Google Scholar: scrapers and the official API, compared

Route map

Each line is one way to get Google Scholar data; each stop is a field you probably need. Green lines are catalogue Actors, ranked by the published formula.

Field matrix: who returns what

Every tool with a published output schema, against the 6 fields most Google Scholar jobs need. A dot means the field name appears in the schema; rows can still leave it empty.

Field dictionary: the exact keys

The same core field has a different key in each Actor's output. Map these before you merge datasets; a dash means the published schema has no matching key. Need a field that is not listed here, such as email? Search every Google Scholar Actor by field.

All 9 tools, scored

Catalogue Actors link to their detail pages; the score (0 to 100) is the published formula, identical for every tool. Other Store tools follow in their own table, for reference. Price is the published primary-result rate per 1,000 (the Free-plan rate where the price is tiered; higher Apify plans pay less); start events and platform usage are excluded.

Other Store tools, for reference

Scored with the same published formula and listed for comparison only; this site does not link or recommend them.

Official API route

Terms and personal data

Google Scholar asks automated software to respect robots.txt; paper metadata only, full texts belong to publishers. This is general information, not legal advice.

Read Google Scholar's terms. Keep to public data, do not bypass logins or access controls, and check whether personal data is involved before you collect it. The can-I-scrape checklist walks through it.

How to start

1. Open Google Scholar Paper & Citation Search Scraper and start from its default input; its Actor page has the full example input and code.
2. Set the Google Scholar search, profile, listing or URL you need and a result limit.
3. Run it and export the dataset as JSON, CSV or Excel, or call it from the Apify API.

Call Google Scholar Paper & Citation Search Scraper from code

The example input uses the Actor's published defaults; set your own Google Scholar query before you run it. You need an Apify API token.

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>")
run_input = {
    "mode": "search",
    "queries": [
        "attention is all you need"
    ],
    "maxItems": 3,
    "sortBy": "relevance",
    "filter": "all",
    "articleType": "any",
    "titleOnly": False,
    "includeCitationFormats": False,
    "includePaperDetails": False
}

run = client.actor("dataspryva/google-scholar-paper-and-citation-search-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)
if run is None:
    raise RuntimeError("The Actor run was not found.")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

import { ApifyClient } from "apify-client";

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: "<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>" });
const input = {
    "mode": "search",
    "queries": [
        "attention is all you need"
    ],
    "maxItems": 3,
    "sortBy": "relevance",
    "filter": "all",
    "articleType": "any",
    "titleOnly": false,
    "includeCitationFormats": false,
    "includePaperDetails": false
};

const run = await client.actor("dataspryva/google-scholar-paper-and-citation-search-scraper").call(input);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/dataspryva~google-scholar-paper-and-citation-search-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items"   -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN"   -H "Content-Type: application/json"   -d '{"mode":"search","queries":["attention is all you need"],"maxItems":3,"sortBy":"relevance","filter":"all","articleType":"any","titleOnly":false,"includeCitationFormats":false,"includePaperDetails":false}'

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=dataspryva/google-scholar-paper-and-citation-search-scraper",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Questions people ask

More on Google Scholar

• Topic groupNews, research and reference data: every website compared
• ToolWhich Google Scholar route fits your job?
• ToolGoogle Scholar cost by Apify plan, rows and runs

Related websites

• Google Patents1 Actor
• Google Search4 Actors
• Wikipedia1 Actor

Sources

• Google Scholar Paper & Citation Search Scraper on Apify Store
• No official Google Scholar API documentation
• Google Scholar terms