apify-trend-analysis

SKILL.md

Trend Analysis

Discover and track emerging trends using Apify Actors to extract data from multiple platforms.

Prerequisites

(No need to check it upfront)

.env file with APIFY_TOKEN

Node.js 20.6+ (for native --env-file support)

mcpc CLI tool: npm install -g @apify/mcpc

Workflow

Copy this checklist and track progress:
Task Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Identify trend type (select Actor)
- [ ] Step 2: Fetch Actor schema via mcpc
- [ ] Step 3: Ask user preferences (format, filename)
- [ ] Step 4: Run the analysis script
- [ ] Step 5: Summarize findings

Step 1: Identify Trend Type

Select the appropriate Actor based on research needs:

User Need
Actor ID
Best For

Search trends
apify/google-trends-scraper
Google Trends data

Hashtag tracking
apify/instagram-hashtag-scraper
Hashtag content

Hashtag metrics
apify/instagram-hashtag-stats
Performance stats

Visual trends
apify/instagram-post-scraper
Post analysis

Trending discovery
apify/instagram-search-scraper
Search trends

Comprehensive tracking
apify/instagram-scraper
Full data

API-based trends
apify/instagram-api-scraper
API access

Engagement trends
apify/export-instagram-comments-posts
Comment tracking

Product trends
apify/facebook-marketplace-scraper
Marketplace data

Visual analysis
apify/facebook-photos-scraper
Photo trends

Community trends
apify/facebook-groups-scraper
Group monitoring

YouTube Shorts
streamers/youtube-shorts-scraper
Short-form trends

YouTube hashtags
streamers/youtube-video-scraper-by-hashtag
Hashtag videos

TikTok hashtags
clockworks/tiktok-hashtag-scraper
Hashtag content

Trending sounds
clockworks/tiktok-sound-scraper
Audio trends

TikTok ads
clockworks/tiktok-ads-scraper
Ad trends

Discover page
clockworks/tiktok-discover-scraper
Discover trends

Explore trends
clockworks/tiktok-explore-scraper
Explore content

Trending content
clockworks/tiktok-trends-scraper
Viral content

Step 2: Fetch Actor Schema

Fetch the Actor's input schema and details dynamically using mcpc:

export $(grep APIFY_TOKEN .env | xargs) && mcpc --json mcp.apify.com --header "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN" tools-call fetch-actor-details actor:="ACTOR_ID" | jq -r ".content"

Replace ACTOR_ID with the selected Actor (e.g., apify/google-trends-scraper).

This returns:

Actor description and README

Required and optional input parameters

Output fields (if available)

Step 3: Ask User Preferences

Before running, ask:

Output format:

Quick answer - Display top few results in chat (no file saved)

CSV - Full export with all fields

JSON - Full export in JSON format

Number of results: Based on character of use case

Step 4: Run the Script

Quick answer (display in chat, no file):

node --env-file=.env ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/reference/scripts/run_actor.js \
  --actor "ACTOR_ID" \
  --input 'JSON_INPUT'

CSV:

node --env-file=.env ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/reference/scripts/run_actor.js \
  --actor "ACTOR_ID" \
  --input 'JSON_INPUT' \
  --output YYYY-MM-DD_OUTPUT_FILE.csv \
  --format csv

JSON:

node --env-file=.env ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/reference/scripts/run_actor.js \
  --actor "ACTOR_ID" \
  --input 'JSON_INPUT' \
  --output YYYY-MM-DD_OUTPUT_FILE.json \
  --format json

Step 5: Summarize Findings

After completion, report:

Number of results found

File location and name

Key trend insights

Suggested next steps (deeper analysis, content opportunities)

Error Handling

APIFY_TOKEN not found - Ask user to create .env with APIFY_TOKEN=your_token
mcpc not found - Ask user to install npm install -g @apify/mcpc
Actor not found - Check Actor ID spelling
Run FAILED - Ask user to check Apify console link in error output
Timeout - Reduce input size or increase --timeout