Scraping Urban Dictionary Definitions
Raw data collection. No assumed use case — returns the full dataset for downstream analysis.
Inputs
| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
startUrls | array | Optional | [] | Urban Dictionary search URLs |
keywords | array | Optional | [] | Keywords/slang terms to search |
maxItems | number | Optional | Unlimited | Maximum definitions to return |
customMapFunction | string | Optional | — | JavaScript function to transform each output object |
How to Run
Using run_actor.js (recommended)
# Quick answer (table)
node scripts/run_actor.js --actor "apidojo~urbandictionary-scraper" --input '{"keywords": ["slay", "lowkey"], "maxItems": 10}'
# Save as CSV
node scripts/run_actor.js --actor "apidojo~urbandictionary-scraper" --input '{"keywords": ["slay", "lowkey"], "maxItems": 10}' --output results.csv --format csv
# Save as JSON
node scripts/run_actor.js --actor "apidojo~urbandictionary-scraper" --input '{"keywords": ["slay", "lowkey"], "maxItems": 10}' --output results.json --format json
REST API fallback
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/apidojo~urbandictionary-scraper/runs" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"keywords": ["slay", "lowkey"], "maxItems": 10}'
If Apify MCP is available:
Use the Apify MCP call_actor tool with actor apidojo~urbandictionary-scraper and the input above.
Output Fields
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
word | string | The term being defined |
definition | string | User-submitted definition |
example | string | Example sentence |
author | string | Definition author username |
id | number | Definition ID |
createdAt | string | Submission timestamp (ISO 8601) |
numberOfThumbsUp | number | Upvotes |
numberOfThumbsDown | number | Downvotes |
url | string | Definition URL |
Edge Cases
- No results: Term may not be in Urban Dictionary or spelled differently.
- NSFW content: Urban Dictionary contains explicit content by design — filter downstream if needed.
- Multiple definitions: A word may have 50+ entries. Use maxItems to cap.
- Community vote gap: High thumbs-up vs thumbs-down indicates consensus vs controversy.