---
title: Quickstart
description: Sign up, mint an API key, run your first scrape — in under a minute.
---

import { Steps, Aside } from '@astrojs/starlight/components';

From zero to a working html scrape, then an analyse call. Use browser when the page needs JavaScript or interaction.

<Steps>

1. Get an API key

   1. [Sign up](/sign-up) and confirm your email.
   2. Open [API keys](/settings/api-keys) and click **Generate key**.
   3. Copy the plaintext `sf_…` value shown on creation.

   <Aside type="caution">
   The key is **only displayed once** — it is hashed at rest and cannot be recovered. If you lose it, revoke and generate a new one.
   </Aside>

   You can also call the API from the dashboard's built-in Run scrape page (no key required — the browser session is bound to your account), but for anything outside the browser you need a bearer token.

2. First scrape — html

   The action DSL maps each output key to a selector string: `"selector@extractor"` (CSS by default — no `css=` prefix needed).

   ```bash
   curl -sS -X POST https://api.scrapesilo.com/scrape \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer sf_…" \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{
            "url": "https://scrapesilo.com/fixtures/article",
            "engine": "html",
            "actions": {
              "title": "h1",
              "body": "p",
              "cta": "a.sf-cta@href"
            }
         }'
   ```

   `/scrape` always returns an **array** (one item per URL):

   ```json
   [
     {
        "url": "https://scrapesilo.com/fixtures/article",
        "data": {
          "title": "How to pin an article field",
          "body": "This lead is the body field. Select the first paragraph after the heading.",
          "cta": "https://scrapesilo.com/docs/quickstart"
        },
       "tookMs": 312,
       "executionId": "ex_…",
       "antibot": []
     }
   ]
   ```

   Open the [/executions](/executions) page in the dashboard to inspect the full request/result/error JSON for the run.

3. Interpretation — analyse

   For outlines, summaries, or “is X present?” use `POST /analyse` (or the MCP `analyse` tool). That is a separate surface — scrape only runs an `actions` plan. Do not send `query` on `/scrape`.

   ```bash
   curl -sS -X POST https://api.scrapesilo.com/analyse \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer sf_…" \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{
            "url": "https://scrapesilo.com/fixtures/prose",
            "query": "Outline the article sections and state the main claim in one sentence."
         }'
   ```

4. Need JS or clicks? Use browser

   `html` is a plain HTTP fetch — no JavaScript. Switch to `"engine": "browser"` when the page is a SPA, needs clicks/fills, or fields come back empty. Same `actions` tree; 5 credits per URL. See [Engines](/docs/engines).

</Steps>

Every scrape spends credits from your plan's monthly pool (the free tier starts with 1,000). Cost depends on the engine — `html` is 1 credit, `analyse` is 3, `browser` is 5.

## Copy for an agent

```
ScrapeSilo API: https://api.scrapesilo.com
Auth: Authorization: Bearer $SCRAPESILO_API_KEY

Rules:
- POST /scrape extracts exact fields. Required: url, engine ("html" | "browser"), actions. No query field. CSS selectors, no css= prefix (e.g. h1@text). Response is always an array of { url, data, tookMs, executionId, antibot }.
- POST /analyse interprets a page (outline, summary, flags). Required: url, query. Not a CSS plan.
- Credits per URL: html 1, analyse 3, browser 5. Use browser only when the page needs JS or interaction.

curl -sS -X POST https://api.scrapesilo.com/scrape \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SCRAPESILO_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
        "url": "https://scrapesilo.com/fixtures/article",
        "engine": "html",
        "actions": { "title": "h1", "body": "p", "cta": "a.sf-cta@href" }
      }'

curl -sS -X POST https://api.scrapesilo.com/analyse \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SCRAPESILO_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
        "url": "https://scrapesilo.com/fixtures/prose",
        "query": "Outline the article sections and state the main claim in one sentence."
      }'
```

## Where to next

- [Engines](/docs/engines) — pick HTML or Browser.
- [Actions DSL](/docs/actions-dsl) — full selector + attribute reference.
- [Pricing & quotas](/docs/pricing) — credit costs, plans, and limits.
- [MCP](/docs/mcp) — drive scrapes from Claude Code or another MCP client.