ClassifiedsDifficulty: Easy

Craigslist Data Extraction

Extract publicly available data from Craigslist at scale using AlterLab's API — JavaScript rendering, structured extraction, and automatic retries in one request.

Automatic renderingJavaScript supportStructured data extractionChallenge resolution

Website Compatibility Notes

Craigslist uses minimal protections but employs IP-based rate limiting. Basic rendering works well for most listing pages.

Quick Start — Extract from Craigslist

cURL
curl -X POST https://alterlab.io/api/v1/scrape \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/apa",
    "advanced": { "render_js": true }
  }'

Need an API key? Sign up free — no credit card required.

Python Example

Python
import requests

response = requests.post(
    "https://alterlab.io/api/v1/scrape",
    headers={
        "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY",
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    json={
        "url": "https://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/apa",
        "advanced": {"render_js": True},
    },
)

data = response.json()
print(data["content"][:500])  # First 500 chars of extracted content

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I extract Craigslist listings?

Send Craigslist search or listing URLs to AlterLab. The service returns listing titles, prices, locations, posting dates, and descriptions. No JavaScript rendering is needed for most pages.

Can I extract Craigslist apartment listings?

Yes. AlterLab handles Craigslist housing pages and returns rental prices, locations, bedrooms, square footage, and listing descriptions from public apartment listings.

Does AlterLab support multiple Craigslist cities?

Yes. Simply provide the city-specific Craigslist URL (e.g., sfbay.craigslist.org, newyork.craigslist.org) and AlterLab will extract listings from that region.

Responsible Use

AlterLab is designed for extracting publicly available data. Always review the terms of service for any website you access, respect robots.txt directives, and ensure your use case complies with applicable laws in your jurisdiction. Do not use this service to access non-public, authenticated, or personally identifiable data without appropriate authorization.

Your first scrape.
Sixty seconds.

$1 free balance. No credit card. No SDK.Just a POST request.

terminal
curl -X POST https://api.alterlab.io/v1/scrape \
-H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"url": "https://example.com", "formats": ["markdown"]}'

No credit card required · Up to 5,000 free scrapes · Balance never expire