SKILL.md

Market Research

Name: apify-market-research
Author: apify

Conduct market research using Apify Actors to extract data from multiple platforms.

Prerequisites

(No need to check it upfront)

.env file with APIFY_TOKEN

Node.js 20.6+ (for native --env-file support)

mcpc CLI tool: npm install -g @apify/mcpc

Workflow

Copy this checklist and track progress:

Task Progress:

- [ ] Step 1: Identify market research type (select Actor)

- [ ] Step 2: Fetch Actor schema via mcpc

- [ ] Step 3: Ask user preferences (format, filename)

- [ ] Step 4: Run the analysis script

- [ ] Step 5: Summarize findings

Step 1: Identify Market Research Type

Select the appropriate Actor based on research needs:

User Need	Actor ID	Best For
Market density	`compass/crawler-google-places`	Location analysis
Geospatial analysis	`compass/google-maps-extractor`	Business mapping
Regional interest	`apify/google-trends-scraper`	Trend data
Pricing and demand	`apify/facebook-marketplace-scraper`	Market pricing
Event market	`apify/facebook-events-scraper`	Event analysis
Consumer needs	`apify/facebook-groups-scraper`	Group research
Market landscape	`apify/facebook-pages-scraper`	Business pages
Business density	`apify/facebook-page-contact-information`	Contact data
Cultural insights	`apify/facebook-photos-scraper`	Visual research
Niche targeting	`apify/instagram-hashtag-scraper`	Hashtag research
Hashtag stats	`apify/instagram-hashtag-stats`	Market sizing
Market activity	`apify/instagram-reel-scraper`	Activity analysis
Market intelligence	`apify/instagram-scraper`	Full data
Product launch research	`apify/instagram-api-scraper`	API access
Hospitality market	`voyager/booking-scraper`	Hotel data
Tourism insights	`maxcopell/tripadvisor-reviews`	Review analysis

Step 2: Fetch Actor Schema

Fetch the Actor's input schema and details dynamically using mcpc:

export $(grep APIFY_TOKEN .env | xargs) && mcpc --json mcp.apify.com --header "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN" tools-call fetch-actor-details actor:="ACTOR_ID" | jq -r ".content"

Replace ACTOR_ID with the selected Actor (e.g., compass/crawler-google-places).

This returns:

Actor description and README

Required and optional input parameters

Output fields (if available)

Step 3: Ask User Preferences

Before running, ask:

Output format:

Quick answer - Display top few results in chat (no file saved)

CSV - Full export with all fields

JSON - Full export in JSON format

Number of results: Based on character of use case

Step 4: Run the Script

Quick answer (display in chat, no file):

node --env-file=.env ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/reference/scripts/run_actor.js \

  --actor "ACTOR_ID" \

  --input 'JSON_INPUT'

CSV:

node --env-file=.env ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/reference/scripts/run_actor.js \

  --actor "ACTOR_ID" \

  --input 'JSON_INPUT' \

  --output YYYY-MM-DD_OUTPUT_FILE.csv \

  --format csv

JSON:

node --env-file=.env ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/reference/scripts/run_actor.js \

  --actor "ACTOR_ID" \

  --input 'JSON_INPUT' \

  --output YYYY-MM-DD_OUTPUT_FILE.json \

  --format json

Step 5: Summarize Findings

After completion, report:

Number of results found

File location and name

Key market insights

Suggested next steps (deeper analysis, validation)

Error Handling

APIFY_TOKEN not found - Ask user to create .env with APIFY_TOKEN=your_token

mcpc not found - Ask user to install npm install -g @apify/mcpc

Actor not found - Check Actor ID spelling

Run FAILED - Ask user to check Apify console link in error output

Timeout - Reduce input size or increase --timeout

apify-market-research