F-Droid Apps Search Scraper is a BrowserAct Bot template for collecting structured Android app records from public F-Droid search results. Configure a keyword and result count, then run the Bot to return ranked app metadata for open source app discovery, software research, mobile ecosystem monitoring, developer tooling, or automation workflows.
What Does BrowserAct F-Droid Apps Search Scraper Do?
This template searches F-Droid's public catalog for your keyword, extracts public app result cards, follows the official next-page link when needed, and returns one structured record per Android app.
Key Features
- Extract public F-Droid search results without requiring a login.
- Capture rank, app name, app URL, package ID, summary, license, optional visible metadata, and search keyword.
- Configure base URL, keyword, and count.
- Follow F-Droid's real next-page link instead of blindly incrementing page numbers.
- Keep app metadata ready for software catalogs, research reports, dashboards, and agent workflows.
What Data Can I Extract from F-Droid?
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
rank |
Search result position assigned by the Bot. |
app_name |
Android app name. |
app_url |
Public F-Droid app page URL. |
package_id |
Android package ID parsed from the app URL. |
summary |
App summary shown on the search card. |
version |
Version when visible. |
last_updated |
Last updated time when visible. |
license |
License shown on the search card. |
categories |
Categories or tags when visible. |
source_code_url |
Source code URL when visible. |
search_keyword |
Keyword used for the run. |
How to Use F-Droid Apps Search Scraper
- Click Run task.
- Enter the F-Droid base URL.
- Enter an app type, feature, category, or Android software keyword.
- Set how many app records to collect.
- Run the Bot and review the structured F-Droid app results.
- Reuse the Bot with another keyword or connect the output to your workflow.
Input Parameters
| Parameter | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
base_url |
Yes | https://f-droid.org |
F-Droid base URL. The Bot uses F-Droid's public search service for keyword results. |
keyword |
Yes | notes |
Search keyword used to find apps in the F-Droid catalog. |
count |
Yes | 20 |
Maximum number of app records to return. |
Example Output
{
"results": [
{
"rank": 1,
"app_name": "Easy Notes",
"app_url": "https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.kin.easynotes",
"package_id": "com.kin.easynotes",
"summary": "Private, Material, Markdown supported notes app.",
"version": "",
"last_updated": "",
"license": "GPL-3.0-or-later",
"categories": "",
"source_code_url": "",
"search_keyword": "notes"
}
]
}
How Does it Work?
BrowserAct uses F-Droid's official public search endpoint to return real keyword-filtered app results. The standard catalog URL with a q parameter shows a browse page rather than keyword search results, so the Bot follows the search service used by F-Droid itself.
For each result card, BrowserAct extracts the app name, app URL, package ID, summary, license, and keyword. When count is higher than the first page, BrowserAct follows F-Droid's visible next-page link. This matters because forcing page numbers beyond the last page can return fuzzy over-matches, while the next-page link reflects the actual search result boundary.
How to Build a New Scraper Bot with Agent Built
Step 1: Describe the Data You Need
Open BrowserAct and start Agent Built from the Home prompt box or from Create -> Build with Agent. Paste a clear request that includes the website, the records to collect, the filters or search conditions, the fields to return, the result limit, and the inputs you want to reuse later.
Step 2: Let BrowserAct Build and Test the Bot
BrowserAct explores the live website, works out the navigation and extraction path, and validates the result. If BrowserAct asks for clarification, reply in the same build conversation with the missing URL, condition, field, example, or expected output.
Step 3: Run the Bot and Review the Result
When the build is complete, run the Bot with the default inputs first. Review the structured records, source URLs, missing fields, and row count before reusing the Bot with new inputs or connecting it to another workflow.
Why Scrape F-Droid App Search Results?
F-Droid search data helps teams discover open source Android apps, compare app alternatives, monitor mobile software categories, review privacy-friendly tools, and route app metadata into research reports, software catalogs, dashboards, or agent workflows.
Who Can Use This Template?
- Android developers researching open source apps and alternatives.
- Product researchers comparing mobile app categories.
- Privacy and security teams reviewing open source Android tools.
- Developer tooling teams building app discovery workflows.
- Automation builders routing app metadata into spreadsheets, databases, alerts, or agents.
How Many Results Can You Scrape?
Use count to control the number of F-Droid app records returned. F-Droid search typically shows 20 results per page, and BrowserAct follows the site's next-page link until the requested count is reached or the search results run out.
Automation and Export
BrowserAct returns structured F-Droid app records first. You can then use the output through API JSON responses, n8n workflows, Make scenarios, Zapier automations, MCP-based agent workflows configured from the Bot's Integrations tab, or manual CSV review.
Need Help?
Contact us at
Discord: Discord Community
E-mail: service@browseract.com
