the Australian Privacy Act and relevant regulations.

How would Osher set up Apify for our data collection needs?

We start by understanding what data you need, where it lives on the web, how often it needs to be refreshed, and where it needs to go in your systems. Then we select or build the right Apify Actors, configure scheduling, and create n8n workflows that process and deliver the scraped data to your CRM, database, or analytics tools. Our system integration team handles the full pipeline from extraction through to delivery and monitoring.

How it works

We work hand-in-hand with you to implement Apify

As Apify consultants we work with you hand in hand build more efficient and effective operations. Here’s how we will work with you to automate your business and integrate Apify with integrate and automate 800+ tools.

Step 1

Process Audit

We review your current data collection methods: which websites your team manually gathers data from, how often that data needs refreshing, what format it needs to be in, and where it gets used in your business. We also assess the target websites for technical complexity and any anti-bot measures in place.

Step 2

Identify Automation Opportunities

Based on the audit, we identify which data collection tasks can be automated with Apify. We prioritise by volume and frequency: data you collect daily or weekly from structured sources like directories, marketplaces, or search results are prime candidates. We also assess whether existing Apify Actors cover your needs or if custom scrapers are required.

Step 3

Design Workflows

We design the scraping pipeline: which Apify Actors to use, what parameters to configure, how to schedule runs, and how the n8n workflow processes and delivers the scraped data. We define data transformation steps (cleaning, deduplication, formatting) and specify the destination systems where the data will be loaded.

Step 4

Implementation

We set up the Apify Actors with your specific configurations, create the scheduled runs, and build the n8n workflow that collects results via the Apify API, transforms the data, and loads it into your destination systems. We configure error handling, retry logic, and alerting for failed scraping runs.

Step 5

Quality Assurance Review

We run test scrapes and verify data quality: checking that all expected fields are captured, data is properly formatted, deduplication works correctly, and the data lands in your destination systems accurately. We also test error handling by simulating common failure scenarios like website structure changes and rate limiting.

Step 6

Support and Maintenance

After launch, we monitor scraping success rates and data quality. When target websites change their structure (which happens regularly), we update the Apify Actor configurations. We also adjust schedules and parameters as your data collection needs evolve, and handle any issues with proxy rotation or anti-bot measures.

Transform your business with Apify

Unlock hidden efficiencies, reduce errors, and position your business for scalable growth. Contact us to arrange a no-obligation Apify consultation.

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