# Apify help & support

> Answers to your questions about the Apify platform

## Getting started

- [Introduction to Apify](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/2895369-introduction-to-apify.md)
- [How many proxy IPs do I need?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/7034577-how-many-proxy-ips-do-i-need.md): Learn some basic rules of thumb for finding how many proxy IP addresses you need to successfully scrape a website.
- [Choosing the right solution](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/3024655-choosing-the-right-solution.md): You want to scrape data or automate a process. But where to start and which tool is the best for your scenario?
- [Web Scraper](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/2895504-web-scraper.md): Easy to use scraping tool to extract tens or million pages
- [How to create a task](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/7120778-how-to-create-a-task.md): Learn how to easily create reusable configurations of a single Actor called tasks
- [How to create a schedule](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/7120817-how-to-create-a-schedule.md): Learn how to automatically start your Actor and task runs.
- [How to clean your dataset before downloading](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/7913531-how-to-clean-your-dataset-before-downloading.md): This article will guide you on how to customize your dataset before downloading.
- [How to set up an Organization account](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/8698948-how-to-set-up-an-organization-account.md): Learn the benefits of an Organization account and how to create one.
- [How to prevent a dataset from expiring](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/8857541-how-to-prevent-a-dataset-from-expiring.md): Learn more about the data retention period and different ways to rename storages.
- [Two-factor authentication \(2FA\)](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/13928572-two-factor-authentication-2fa.md): Want to add an extra layer of security to your Apify account?
- [Account settings](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/13929475-account-settings.md): Need a single place to update your Apify account?

## Dictionary

- [What is an API?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/5626481-what-is-an-api.md): An application programming interface \(API\) makes it easy for computer programs to talk to each other
- [What is a proxy?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/5265932-what-is-a-proxy.md): Proxy servers act as a shield protecting your digital identity from the websites you visit
- [What is a residential proxy?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/5265893-what-is-a-residential-proxy.md): A residential proxy is the most reliable way to scrape data while using proxies.
- [What is a datacenter proxy?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/5265890-what-is-a-datacenter-proxy.md): A datacenter proxy is the fastest and most affordable way to scrape data while using proxies.
- [What is a SERP?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/5265896-what-is-a-serp.md): SERP is an abbreviation for Search Engine Result Pages
- [What is JavaScript?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/5265898-what-is-javascript.md): JavaScript is the main programming language of the Internet
- [What is a session?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/5265886-what-is-a-session.md): A session is reusing the same IP address during web scraping
- [What is a request?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/5265882-what-is-a-request.md): A request is your command for an Actor to open a specific webpage to further scrape it for data
- [What is a request queue?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/5265884-what-is-a-request-queue.md): A request queue is a list of web pages lined up for your Actor to visit and scrape for data within one run.
- [What is key-value store?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/5265879-what-is-key-value-store.md): A key-value store is a space for storing important files
- [What is Node.js?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/5265900-what-is-node-js.md): Node.js is an open-source environment that executes JavaScript code without the need for a browser
- [What is JSON?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/5265897-what-is-json.md): JSON is a format for storing and transporting data
- [What is a dataset?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/5265870-what-is-a-dataset.md): A dataset is a table that acts as a log of your results from web scraping activities.
- [What is a web scraper?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/5265903-what-is-a-web-scraper.md): A web scraper is a program made to extract data from the web
- [What is Apify SDK?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/5265877-what-is-apify-sdk.md): Apify SDK is your number one resource for creating your own Apify Actor
- [What is web crawling?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/5265517-what-is-web-crawling.md): Web crawling is a process of browsing webpages systematically
- [What is web scraping?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/4859938-what-is-web-scraping.md): Web scraping is extracting data and content from websites automatically
- [What is RPA?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/4859943-what-is-rpa.md): RPA stands for robotic process automation
- [What is Puppeteer?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/4859961-what-is-puppeteer.md): Puppeteer is a way for you to control the Chrome browser using JavaScript
- [What is Cheerio?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/4865509-what-is-cheerio.md): Cheerio is an implementation of jQuery designed specifically for servers
- [What is a headless browser?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/4865522-what-is-a-headless-browser.md): A headless browser is a web browser with no graphical user interface
- [What is an Actor?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/4865788-what-is-an-actor.md): An Apify Actor is a program that can carry out any task in a web browser
- [What is the Apify platform?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/8403849-what-is-the-apify-platform.md): Actors, Storage, Proxy, and other services are all a part of the Apify platform.
- [What is an Actor task?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/8403866-what-is-an-actor-task.md): Actor tasks let you save and reuse Actor configurations.
- [What is Apify storage?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/8404264-what-is-apify-storage.md): Apify provides you with cloud storage so you have immediate access to your run's results
- [What is an Actor run?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/8404287-what-is-an-actor-run.md): A run is created whenever you start an Actor or a task
- [What is a schedule?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/8403892-what-is-a-schedule.md): Automate your Actor runs by scheduling them for certain times

## Pricing & billing

- [Subscribing to the Apify platform](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/5136728-subscribing-to-the-apify-platform.md): Which Apify plan is best for you? How do you subscribe and pay for overage? How do you add proxies to your plan? Find out below.
- [Navigating Apify billing](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/13671754-navigating-apify-billing.md): Want to keep your Apify costs under control? Here's everything you need to know about Apify billing.
- [Reaching platform limits](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/11079614-reaching-platform-limits.md): Why spend time figuring out platform limits? Knowing your limits helps you manage your spending and avoid interruptions to your work.
- [Subscription plan changes and proration](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/7959177-subscription-plan-changes-and-proration.md): This article explains how the change of subscription works in case of upgrades, downgrades, and changes in billing intervals.
- [Applying VAT exemption](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/11666209-applying-vat-exemption.md): Would you like your invoices to be VAT-exempt? Have you declared/applied your VAT exemption, but your invoices still show VAT?
- [What is a compute unit?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/3490384-what-is-a-compute-unit.md): How do we measure your usage? And how can you calculate your subscription plan?
- [Paid Actors](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/5139819-paid-actors.md): A quick introduction to renting public Actors in Apify Store, how to run them, and how the payment system works.
- [What is pay per event?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/10700066-what-is-pay-per-event.md): Are you considering using an Actor with pay-per-event pricing? Or perhaps you're already using one and want to better understand the costs? This article explains the pay-per-event pricing model and...
- [Google Maps Scraper is going to pay-per-event pricing](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/10774732-google-maps-scraper-is-going-to-pay-per-event-pricing.md): Understanding the shift to pay-per-event pricing for the Google Maps Scraper helps you accurately estimate costs and leverage enhanced features. This article explains the new pricing model and its ...
- [How to apply a coupon](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/10727112-how-to-apply-a-coupon.md): Do you have an Apify promo code? We sometimes also call them coupons, and you can get them through our special offers, marketing campaigns, or as rewards. To apply a promo code, simply follow the ...

## Integrations

- [How to integrate 🦜🔗 LangChain with Apify Actors](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/7888045-how-to-integrate-langchain-with-apify-actors.md): Using Website Content Crawler as an example, we show you how to feed results from Actors directly to LangChain’s vector indexes.
- [Apify integration for Slack](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/6454058-apify-integration-for-slack.md): Learn how to get started with Apify integration for Slack, from installation to automating your whole workflow directly in Slack.
- [How to integrate Apify Actors with Gmail](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/6877852-how-to-integrate-apify-actors-with-gmail.md): We show you how to integrate Actors with your Gmail so you can receive information about your runs directly to your inbox.
- [How to integrate Apify Actors with Google Drive](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/6877631-how-to-integrate-apify-actors-with-google-drive.md): We show you how to integrate Actors with your Google Drive so you can receive information about your runs directly to your drive.
- [Google integration](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/2424053-google-integration.md): Get Apify securely integrated with your Google account. Learn how to write authorized Actors for Google services.
- [Keboola integration](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/2003234-keboola-integration.md): How to easily push data from Apify Actors and crawlers to Keboola
- [Scraping a list of URLs from a Google Sheets document](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/2906022-scraping-a-list-of-urls-from-a-google-sheets-document.md): Learn how to crawl a list of URLs specified in a Google Sheets document using one of the Apify web scraping Actors.
- [Simplifying data integration with Apify and Airbyte](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/8688514-simplifying-data-integration-with-apify-and-airbyte.md): Move data between different sources and destinations with Airbyte's pre-built connector for Apify.
- [Troubleshooting webhook timeouts when running Actors in Make](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/11169468-troubleshooting-webhook-timeouts-when-running-actors-in-make.md): Learn why webhooks timeout when you run Actors in Make and how to fix it.
- [How to scrape or extract data from a website using Zapier and Apify](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/3034226-how-to-scrape-or-extract-data-from-a-website-using-zapier-and-apify.md): How to use Apify Actors in Zapier to scrape content from any website.
- [How to deploy Actor changes automatically from GitHub](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/6987213-how-to-deploy-actor-changes-automatically-from-github.md): Add a webhook to your GitHub repository. Every time you update your code, your Actor will automatically rebuild on the Apify Platform.
- [How to build scrapers from a Git repository](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/6985210-how-to-build-scrapers-from-a-git-repository.md): Import code from external sources and get it up and running on Apify in no time!
- [How to integrate Apify Actors with GitHub](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/6984761-how-to-integrate-apify-actors-with-github.md): Learn how to integrate an Actor with your GitHub repository so that you can automatically get an issue created when a run fails.

## Apify Store

- [What are Apify-maintained and community-maintained Actors?](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/6999799-what-are-apify-maintained-and-community-maintained-actors.md): Have you noticed the Apify-maintained and community-maintained labels in our Apify Store and are not sure about the differences?
- [Continue scraping after an Actor stops unexpectedly](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/12505385-continue-scraping-after-an-actor-stops-unexpectedly.md): This guide explains how to configure your Actor to continue scraping right from where it left off, so you don’t miss a thing.
- [How to download photos from an Instagram profile](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/8912550-how-to-download-photos-from-an-instagram-profile.md): Learn how to scrape Instagram profiles and download photos from posts using Actors from Apify Store.
- [What to do when your Actor comes under maintenance](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/9716923-what-to-do-when-your-actor-comes-under-maintenance.md): Have you ever had one of your Actors marked as Under Maintenance? We explain what that means and how to fix it.
- [How to upload a dataset to an AWS S3 bucket](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/8461693-how-to-upload-a-dataset-to-an-aws-s3-bucket.md)
- [Apify's free Google SERP API](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/5223545-apify-s-free-google-serp-api.md): How to stay up to date on search results with a Google SERP API

## Professional services

- [Apify service levels \(SLA\)](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/7913562-apify-service-levels-sla.md): Learn about the additional services and the SLA we offer in connection with the Apify platform and custom Actor development.
- [Personal tech training with Apify experts](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/7854485-personal-tech-training-with-apify-experts.md): Information regarding personal one-to-one tech training that comes with the Scale and Business subscription plans.

## Build your Actors

- [Pick the right project](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/12645708-pick-the-right-project.md): So you're ready to build your first Actor. Exciting! But what should you build? And where do you even start looking for ideas? Don't worry, we've got you covered. Whether you're hunting for inspira...
- [Set up your dev environment](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/12628688-set-up-your-dev-environment.md): Apify works however you like to work. Web browser, local setup, AI-powered, or all of the above. Here's how to pick your setup and get building.
- [Must-haves of a working Actor](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/12729405-must-haves-of-a-working-actor.md): Six files make an Actor work. Good news: if you start with a template, you already have all six. Here's what each one does and which ones actually need your attention.
- [Where your data goes: Storage types](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/12729447-where-your-data-goes-storage-types.md): Your Actor collects data, takes screenshots, processes information - but where does it all go? Good news: Apify handles this automatically. When your Actor starts producing data, the right storage ...
- [Standby mode: Your Actor as a live API](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/12729472-standby-mode-your-actor-as-a-live-api.md): What if someone needs your Actor to respond instantly, hundreds of times per day? Traditional Actors start, run, stop - perfect for batch jobs, but too slow for frequent requests.
- [Ship your Actor and get paid](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/12800725-ship-your-actor-and-get-paid.md): You've built your Actor. Now what? Ship it to Apify Store and start earning from your work.

## Actor development FAQs

- [Setting up continuous integration for Apify Actors on Bitbucket](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/6988586-setting-up-continuous-integration-for-apify-actors-on-bitbucket.md): How to set up continuous integration for Apify Actors using Bitbucket Pipelines
- [Scraping data from websites using schema.org Microdata](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/6988663-scraping-data-from-websites-using-schema-org-microdata.md): JavaScript code to automatically extract data using schema.org tags
- [How to resolve 403 response status errors](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/7029516-how-to-resolve-403-response-status-errors.md): 403 Forbidden is the most common blocking status. Learn how to overcome it.
- [How to estimate compute unit usage for your project](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/3470975-how-to-estimate-compute-unit-usage-for-your-project.md): Need to estimate the long-term costs of a project? Read this article to understand what affects performance.
- [How to bypass Cloudflare](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/7029488-how-to-bypass-cloudflare.md): Apify's default scrapers are a great choice for Cloudflare protected sites
- [How to set up the Output tab in just 5 minutes](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/6660702-how-to-set-up-the-output-tab-in-just-5-minutes.md): Learn how to add an Output tab with an overview of results to your Actor on the Apify Platform.
- [How to write a great README for your Actors](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/2912548-how-to-write-a-great-readme-for-your-actors.md): Learn how to write an effective README for your Actor and get started using our template.
- [Several tips on how to bypass website anti-scraping protections](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/1961361-several-tips-on-how-to-bypass-website-anti-scraping-protections.md): Learn how to scrape data from websites that employ IP rate limiting, browser fingerprinting and other modern bot detection techniques
- [Optimizing scrapers - Introduction](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/3608208-optimizing-scrapers-introduction.md): We all want our scrapers to run as fast as possible and cost as little money as possible. Learn how to think about performance.
- [How to analyze and fix errors in your Actors](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/3807823-how-to-analyze-and-fix-errors-in-your-actors.md): Your scrapers randomly crash? They worked for a few months and then stopped? Understand how to analyze and fix problems.
- [Versioning of public Actors](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/3202824-versioning-of-public-actors.md): How to continuously update your Actor and not break user integration
- [How to change the format of the extracted data in an Actor's dataset](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/8699203-how-to-change-the-format-of-the-extracted-data-in-an-actor-s-dataset.md): Troubleshooting data format conversion for the output of Apify Actor runs.
- [Resolving Actor compensations](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/10717922-resolving-actor-compensations.md): Have users of your Actor requested compensation for specific runs? Have you realized your Actor worked incorrectly and want to compensate your users proactively?

## Monetizing Actors

- [Publishing your existing scrapers to Apify Store](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/8683930-publishing-your-existing-scrapers-to-apify-store.md): See how to get the most out of your pre-existing code by migrating it to the Apify platform.
- [Make money publishing your Actors on Apify Store](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/8684010-make-money-publishing-your-actors-on-apify-store.md): Turn your web scraping skills into passive income. Apify Store lets you publish your Actors and earn money every time someone runs them - no client meetings, no invoices, just recurring revenue.
- [Earn money as an affiliate freelance developer](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/8684846-earn-money-as-an-affiliate-freelance-developer.md): Make extra cash by promoting Apify within your community or customer base.
- [SEO for Actors](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/2644024-seo-for-actors.md): Learn how to optimize your Actor title, description and README to get more relevant visits from Google and other search engines.
- [Troubleshooting an Actor marked “Under maintenance”](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/10057123-troubleshooting-an-actor-marked-under-maintenance.md): Your Actor is marked "Under maintenance" because it failed automated quality checks, which impacts its reliability and potential usage. What now?
- [How developer payouts work](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/10057167-how-developer-payouts-work.md): Wondering when the cash from your Actors will arrive? You're in the right place! This article breaks down the Apify payout process.
- [What to do with negative Actor profit](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/11197679-what-to-do-with-negative-actor-profit.md): What is negative Actor profit and what to do about it.
- [Why actual and invoiced amount for developer payouts can differ](https://help.apify.com/en/articles/11401557-why-actual-and-invoiced-amount-for-developer-payouts-can-differ.md): The article explains why developer payments may be less than the invoiced amount.