ParseForge
Opendata Swiss Datasets Scraper
parseforge/opendata-swiss-datasets-scraper
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Scrapes Swiss open data datasets from opendata.swiss by keyword and returns each dataset as a flat row with metadata. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.
- Total users
- 2
- Monthly active
- 1
- Total runs
- 44
- Bookmarked
- 0
- Rating
- Not rated yet
- Last modified
- 12 days ago
Overview
Opendata Swiss Datasets Scraper
Scrape Swiss open data datasets from opendata.swiss by keyword, up to a million per run. Every dataset comes with its title, description, publisher, issued date, and resource links. No API key. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.
Switzerland's official open data portal, opendata.swiss, holds thousands of datasets from federal, cantonal, and communal authorities, but browsing it manually is slow and the official API requires registration. This Actor reads the public catalogue directly, filters by your search term, and returns each matching dataset as a flat row.
| Who uses it | What they scrape Opendata Swiss for |
|---|---|
| Data journalists | Find Swiss government datasets on a topic for a story |
| Market researchers | Monitor which Swiss public datasets are published in an industry |
| Open data advocates | Build a complete inventory of Swiss open data for analysis |
| Developers | Feed Swiss open data metadata into an application or pipeline |
What it does
This Actor collects Swiss open data datasets from opendata.swiss by keyword and returns each one as a flat row.
- 🔎 Keyword search: enter any term like energy, mobility, or population, or leave empty to browse all datasets.
- 📦 Bulk collection: set maxItems up to 1,000,000 to pull the full catalogue in one run.
- 📄 Flat rows: each dataset is returned as a single record with its metadata, ready for spreadsheets or databases.
- 🌐 Multilingual data: titles and descriptions are captured as published, often in German, French, Italian, or English.
Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.
What you can do with Opendata Swiss data
📊 Build a Swiss open data inventory.
A data analyst runs the Actor with an empty search term and maxItems 1,000,000 to get every dataset on opendata.swiss, then filters locally to find gaps or overlaps.
🔎 Track new datasets by topic.
A market researcher schedules the Actor with the keyword 'energy' to receive a weekly list of newly published Swiss energy datasets.
📰 Find data for a story.
A journalist searches for 'mobility' to locate transport datasets from Swiss authorities, then downloads the resources for analysis.
🧩 Feed an application.
A developer uses the Actor's JSON output to populate a search interface for Swiss open data without building a custom scraper.
Why choose this scraper
| What you get | |
|---|---|
| No API key | The public catalogue is read directly, so you can start scraping immediately. |
| Up to a million rows | Collect the entire Swiss open data catalogue in a single run. |
| Fixed schema | Every dataset is returned with the same fields, so downstream processing is predictable. |
| Export anywhere | Save results as CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or push them to a database. |
How it compares
This Actor and the Swiss Open Data Scraper both target Switzerland's open data catalogue, but they differ in focus and field coverage.
| Feature | ParseForge | Swiss Open Data Scraper - Federal Dataset Catalog |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword search | Yes | Yes |
| Multilingual titles | Yes | Yes |
| Publisher information | Yes | Yes |
| Resource links | Yes | Yes |
| Bulk collection up to 1,000,000 | Yes | Not listed |
| Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, XML | Yes | Not listed |
Configure the run
Drive the Actor with a search term and a maximum number of datasets, and it returns only the matching records from opendata.swiss. The Input tab lists every parameter.
A first run with the defaults:
{
"searchQuery": "energy",
"maxItems": 10
}
A larger pull:
{
"searchQuery": "energy",
"maxItems": 200
}
Pricing
Pay-per-result: $0.005 per result collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.
| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $0.50 |
| 1,000 results | $5.00 |
| 10,000 results | $50.00 |
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
- Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit.
- Open the Opendata Swiss Datasets Scraper.
- Set your inputs and any filters, then click Start.
- 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 Opendata Swiss 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/opendata-swiss-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 search term. Try a broader keyword or leave it empty to browse all datasets. Also ensure maxItems is at least 1.
Why did the run stop before reaching maxItems?
The Actor stops when it has collected all matching datasets. If there are fewer results than maxItems, that is expected.
Why are some fields empty?
Not all datasets on opendata.swiss have every field filled in. Empty fields are returned as null or blank.
Can I get the actual data files?
This Actor returns metadata only. Use the resource links in the output to download the data files manually or with another tool.
Why is the output in a different language?
The language depends on how the dataset was published on opendata.swiss. The Actor does not translate titles or descriptions.
FAQ
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need an API key for opendata.swiss? | No. This Actor reads the public catalogue directly, so no registration or key is required. |
| Can I scrape all datasets on opendata.swiss? | Yes. Leave the search term empty and set maxItems to a high number like 1,000,000 to collect the entire catalogue. |
| What fields are returned for each dataset? | Each row includes the dataset's title, description, publisher, issued date, and resource links, among other metadata. The exact fields are shown in the sample output. |
| Is the data in German, French, Italian, or English? | The Actor returns titles and descriptions as published on opendata.swiss, which may be in any of Switzerland's official languages or English. |
| Can I filter by publisher or date? | The current version supports keyword search only. You can filter the exported data locally by publisher or date after the run. |
| How many datasets can I get in one run? | You can set maxItems up to 1,000,000, which is more than the total number of datasets on opendata.swiss. |
| What formats can I export to? | You can export the results as CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or push them to a database or API. |
| Does this Actor download the actual data files? | No, it collects metadata about each dataset, including links to the resources. You can download the files separately using those links. |
| Is this Actor affiliated with the Swiss government? | No, this is an independent scraper built on the public opendata.swiss catalogue. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Swiss Federal Archives. |
| Can I schedule this Actor to run regularly? | Yes, you can set up a schedule on the Apify platform to run it daily, weekly, or at any interval. |
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 Swiss Federal Archives. 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.
Input
| Field | Type | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| searchQuery | string | Optional. Keyword to search datasets on opendata.swiss (for example energy, mobility, population). Leave empty to browse all datasets. | energy |
| maxItems | integer | How many datasets to collect per run. | 10 |
Pricing
from $4.52 per 1,000 results
| Charged for | What it is | Price each |
|---|---|---|
| result | Single result in the default dataset. | $0.00452 to $0.005 |
Tiered: the lower figure is the price on a higher Apify plan. Billing and the free credit live on Apify.
API
One POST returns the dataset directly. Same shape for every scraper in the library, so swapping the slug is the only change.
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/parseforge~opendata-swiss-datasets-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"helloWorld": 123
}' Examples
Input that runs as-is.
{
"helloWorld": 123
} Reviews
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Issues
We build and maintain this scraper, so a problem with it comes to us. Report it on the Apify listing and the thread stays attached to the scraper where the next person can find it: open an issue.
Broken and urgent, or you would rather not post in public? Write to parseforge@protonmail.com and it reaches the people who wrote it.