What does it mean when an Actor has an "Under Maintenance" status? This simply means the Actor is undergoing improvements or bug fixes and might not function as expected during this period. This article will guide you through what to do when the Actor you’re using is flagged for maintenance and how to minimize disruptions to your workflow.
Understanding Actor Maintenance
An "Under Maintenance" status means the Actor is being updated or repaired. While under maintenance, the Actor's functionality might be unreliable depending on the use case.
We want to make sure that all Actors in Apify Store are top-notch, or at least as top-notch as they can be. Since there are many of them, we have an automated testing procedure in place that tests all Actors daily. This helps us flag Actors that temporarily don't work as expected and automatically deprecate those that have been broken for more than a month.
Common reasons for maintenance
The Actor fails the automated quality test but is actually functional. We suggest running a small sample test.
Changes in a website's layout or data structure can temporarily break the Actor.
Bugs in the Actor's code can lead to problems.
Issues with proxies or errors after code updates can also trigger maintenance.
Steps to take
Conduct a small sample test.
Check if there is already an issue about the same problem created on the Actor’s Issues Tab.
If you are not the creator, contact the developer who designed the Actor by posting your question on the Issues tab.
Implementing contingency plans
Explore "Show Similar Actors" to identify alternative Actors with comparable functionalities while yours is under maintenance, or check Apify Store.
If a suitable alternative isn't available, consider pausing the project that relies on your Actor until maintenance is complete.
During maintenance
You might experience limitations in accessing or using the Actor. Data handling practices might also change temporarily.
Inform your team about potential disruptions caused by the Actor's maintenance and provide expected timelines for its return to normal functionality.
Post-maintenance
Once maintenance is complete, run a test to confirm the Actor is functioning as expected.
Use the provided resources and support channels to minimize disruption to your workflow.
Apify maintenance updates: Stay updated on maintenance status through the Actor’s page.
Actor’s changelog: Check for the information on Actor functionality changes.
Support for Store Actors: For Actors from Apify Store, contact the developer directly through the Actor's "Issues" tab.
By following these steps and using Apify's resources, you can effectively manage Actor maintenance and ensure minimal impact on your projects.