Trend Analysis

Discover and track emerging trends 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 trend 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 Trend Type

Select the appropriate Actor based on research needs:

User Need

Actor ID

Best For

Search trends

apify/google-trends-scraper

Google Trends data

Hashtag tracking

apify/instagram-hashtag-scraper

Hashtag content

Hashtag metrics

apify/instagram-hashtag-stats

Performance stats

Visual trends

apify/instagram-post-scraper

Post analysis

Trending discovery

apify/instagram-search-scraper

Search trends

Comprehensive tracking

apify/instagram-scraper

Full data

API-based trends

apify/instagram-api-scraper

API access

Engagement trends

apify/export-instagram-comments-posts

Comment tracking

Product trends

apify/facebook-marketplace-scraper

Marketplace data

Visual analysis

apify/facebook-photos-scraper

Photo trends

Community trends

apify/facebook-groups-scraper

Group monitoring

YouTube Shorts

streamers/youtube-shorts-scraper

Short-form trends

YouTube hashtags

streamers/youtube-video-scraper-by-hashtag

Hashtag videos

TikTok hashtags

clockworks/tiktok-hashtag-scraper

Hashtag content

Trending sounds

clockworks/tiktok-sound-scraper

Audio trends

TikTok ads

clockworks/tiktok-ads-scraper

Ad trends

Discover page

clockworks/tiktok-discover-scraper

Discover trends

Explore trends

clockworks/tiktok-explore-scraper

Explore content

Trending content

clockworks/tiktok-trends-scraper

Viral content

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., apify/google-trends-scraper).

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 trend insights

• Suggested next steps (deeper analysis, content opportunities)

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