MercadoLibre: scrapers and the official API, compared

Route map

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

Which route for which job

The catalogue Actors for MercadoLibre return different records. "Only this route" lists the published fields no other Actor in this table returns, which is usually what decides the choice. Cost is the published per-result rate; start events and platform usage are extra.

Field matrix: who returns what

Every tool with a published output schema, against the 6 fields most MercadoLibre 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 MercadoLibre Actor by field.

Download this comparison: CSV · JSON (every tool with a published schema, matching keys per core field, price and score).

All 12 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.

What to check before you choose

Retail teams use MercadoLibre data to follow competing offers, compare seller catalogs and study listing conditions across Latin America. Keep the marketplace country attached to the research scope so regional offers remain distinguishable.

Use the developer API for workflows that can accommodate authentication and site-specific behavior. Choose a public listing collector when its supported markets and published output match the catalog or price research you need.

Checklist

• Confirm support for each marketplace country you need, and check currency before comparing prices.
• Check how itemId, sellerName and itemUrl map to your required item_id, seller and url fields.
• Confirm whether the selected mode returns product, seller, review or question records. The published field list does not document all those record types.

Where the data is incomplete

The detailed schema lists listing attributes, but its field descriptions are blank. It does not explain how rank is defined or how recordType changes the structure of an output record.

Review and question collection appear in the stated coverage, but their output fields are not shown. No example dataset is supplied, so completeness across countries and record types remains unconfirmed.

Official API route

Terms and personal data

Limit collection to public listings and respect Mercado Libre's terms. This is general information, not legal advice.

Read MercadoLibre'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 MercadoLibre Multi-Country Marketplace Scraper and review its supported countries, collection modes and input requirements.
2. Choose a narrow product search or seller catalog through the supported inputs, then start a small collection.
3. Export the dataset and inspect itemId, title, price, currency and itemUrl, checking recordType before combining different kinds of records.

Call MercadoLibre Mexico Marketplace Price Scraper from code

The example input uses the Actor's published defaults; set your own MercadoLibre 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",
    "country": "MX",
    "searchQuery": "iphone",
    "startUrls": [],
    "productUrls": [],
    "condition": "any",
    "sort": "relevance",
    "freeShippingOnly": False,
    "includeDetails": False,
    "maxItems": 5
}

run = client.actor("dataspryva/mercadolibre-mexico-marketplace-price-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",
    "country": "MX",
    "searchQuery": "iphone",
    "startUrls": [],
    "productUrls": [],
    "condition": "any",
    "sort": "relevance",
    "freeShippingOnly": false,
    "includeDetails": false,
    "maxItems": 5
};

const run = await client.actor("dataspryva/mercadolibre-mexico-marketplace-price-scraper").call(input);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/dataspryva~mercadolibre-mexico-marketplace-price-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items"   -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN"   -H "Content-Type: application/json"   -d '{"mode":"search","country":"MX","searchQuery":"iphone","startUrls":[],"productUrls":[],"condition":"any","sort":"relevance","freeShippingOnly":false,"includeDetails":false,"maxItems":5}'

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=dataspryva/mercadolibre-mexico-marketplace-price-scraper",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Questions people ask

More on MercadoLibre

• Topic groupEcommerce data: every website compared
• ToolWhich MercadoLibre route fits your job?
• ToolMercadoLibre cost by Apify plan, rows and runs

Related websites

• Amazon12 Actors
• eBay4 Actors

Sources

• MercadoLibre Mexico Marketplace Price Scraper on Apify Store
• MercadoLibre Multi-Country Marketplace Scraper on Apify Store
• Mercado Libre Developers API documentation
• MercadoLibre terms