Run Task with Apify API

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Run Task with the Apify API

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Getting Started#

Create a workflow to Run Task with the Apify API. When you configure and deploy the workflow, it will run on Pipedream's servers 24x7 for free.

Configure the Run Task action
1. Connect your Apify account
2. Configure info
3. Select a Task ID
4. Configure Wait For Finish
5. Optional- Configure Override Input
6. Optional- Configure Timeout
7. Optional- Configure Memory
8. Optional- Configure Build
Select a trigger to run your workflow on HTTP requests, schedules or app events
Deploy the workflow
Send a test event to validate your setup
Turn on the trigger

Details#

This is a pre-built, source-available component from Pipedream's GitHub repo. The component is developed by Pipedream and the community, and verified and maintained by Pipedream.

To contribute an update to an existing component or create a new component, create a PR on GitHub. If you're new to Pipedream component development, you can start with quickstarts for trigger span and action development, and then review the component API reference.

Run Task on Apify

Description:Run a specific task and optionally wait for its termination. Not for use with Pipedream Connect. [See the documentation](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2/actor-task-runs-post)

Version:0.0.1

Key:apify-run-task

View on GitHub

Code#

import apify from "../../apify.app.mjs";
import {
  ACTOR_JOB_STATUSES, ACTOR_JOB_TERMINAL_STATUSES, WEBHOOK_EVENT_TYPES,
} from "@apify/consts";

export default {
  key: "apify-run-task",
  name: "Run Task",
  description: "Run a specific task and optionally wait for its termination. Not for use with Pipedream Connect. [See the documentation](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2/actor-task-runs-post)",
  version: "0.0.1",
  annotations: {
    destructiveHint: false,
    openWorldHint: true,
    readOnlyHint: false,
  },
  type: "action",
  props: {
    apify,
    info: {
      type: "alert",
      alertType: "info",
      content: "Not for use with Pipedream Connect. `$.flow` and `$.context` are not supported in Pipedream Connect.",
    },
    taskId: {
      propDefinition: [
        apify,
        "taskId",
        () => ({
          desc: true,
        }),
      ],
      description: "The ID of the task to run",
    },
    waitForFinish: {
      type: "boolean",
      label: "Wait For Finish",
      description: "If false, returns immediately after starting the task. If true, waits for task completion (via webhook or polling) and returns dataset items.",
      default: true,
    },
    overrideInput: {
      type: "string",
      label: "Override Input",
      description: "Optional JSON string to override the default input for the task run. Must be valid JSON.",
      optional: true,
    },
    timeout: {
      type: "integer",
      label: "Timeout",
      description: "Optional timeout for the run, in seconds. By default, the run uses a timeout specified in the task settings.",
      optional: true,
    },
    memory: {
      type: "integer",
      label: "Memory",
      description: "Memory limit for the run, in megabytes. The amount of memory can be set to a power of 2 with a minimum of 128. By default, the run uses a memory limit specified in the task settings.",
      optional: true,
    },
    build: {
      type: "string",
      label: "Build",
      description: "Specifies the Actor build to run. It can be either a build tag or build number. By default, the run uses the build specified in the task settings (typically latest).",
      optional: true,
    },
  },
  async run({ $ }) {
    const POLL_INTERVAL_MS = 30_000; // 30s
    const POLL_WINDOW_MS = 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000; // 1 day
    let input;

    if (this.overrideInput) {
      try {
        input = JSON.parse(this.overrideInput);
      } catch (error) {
        throw new Error(`Failed to parse override Input JSON: ${error.message}`);
      }
    }

    // Helper: start task
    const startTask = async () => {
      return this.apify.runTask({
        taskId: this.taskId,
        params: {
          timeout: this.timeout,
          memory: this.memory,
          build: this.build,
        },
        input,
      });
    };

    // Helper: delete webhook
    const deleteWebhook = async (webhookId) => {
      if (!webhookId) return;

      try {
        await this.apify.deleteHook(webhookId);
      } catch (webhookError) {
        console.warn("Failed to delete webhook (non-critical):", webhookError.message);
      }
    };

    // Helper: schedule next poll (rerun) with 30s interval and 1-day cap
    const schedulePoll = (runId, webhookId) => {
      const startEpoch =
        ($.context.run?.context && $.context.run.context.pollStartMs) ||
        $.context.pollStartMs ||
        Date.now();

      // Persist the poll start time and webhook ID across reruns
      $.flow.rerun(POLL_INTERVAL_MS, {
        apifyRunId: runId,
        pollStartMs: startEpoch,
        webhookId,
      });
    };

    // 1) ONLY START (no waiting)
    if (!this.waitForFinish) {
      const started = await startTask();
      $.export(
        "$summary",
        `Started task ${this.taskId}. Not waiting for completion.`,
      );
      return {
        runId: started.id,
        status: ACTOR_JOB_STATUSES.RUNNING,
      };
    }

    // RERUN CONTEXT (if we scheduled $.flow.rerun previously)
    const runCtx = $.context.run || {};
    const rerunContext = runCtx.context || {};
    const isRerun = typeof runCtx.runs === "number" && runCtx.runs > 1;

    // RESUME DATA (if the webhook called the resume_url)
    const resumeBody = $.$resume_data && $.$resume_data.body;

    // 3) RERUN/RESUME BEHAVIOR
    if (resumeBody || isRerun) {
      const runId =
        resumeBody?.runId ||
        rerunContext.apifyRunId ||
        $.context.apifyRunId;

      const webhookId =
        rerunContext.webhookId ||
        $.context.webhookId;

      if (!runId) {
        throw new Error("Missing runId on rerun/resume.");
      }

      // Enforce a 1-day cap for polling
      const pollStartMs = rerunContext.pollStartMs || $.context.pollStartMs || Date.now();
      const elapsed = Date.now() - pollStartMs;
      if (elapsed > POLL_WINDOW_MS) {
        // Clean up webhook before timing out
        await deleteWebhook(webhookId);
        throw new Error(
          `Polling window exceeded (>${POLL_WINDOW_MS} ms). Task did not finish in time.`,
        );
      }

      // Try to fetch an outcome
      const run = await this.apify.getRun({
        runId,
      });
      const { status } = run;

      // If finished
      if (ACTOR_JOB_TERMINAL_STATUSES.includes(status)) {
        // Clean up webhook
        await deleteWebhook(webhookId);

        // If finished successfully
        if (status === ACTOR_JOB_STATUSES.SUCCEEDED) {
          $.export(
            "$summary",
            `Task ${this.taskId} succeeded.`,
          );

          return run;
        }

        // If finished with an error status
        throw new Error(
          `Apify run ${runId} finished with status ${status}. See console: ${run?.consoleUrl}`,
        );
      }

      // Still running: schedule another poll
      schedulePoll(runId, webhookId);
      return; // execution pauses until next rerun
    }

    // 2) START AND INSTALL WEBHOOK (initial execution)
    const started = await startTask();

    $.context.apifyRunId = started.id;
    $.context.startTime = Date.now();
    $.context.pollStartMs = Date.now(); // track the start of a polling window

    // Create a resume link and suspend
    const { resume_url } = $.flow.suspend(POLL_WINDOW_MS); // 1-day timeout for task run to finish

    // Create a webhook pointing to resume_url
    const webhook = await this.apify.createHook({
      requestUrl: resume_url,
      eventTypes: [
        WEBHOOK_EVENT_TYPES.ACTOR_RUN_SUCCEEDED,
        WEBHOOK_EVENT_TYPES.ACTOR_RUN_FAILED,
        WEBHOOK_EVENT_TYPES.ACTOR_RUN_ABORTED,
        WEBHOOK_EVENT_TYPES.ACTOR_RUN_TIMED_OUT,
      ],
      condition: {
        actorRunId: started.id,
      },
      payloadTemplate: JSON.stringify({
        runId: "{{resource.id}}",
        status: "{{resource.status}}",
        defaultDatasetId: "{{resource.defaultDatasetId}}",
        startedAt: "{{resource.startedAt}}",
        finishedAt: "{{resource.finishedAt}}",
        eventType: "{{eventType}}",
      }),
      headersTemplate: JSON.stringify({
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
      }),
      shouldInterpolateStrings: true,
      description: `Pipedream auto-resume for task ${this.taskId} run ${started.id}`,
    });

    if (!webhook?.id) {
      throw new Error("Failed to create webhook - no ID returned");
    }

    $.context.webhookId = webhook.id;

    // Fallback polling via rerun: every 30s, within a 1-day window
    schedulePoll(started.id, webhook.id);

    // Execution suspends at $.flow.suspend; webhook or rerun will resume.
  },
};

Configuration#

This component may be configured based on the props defined in the component code. Pipedream automatically prompts for input values in the UI and CLI.

Label	Prop	Type	Description
Apify	`apify`	`app`	This component uses the Apify app.
Task ID	`taskId`	`string`	Select a value from the drop down menu.
Wait For Finish	`waitForFinish`	`boolean`	If false, returns immediately after starting the task. If true, waits for task completion (via webhook or polling) and returns dataset items.
Override Input	`overrideInput`	`string`	Optional JSON string to override the default input for the task run. Must be valid JSON.
Timeout	`timeout`	`integer`	Optional timeout for the run, in seconds. By default, the run uses a timeout specified in the task settings.
Memory	`memory`	`integer`	Memory limit for the run, in megabytes. The amount of memory can be set to a power of 2 with a minimum of 128. By default, the run uses a memory limit specified in the task settings.
Build	`build`	`string`	Specifies the Actor build to run. It can be either a build tag or build number. By default, the run uses the build specified in the task settings (typically latest).

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New Finished Task Run (Instant) from the Apify API

Emit new event when a selected task is run and finishes.

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Actions#

Get Dataset Items with the Apify API

Returns data stored in a dataset. See the documentation

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Get Key-Value Store Record with the Apify API

Gets a record from a key-value store. See the documentation

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Run Actor with the Apify API

Performs an execution of a selected Actor in Apify. See the documentation

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Run Task Synchronously with the Apify API

Run a specific task and return its dataset items. See the documentation

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Scrape Single URL with the Apify API

Executes a scraper on a specific website and returns its content as HTML. This action is perfect for extracting content from a single page. See the documentation

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