ParseForge
Podcast Index Episodes Scraper
parseforge/podcastindex-episodes-scraper
Automation
Scrapes podcast episodes from Podcast Index by search query. Returns each episode as a flat row with title, description, audio URL, and publication date.
- Total users
- 3
- Monthly active
- 1
- Total runs
- 89
- Bookmarked
- 0
- Rating
- Not rated yet
- Last modified
- 12 days ago
Overview
Podcast Index Episodes Scraper
Scrape podcast episodes from Podcast Index by search term, up to a million per run. Every episode comes with its title, description, audio URL, and publication date. No API key or login. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.
Podcast Index is the open, developer-friendly podcast directory, but its API still requires a key and rate limits. This Actor searches the public episode feeds directly by podcast title, author, or keyword, and returns each match in one flat row. No registration, no OAuth, no per-request throttling.
| Who uses it | What they scrape Podcast Index for |
|---|---|
| Podcast producers | Monitor what competing shows are publishing and how often |
| Market researchers | Map which topics and guests are trending across the podcast ecosystem |
| App developers | Build a podcast discovery feature without dealing with API keys |
| Content marketers | Find podcasts that accept guest pitches in a niche |
| Data journalists | Analyze episode metadata for stories about the podcast industry |
What it does
This Actor collects podcast episodes from Podcast Index by search query and returns each one as a flat row.
- 🔎 Search by any term: podcast title, author name, or topic keyword.
- 📦 Bulk collection: set maxItems up to 1,000,000 episodes per run.
- 📄 Flat row output: one episode per row, ready for spreadsheets or databases.
- 🚀 No API key: reads public feeds directly, no registration or rate limits.
Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.
What you can do with Podcast Index data
📈 Track podcast trends.
A market researcher searches for a topic like 'AI in healthcare' and collects the latest episodes to see which shows and guests are driving the conversation.
🎙️ Find guest opportunities.
A content marketer searches for podcasts in their niche, then filters the episode titles and descriptions to identify shows that regularly host guests.
🧩 Build a discovery feature.
An app developer runs this Actor on a schedule to keep a podcast recommendation feed fresh without managing API credentials.
📊 Audit a podcast category.
A podcast producer searches for their show's category and collects all recent episodes to benchmark publishing frequency and episode length.
Why choose this scraper
| What you get | |
|---|---|
| No API key | Podcast Index's official API requires a key and rate limits; this Actor reads public feeds directly. |
| One flat schema | Every episode returns the same fields, so you can append runs and build a clean dataset. |
| Scales to a million | Set maxItems up to 1,000,000 and collect a full category in one run. |
| Export anywhere | Download as CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or push to Apify storage. |
How it compares
This Actor focuses on Podcast Index episode data by search term, while the competitors below cover transcription, Spotify data, or host contact details.
| Feature | ParseForge | Speech-to-Text Transcription | Spotify Scraper | All-In-One | Podcast Directory Scraper - Host Contacts & Emails |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Search Podcast Index by keyword | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Return episode title, description, audio URL | Yes | Not listed | Yes | Not listed |
| No API key required | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Bulk collection up to 1,000,000 episodes | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, XML | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
Configure the run
Drive the Actor with a single search query and a maximum episode count. The query matches podcast titles, author names, and episode keywords, and the maxItems cap stops the run once enough episodes are collected. The Input tab lists every parameter.
A first run with the defaults:
{
"query": "technology",
"maxItems": 10
}
A larger pull:
{
"query": "technology",
"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
- Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit.
- Open the Podcast Index Episodes 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 Podcast Index 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/podcastindex-episodes-scraper"
Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.
Troubleshooting
Why am I getting no results?
Your search term may be too specific. Try a broader keyword, check the spelling, or remove any special characters. Also confirm that maxItems is set to at least 1.
Why did the run stop before reaching maxItems?
The Actor stops when there are no more matching episodes. If you expected more, try a more general query or a different keyword.
Why are some episodes missing fields?
Podcast feeds vary. Some may not include a description or publication date. The Actor returns whatever the feed provides, and missing fields are left empty.
Can I search for a specific episode by title?
Yes, enter the episode title as the query. The search matches episode titles, so exact phrases work best.
Why is the run slow?
Large maxItems values mean more requests. The Actor is optimized for bulk collection, but you can reduce maxItems or run multiple smaller queries in parallel.
FAQ
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need a Podcast Index API key? | No. This Actor reads public episode feeds directly, so no API key, registration, or OAuth is required. |
| What can I search for? | You can search by podcast title, author name, or any keyword that appears in episode titles and descriptions. |
| How many episodes can I collect? | Set maxItems up to 1,000,000 episodes per run. The Actor stops once it reaches that number or runs out of matches. |
| What fields does each episode include? | Each row includes the episode title, description, audio URL, publication date, and other metadata from the feed. The exact fields are shown in the sample output. |
| Can I export the data? | Yes. Download as CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or use the Apify API to push results to your own storage. |
| Does this work for non-English podcasts? | Yes. The search matches any language, and the output preserves the original text. |
| Is this the same as the Podcast Index API? | It returns similar episode data, but without the API key and rate limits. It is ideal for bulk collection and scheduled runs. |
| Can I schedule this Actor? | Yes. Use Apify's scheduler to run it daily, weekly, or on any cron schedule. |
| What if I get no results? | Try a broader search term, check the spelling, or reduce the maxItems. The Actor returns an empty dataset if nothing matches. |
| Is there a limit on concurrent runs? | No, you can run multiple instances with different queries at the same time. |
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 Podcast Index LLC. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| query | string | Search term (podcast title, author, keyword). | technology |
| maxItems | integer | How many episodes to collect per run. | 10 |
Pricing
from $7.50 per 1,000 results
| Charged for | What it is | Price each |
|---|---|---|
| result | Single result in the default dataset. | $0.0075 to $0.0085 |
Tiered: the lower figure is the price on a higher Apify plan. Billing and the free credit live on Apify.
API
One POST returns the dataset directly. Same shape for every scraper in the library, so swapping the slug is the only change.
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/parseforge~podcastindex-episodes-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=$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.