CDC Socrata Datasets Scraper

CDC Socrata Datasets Scraper

Scrape CDC Socrata datasets by category, up to a million per run. Each dataset comes with its metadata, description, and source URL. No API key or login. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

CDC's Socrata portal hosts thousands of public health datasets, but browsing and downloading them one by one is slow. This Actor reads the public catalog directly, filters by category, and returns each dataset as a flat row. You get the metadata you need to find, track, and analyze CDC data without writing any code.

Who uses it	What they scrape CDC Socrata for
Public health researchers	Discover which CDC datasets exist for a given health topic
Data journalists	Build a searchable index of CDC datasets for story research
Epidemiologists	Monitor newly published datasets in their disease area
Data engineers	Automate dataset discovery for CDC data pipelines

What it does

This Actor collects CDC Socrata dataset listings by category and returns each one as a flat row with its metadata.

• 📂 Category filter: narrow results to a single CDC Socrata category.
• 🔢 Max items control: set a hard limit from 1 to 1,000,000 datasets per run.
• 📄 Flat row output: every dataset becomes one row, ready for CSV or JSON export.
• 🔗 Source URL included: each row links back to the original dataset page.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

What you can do with CDC Socrata data

📊 Build a CDC dataset inventory.

A public health researcher runs the Actor with no category filter to list every dataset in the CDC Socrata portal, then exports the CSV to Excel for a complete inventory.

🔍 Find datasets by health topic.

A data journalist sets the category to 'Chronic Disease' and gets a list of all related datasets, then opens the source URLs to review each one for a story.

📈 Monitor new dataset publications.

An epidemiologist schedules the Actor to run weekly with a category filter for 'Infectious Disease' and compares the results to spot newly added datasets.

🔗 Feed a data catalog.

A data engineer runs the Actor daily and loads the JSON output into an internal data catalog so analysts can search CDC datasets from one place.

Why choose this scraper

	What you get
No API key	Reads the public CDC Socrata catalog directly, no registration or token needed
Category filter	Target one health topic instead of downloading the whole catalog
Scalable	Collect up to a million dataset listings in a single run
Structured output	Every dataset is a flat row with consistent fields for easy analysis

How it compares

No other Store actor targets CDC Socrata the same way, so the honest comparison is with the alternatives teams actually weigh.

	CDC Socrata Datasets Scraper	Build it in-house	By hand
Setup	Run it now, zero config	Days of engineering	None, but hours per pull
When CDC Socrata changes	Maintained for you	You fix it	You re-learn the page
Proxies, retries, anti-bot	Built in	Your problem	Browser only
Output	Fixed JSON schema, CSV/Excel export	Whatever you build	Copy-paste
Cost	Pay per result	Engineering time	Analyst hours

Configure the run

Drive the Actor with a category filter and a maximum item count, and it returns only the dataset listings that match. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

{
  "maxItems": 10
}

A larger pull:

{
  "maxItems": 200
}

Pricing

Pay-per-result: $0.0085 per result collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

Results collected	Approximate cost
100 results	$0.85
1,000 results	$8.50
10,000 results	$85.00

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. Upgrade your Apify plan to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

Run it

1. Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit.
2. Open the CDC Socrata Datasets Scraper.
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click Start.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the Dataset tab.

Run it programmatically through the Apify API (run-sync-get-dataset-items) or the ApifyClient for JavaScript and Python.

Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to CDC Socrata through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=parseforge/cdc-socrata-datasets-scraper"

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

Troubleshooting

Why am I getting no results?

Check your category filter. If the category name is misspelled or does not exist in the CDC Socrata catalog, no datasets will match. Try leaving the category empty to see all datasets.

Why did the run stop before reaching maxItems?

The Actor stops when it has collected the number of datasets you set in maxItems, or when there are no more matching datasets in the catalog. Lower maxItems if you want a faster run.

Why is the run taking a long time?

Large maxItems values mean the Actor has to read many catalog pages. Reduce maxItems or narrow the category to speed up the run.

Why are some fields empty in the output?

Not every CDC Socrata dataset has every metadata field filled in. Empty fields are normal and reflect missing data on the source page.

Can I get more than 1,000,000 datasets?

The maximum is 1,000,000 per run. If you need more, split your request by category or run the Actor multiple times.

FAQ

Question	Answer
Do I need a CDC API key?	No. This Actor reads the public CDC Socrata catalog directly, so no API key, login, or registration is required.
What is a CDC Socrata dataset?	CDC publishes many of its public datasets on the Socrata platform, which provides a searchable catalog and API. Each dataset has a title, description, category, and source URL.
Can I filter by category?	Yes. Set the category input to a value like 'Chronic Disease' or 'Infectious Disease' to return only datasets in that category.
How many datasets can I collect?	You can set maxItems from 1 up to 1,000,000. The Actor stops after reaching that number of matching datasets.
What output formats are supported?	The Actor returns a dataset you can export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML from the Apify platform.
Does this Actor download the actual data files?	No. It collects dataset listings and metadata, including the source URL. To download the underlying data, use the source URL with another tool or the Socrata API.
Can I run this on a schedule?	Yes. Use Apify's scheduler to run the Actor daily, weekly, or at any interval to keep your dataset inventory up to date.
What if I leave the category empty?	The Actor returns datasets from all categories, up to the maxItems limit you set.
Is this Actor affiliated with the CDC?	No. This is an independent scraper that reads publicly available CDC Socrata catalog pages. It is not endorsed by or affiliated with the CDC.
Can I get the raw JSON of each dataset?	The Actor returns a flat row per dataset with its metadata. For the full Socrata JSON, use the source URL in the output.

Related actors

Browse the full ParseForge collection for more scrapers.

🆘 Need help? Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ Disclaimer. This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.