Developer tools
Before running a data tool, inspect the event
By Siddhant Sharma · Published
Read the input and the output together
Start with the Actor’s own listing. Check what inputs it accepts and what output it produces. A product title can suggest a use case, but the schema and examples determine whether it fits your workflow.
Be clear about the source you intend to use, the permissions you have and the fields you actually need. Collecting more data is not automatically more useful.
Understand the billable event
Pay-per-event pricing connects charges to a defined action or result. The current Actor listing is the source for the event and its price. Apify’s platform costs may also apply, so evaluate the total running cost in your account.
The catalogue displays the primary event price when it is available. It is a comparison aid, not a replacement for the listing or the billing information presented before a run.
Begin with an appropriate sample
A small first run helps you inspect structure, missing fields and whether the result meets your needs. Review the output before making the tool part of a larger workflow.
Then define how the workflow should handle empty results, changed source data and failures. The useful outcome is a result you can understand and validate.