Vexaloom Labs

Facebook Group Feed & Engagement Extractor

Pull posts from any public Facebook group with full text, media, reaction breakdown, top comments and reshares, plus optional group member count, admins and rules.

Input schema

Input fields, types, required flags, descriptions, defaults, and prefills come from the published definition. Prefill examples are distinct from defaults.

FieldTypeRequiredDescription
startUrlsarrayrequiredFacebook group URLs, bare group slugs or numeric IDs, or links to individual group posts.
sortBystringoptionalHow to order each group's feed.
maxItemsintegeroptionalMaximum number of posts to return per group. Post links always return one post.
Show all input fields
FieldTypeRequiredDescription
startUrlsarrayrequiredFacebook group URLs, bare group slugs or numeric IDs, or links to individual group posts.
sortBystringoptionalHow to order each group's feed.
maxItemsintegeroptionalMaximum number of posts to return per group. Post links always return one post.
includeTopCommentsbooleanoptionalInclude each post's inline top comments, with comment text, author, reactions and reply count.
fetchAllCommentsbooleanoptionalFetch the full comment thread for each post, not just the inline top comments. This is slower and can add many rows of comment data.
maxCommentsPerPostintegeroptionalComment budget per post, including replies. Only used when full comment threads are enabled.
includeCommentRepliesbooleanoptionalAttach replies to each fetched comment. Only used when full comment threads are enabled.
onlyPostsNewerThanstringoptionalKeep posts created after this date. Use YYYY-MM-DD or a relative value such as '7 days' or '24 hours'. Applied while collecting posts.
onlyPostsOlderThanstringoptionalKeep posts created before this date. Use YYYY-MM-DD or a relative value such as '30 days'.
searchKeywordstringoptionalKeep only posts whose text contains this keyword (case-insensitive). Applied while collecting posts.
enrichGroupInfobooleanoptionalAdd the group's name, description, member count, creation date, privacy, rules and admins to posts. Works for public groups; private groups return their public profile only.
monitoringModebooleanoptionalReturn only posts not seen in a previous run for the same group or post link, so scheduled runs return just what is new.

Download the published input schema

View complete JSON
{
  "properties": {
    "enrichGroupInfo": {
      "default": false,
      "description": "Add the group's name, description, member count, creation date, privacy, rules and admins to posts. Works for public groups; private groups return their public profile only.",
      "editor": "checkbox",
      "prefill": false,
      "title": "Include group profile",
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "fetchAllComments": {
      "default": false,
      "description": "Fetch the full comment thread for each post, not just the inline top comments. This is slower and can add many rows of comment data.",
      "editor": "checkbox",
      "prefill": false,
      "title": "Fetch full comment threads",
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "includeCommentReplies": {
      "default": true,
      "description": "Attach replies to each fetched comment. Only used when full comment threads are enabled.",
      "editor": "checkbox",
      "prefill": true,
      "title": "Include comment replies",
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "includeTopComments": {
      "default": true,
      "description": "Include each post's inline top comments, with comment text, author, reactions and reply count.",
      "editor": "checkbox",
      "prefill": true,
      "title": "Include top comments",
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "maxCommentsPerPost": {
      "default": 20,
      "description": "Comment budget per post, including replies. Only used when full comment threads are enabled.",
      "editor": "number",
      "maximum": 200,
      "minimum": 1,
      "prefill": 5,
      "title": "Max comments per post",
      "type": "integer"
    },
    "maxItems": {
      "default": 50,
      "description": "Maximum number of posts to return per group. Post links always return one post.",
      "editor": "number",
      "maximum": 500,
      "minimum": 1,
      "prefill": 3,
      "title": "Max posts per group",
      "type": "integer"
    },
    "monitoringMode": {
      "default": false,
      "description": "Return only posts not seen in a previous run for the same group or post link, so scheduled runs return just what is new.",
      "editor": "checkbox",
      "prefill": false,
      "title": "Monitor mode (only new posts)",
      "type": "boolean"
    },
    "onlyPostsNewerThan": {
      "description": "Keep posts created after this date. Use YYYY-MM-DD or a relative value such as '7 days' or '24 hours'. Applied while collecting posts.",
      "editor": "textfield",
      "title": "Only posts newer than",
      "type": "string"
    },
    "onlyPostsOlderThan": {
      "description": "Keep posts created before this date. Use YYYY-MM-DD or a relative value such as '30 days'.",
      "editor": "textfield",
      "title": "Only posts older than",
      "type": "string"
    },
    "searchKeyword": {
      "description": "Keep only posts whose text contains this keyword (case-insensitive). Applied while collecting posts.",
      "editor": "textfield",
      "title": "Keyword filter",
      "type": "string"
    },
    "sortBy": {
      "default": "top",
      "description": "How to order each group's feed.",
      "editor": "select",
      "enum": [
        "top",
        "chronological",
        "recent_activity",
        "listings"
      ],
      "enumTitles": [
        "Top posts",
        "Chronological (newest first)",
        "Recent activity",
        "Buy/sell listings"
      ],
      "title": "Sort by",
      "type": "string"
    },
    "startUrls": {
      "description": "Facebook group URLs, bare group slugs or numeric IDs, or links to individual group posts.",
      "editor": "stringList",
      "items": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "minItems": 1,
      "prefill": [
        "https://www.facebook.com/groups/pythondevelopers/"
      ],
      "title": "Group or post URLs",
      "type": "array"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "startUrls"
  ],
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "title": "Facebook Group Feed & Engagement Extractor Input",
  "type": "object"
}

Output schema

Published result links and storage locations. This schema is not an exhaustive contract for every field in a dataset record.

FieldTypeRequiredDescription
postsstringoptionalDataset containing all scraped Facebook group posts and status rows.

Download the published output schema

View complete JSON
{
  "actorOutputSchemaVersion": 1,
  "description": "Dataset of public Facebook group posts with text, media, reactions, comment threads, reshares and optional group profile data. Rows for private or empty groups carry a status message plus public group metadata when enrichment is enabled.",
  "properties": {
    "posts": {
      "description": "Dataset containing all scraped Facebook group posts and status rows.",
      "template": "{{links.apiDefaultDatasetUrl}}/items",
      "title": "Group posts",
      "type": "string"
    }
  },
  "title": "Facebook Group Feed & Engagement Extractor Output"
}

Dataset schema

Published dataset views and any declared field definitions. A view can select only a subset of the returned record fields.

Download the published dataset schema

View complete JSON
{
  "actorSpecification": 1,
  "title": "Facebook Group Posts",
  "views": {
    "overview": {
      "display": {
        "component": "table",
        "properties": {
          "authorName": {
            "format": "text",
            "label": "Author"
          },
          "commentsCount": {
            "format": "number",
            "label": "Comments"
          },
          "creationTime": {
            "format": "text",
            "label": "Posted"
          },
          "permalinkUrl": {
            "format": "link",
            "label": "URL"
          },
          "postId": {
            "format": "text",
            "label": "Post ID"
          },
          "reactionsTotal": {
            "format": "number",
            "label": "Reactions"
          },
          "text": {
            "format": "text",
            "label": "Text"
          }
        }
      },
      "title": "Post Overview",
      "transformation": {
        "fields": [
          "postId",
          "authorName",
          "text",
          "creationTime",
          "reactionsTotal",
          "commentsCount",
          "permalinkUrl"
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Key-value schema

Published key-value store definitions, when provided by this build.

This definition is not present in the default published build. See the published README for available documentation.

Published README

Read the full published documentation

Facebook Group Feed & Engagement Extractor

Collect public Facebook group posts as structured data: full text, author, timestamp, media, reaction breakdown, comment and share counts, top comments, reshares, and optional full comment threads. Add group profiles, paste individual post links, or monitor a group on a schedule — without logging in or supplying cookies.

What this actor does

  • Scrape public group feeds from a group URL, bare slug, or numeric group ID.
  • Scrape individual group posts by pasting one or more post links.
  • Fetch full comment threads with comment text, author, reactions, timestamps, and nested replies.
  • Include group profiles: name where available, description, exact member count, creation date, privacy, rules, plus admins and tags when Facebook exposes them.
  • Work with private groups honestly: their posts are not public, but their public profile data (description, member count, rules, privacy) is returned when group enrichment is enabled.
  • Four feed orders: top posts, chronological, recent activity, and buy/sell listings.
  • Filter while collecting: date range, keyword, and monitor mode for new posts only.
  • Handle mixed languages and formats: English, Arabic, Vietnamese, and other group content is returned as written.
  • Omit empty fields at every level — no nulls or blank placeholders.

Output per post

Field Type Description
postId string Facebook post ID
id string Facebook's internal post identifier
permalinkUrl string Direct link to the post
groupId string Group ID
groupUrl string Group URL
text string Full post text
postType string text, photo, video, link, or share
hashtags array Hashtag links found in the post
mentions array Mentioned profiles or pages, when present
externalLinks array Clean destination links found in the post
creationTime integer Unix timestamp
authorId string Post author ID
authorName string Post author name
authorUrl string Author profile URL; a profile.php fallback is flagged
authorUrlIsFallback boolean true when the author URL was built from the numeric ID
attachments array Photos/videos with direct media URLs, dimensions and image captions
reactionsTotal integer Total reactions
reactionBreakdown array Reactions by type (Like, Love, Care, Haha, Wow, Sad, Angry)
commentsCount integer Total comments including replies
commentsVisible integer Comments visible without a login, when a full thread is fetched
comments array Full comment thread, when enabled; each comment can include replies
sharesCount integer Share count
topComments array Inline top comments with author, reactions and reply count
sharedPost object Original post details when this post is a reshare
group object Group profile data when enrichment is enabled
inputUrl string The input URL that produced this record
scrapedAt string ISO 8601 scrape time

Comment fields

Comments carry id, text, authorId, authorName, authorUrl, createdAt, reactionsTotal, replyCount, and permalinkUrl when Facebook exposes them; missing fields are omitted. Comments fetched with replies enabled also carry a replies array using the same shape.

Group profile fields

id, name when available (post-link mode; some group-feed About payloads omit it), url, description, memberCount, memberCountFormatted, createdAt, admins, rules, privacy, discoverability, and tags.

Private and empty groups produce a status row with _status, _inputUrl, _groupUrl, _message, scrapedAt, and the public group object when enrichment is enabled.

Input

Field Type Default Description
startUrls array — Group URLs, bare slugs, numeric group IDs, or group post URLs (required)
sortBy select top top, chronological, recent_activity, listings
maxItems integer 50 Posts per group (1–500); post links always return one
includeTopComments boolean true Include inline top comments
fetchAllComments boolean false Fetch each post's full comment thread
maxCommentsPerPost integer 20 Comment budget per post, including replies
includeCommentReplies boolean true Attach replies to fetched comments
onlyPostsNewerThan string — YYYY-MM-DD, ISO date, or relative value such as 7 days
onlyPostsOlderThan string — Same formats; keeps older posts
searchKeyword string — Case-insensitive keyword filter
enrichGroupInfo boolean false Attach group profile data to posts; also returns a profile row for private/empty groups
monitoringMode boolean false Return only posts not seen in a previous run

Examples

Scrape the newest 50 posts from a group:

{
    "startUrls": ["https://www.facebook.com/groups/pythondevelopers/"],
    "sortBy": "chronological",
    "maxItems": 50
}

Fetch full comment threads for two group posts:

{
    "startUrls": [
        "https://www.facebook.com/groups/pythondevelopers/posts/29000349089604342/",
        "https://www.facebook.com/groups/OPonemillion/posts/29298552993071994/"
    ],
    "fetchAllComments": true,
    "maxCommentsPerPost": 50,
    "includeCommentReplies": true
}

Monitor a group and include its profile:

{
    "startUrls": ["https://www.facebook.com/groups/pythondevelopers/"],
    "sortBy": "recent_activity",
    "maxItems": 100,
    "enrichGroupInfo": true,
    "monitoringMode": true
}

Supported URL formats

  • https://www.facebook.com/groups/pythondevelopers/
  • https://www.facebook.com/groups/527595400639758/
  • pythondevelopers or 527595400639758
  • https://www.facebook.com/groups/pythondevelopers/posts/29000349089604342/
  • https://www.facebook.com/groups/pythondevelopers/permalink/29000349089604342/
  • Mobile and web variants of the same links

FAQ

Do I need a Facebook account, cookies, or a proxy? No. The actor reads public data without logging in and chooses its connection automatically. You do not need to configure a proxy.

Can it scrape private groups? Private group posts are not available without membership. The actor returns the group's public profile when group enrichment is enabled, and a clear status message explaining that posts are private.

Why are some engagement fields missing, and why do others show 0? Facebook reports 0 for some posts with no reactions, comments, or shares; those exact zeros are kept. Fields Facebook does not return at all are omitted, along with empty strings, arrays, objects, and nulls. Counts are preserved exactly as Facebook reports them, never rounded up or fabricated.

Are date and keyword filters applied by Facebook? No. Facebook's group feed does not expose a server-side date or keyword filter, so the actor applies these filters while collecting posts. A very narrow filter can stop after the configured scan ceiling; the status message explains this.

Why is videoUrl missing on some video posts? Facebook exposes a direct MP4 for some group videos only. When it does not, the actor returns the thumbnail, duration, dimensions, and permalink instead of inventing a URL.

How many comments can I get? Facebook serves comments in pages of ten. Set maxCommentsPerPost to control the budget. Public visibility can be lower than the total shown on the post; commentsVisible reports what was available.

Why is a group feed shorter than the requested number of posts? Facebook returns three posts per request and may stop serving older posts. The actor stops when the feed ends or the requested number is reached.

Does this actor use cookies or a login for post links? No. Public group post links and their comment threads are read without authentication.

Can I export the results? Yes. Any run's dataset can be exported to JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, or pushed to Google Sheets from the run page.

Python quickstart

Use a schema-derived input and the Python standard library to start a run. An Apify account and token are required for execution.

Open the step-by-step Python guide →

Source build Dg4WzPhie7Uh9fl7g. Documentation is regenerated from the default published build; private drafts are not included.