Call Actor
call-actorRun any Apify Actor on demand by name with custom JSON input. Waits for completion and returns run status plus dataset IDs for fetching results.
Instructions
Call any Actor from the Apify Store.
WORKFLOW:
Use fetch-actor-details to get the Actor's input schema
Call this tool with the actor name and proper input based on the schema
If the actor name is not in "username/name" format, use search-actors to resolve the correct Actor first.
For MCP server Actors:
Use fetch-actor-details with output={ mcpTools: true } to list available tools
Call using format: "actorName:toolName" (e.g., "apify/actors-mcp-server:fetch-apify-docs")
IMPORTANT:
Waits up to waitSecs (default 30s) for completion; returns run status and storage IDs, and with waitSecs > 0 also reports dataset field metadata
Use get-dataset-items with the datasetId to fetch results; non-terminal runs include a nextStep with polling instructions
Use dedicated Actor tools when available for better experience
There are two ways to run Actors:
Dedicated Actor tools: These are pre-configured tools, offering a simpler and more direct experience.
Generic call-actor tool (call-actor): Use this when a dedicated tool is not available or when you want to run any Actor dynamically. This tool is especially useful if you do not want to add specific tools or your client does not support dynamic tool registration.
USAGE:
Always use dedicated tools when available
Use the generic call-actor tool only if a dedicated tool does not exist for your Actor.
Use
waitSecs(0–45) to control how long to wait. Default 30s returns results for fast actors. UsewaitSecs: 0to start and return immediately for long-running actors.
EXAMPLES:
user_input: Get instagram posts using apify/instagram-scraper
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| actor | Yes | The name of the Actor to call. Format: "username/name" (e.g., "apify/rag-web-browser"). For MCP server Actors, use format "actorName:toolName" to call a specific tool (e.g., "apify/actors-mcp-server:fetch-apify-docs"). | |
| input | Yes | The input JSON to pass to the Actor. Required. | |
| waitSecs | No | Seconds to wait for completion (0–45, default 30). Returns with current run status if not terminal within waitSecs. | |
| callOptions | No | Optional run config: memory (MB), timeout (s), build, maxItems (pay-per-result cap), maxTotalChargeUsd (pay-per-event cap). |
Output Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| runId | Yes | Actor run ID | |
| stats | No | Run statistics | |
| status | Yes | Run status: READY | RUNNING | TIMING-OUT | TIMED-OUT | ABORTING | ABORTED | SUCCEEDED | FAILED | |
| actorId | Yes | Stable Apify Actor ID from the run record | |
| summary | Yes | Past-tense summary of the run state | |
| exitCode | No | Actor process exit code; populated for terminal states (especially FAILED) | |
| nextStep | Yes | One primary follow-up action with identifiers interpolated | |
| storages | Yes | Dataset and key-value store metadata, keyed by alias. "default" is always the primary entry. | |
| actorName | No | "username/actor-name" | |
| startedAt | No | ISO timestamp when the run started | |
| finishedAt | No | ISO timestamp when the run finished (terminal states only) | |
| statusMessage | No | Pass-through from Apify run.statusMessage | |
| apifyConsoleUrl | No | Personalized Apify Console link to the run; present only for Console sessions |