TikTok: scrapers and the official API, compared

Route map

Each line is one way to get TikTok 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 TikTok 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 8 fields most TikTok 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 TikTok Actor by field.

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

All 25 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

TikTok captions, creator details and engagement counts help teams track brand mentions, research content themes and follow audience responses. Choose a collection route around the question: keyword discovery finds candidate posts, mention tracking checks matches, and comment extraction captures discussion.

Authorized account work fits the Display APIs, while eligible academic projects can pursue Research API access. For public content collection, compare specialized tools for posts, hashtags, sounds and feeds; their outputs serve different research needs.

Checklist

• Separate keyword matches from account mentions. The mention monitor publishes matchReason and matchedTerm, while the verified mention tracker publishes targetUsername and mentionType.
• Check identifier and timestamp mappings before joining exports. Several published schemas use postId, createdAt and postUrl rather than video_id, posted_at and url.
• Match the output to the collection surface. Comment analysis needs reply relationships, sound research needs music identifiers, and feed comparisons need regional context such as observedRegion or marketRegion.

Where the data is incomplete

Preserve query, rank and regional context where available, and treat engagement counts as observations that can change after collection.

Official API route

Terms and personal data

Limit collection to public content and check TikTok's terms and applicable privacy rules before retaining or sharing creator and commenter information. Public visibility does not by itself establish permission to reuse videos or audio. This is general information, not legal advice.

Read TikTok'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. Enter a small selection of supported targets using the documented inputs, then start the collection.
2. Inspect the resulting dataset for identifiers, captions, authors, timestamps and engagement counts before exporting it in an available format.

Call TikTok Keyword & Brand Mention Monitor from code

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

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>")
run_input = {
    "keywords": [
        "coffee"
    ],
    "matchMode": "mentionsOnly",
    "datePosted": "anyTime",
    "sortBy": "relevance",
    "searchDepth": "keywordOnly",
    "maxResultsPerKeyword": 3,
    "searchCountry": "any",
    "onlyNewMentions": False,
    "monitorName": "default"
}

run = client.actor("dataspryva/tiktok-keyword-and-brand-mention-monitor").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 = {
    "keywords": [
        "coffee"
    ],
    "matchMode": "mentionsOnly",
    "datePosted": "anyTime",
    "sortBy": "relevance",
    "searchDepth": "keywordOnly",
    "maxResultsPerKeyword": 3,
    "searchCountry": "any",
    "onlyNewMentions": false,
    "monitorName": "default"
};

const run = await client.actor("dataspryva/tiktok-keyword-and-brand-mention-monitor").call(input);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/dataspryva~tiktok-keyword-and-brand-mention-monitor/run-sync-get-dataset-items"   -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN"   -H "Content-Type: application/json"   -d '{"keywords":["coffee"],"matchMode":"mentionsOnly","datePosted":"anyTime","sortBy":"relevance","searchDepth":"keywordOnly","maxResultsPerKeyword":3,"searchCountry":"any","onlyNewMentions":false,"monitorName":"default"}'

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=dataspryva/tiktok-keyword-and-brand-mention-monitor",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Video

See which TikTok posts really tagged your client

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Questions people ask

More on TikTok

• Ranked listBest TikTok scrapers on Apify: Actors ranked by fields and price
• Topic groupSocial media data: every website compared
• ToolWhich TikTok route fits your job?
• ToolTikTok cost by Apify plan, rows and runs

Related websites

• TikTok Ads Library1 Actor
• TikTok Shop0 Actors
• Instagram4 Actors

Sources

• TikTok Keyword & Brand Mention Monitor on Apify Store
• TikTok Post & Slideshow Detail Scraper on Apify Store
• TikTok Keyword Search & Discovery Scraper on Apify Store
• TikTok Verified Mention Tracker on Apify Store
• TikTok Hashtag Video Feed & Stats Extractor on Apify Store
• TikTok Sound Lookup: Metadata & Videos Using It on Apify Store
• TikTok APIs documentation
• TikTok terms