MetaCPAN Module Search Scraper is a BrowserAct Bot template for collecting structured public Perl module and release records from MetaCPAN. Configure a MetaCPAN API base URL, keyword, and result count, then run the Bot to return ranked package metadata for dependency research, ecosystem monitoring, package discovery, or automation workflows.
What Does BrowserAct MetaCPAN Module Search Scraper Do?
This template opens MetaCPAN's public release search JSON endpoint, parses each result from the response, derives a MetaCPAN release page URL, and returns one structured record per Perl release.
Key Features
- Extract public MetaCPAN release search results without requiring a login.
- Capture distribution, release name, abstract, author, version, release date, download URL, status, maturity, license, score, and search keyword.
- Derive a public MetaCPAN release page URL from the author and release name.
- Configure base URL, keyword, and count.
- Return structured JSON records ready for API, workflow, or spreadsheet use.
What Data Can I Extract from MetaCPAN?
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
rank |
Search result position assigned by the Bot. |
distribution |
Distribution name returned by MetaCPAN. |
release_name |
Release archive name. |
abstract |
Release abstract or description. |
author |
MetaCPAN author ID. |
version |
Release version. |
release_date |
Release date from the public API. |
download_url |
CPAN download URL. |
metacpan_url |
Derived MetaCPAN release page URL. |
status |
Release status when returned. |
maturity |
Release maturity when returned. |
license |
License value returned by MetaCPAN. |
score |
Search relevance score. |
search_keyword |
Keyword used for the run. |
How to Use MetaCPAN Module Search Scraper
- Click Run task.
- Enter the MetaCPAN API base URL.
- Enter a module, distribution, topic, or package keyword.
- Set how many records to collect.
- Run the Bot and review the structured Perl package results.
- Reuse the Bot with another keyword or connect the output to your workflow.
Input Parameters
| Parameter | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
base_url |
Yes | https://fastapi.metacpan.org |
MetaCPAN public API base URL. |
keyword |
Yes | json |
Search keyword passed to MetaCPAN. |
count |
Yes | 20 |
Maximum number of release records to return. |
Example Output
The table below uses records preserved from the validated Bot run. Up to the first 5 records are shown, and long values are shortened in this documentation preview.
| rank | distribution | release_name | abstract | author | version | release_date | download_url | metacpan_url | status | maturity | license | score | search_keyword |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JSON | JSON-0.98 | (halfway) server implementation of JSON-RPC protocol | MAKAMAKA | 0.98 | 2005-07-18T01:53:41 | https://cpan.metacpan.org/authors/id/M/MA/MAKAMAKA/JSON-0.98.tar.gz | https://metacpan.org/release/MAKAMAKA/JSON-0.98 | backpan | released | unknown | 8.360952 | json |
How Does it Work?
BrowserAct builds the public MetaCPAN API URL in the format {base_url}/v1/release/_search?q={keyword}&size={count}. The response contains a hits.hits array, where each item represents one public Perl release search result.
For each hit, BrowserAct reads _score and _source fields, maps release metadata into a flat record, joins license values when needed, and derives the MetaCPAN release page URL as https://metacpan.org/release/{author}/{release_name}. The Bot stops when it reaches count or when MetaCPAN returns fewer public results.
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 MetaCPAN Module Results?
MetaCPAN data helps developers discover Perl modules, compare release metadata, monitor package ecosystems, enrich dependency inventories, and route package data into dashboards, reports, alerts, or agent workflows.
Who Can Use This Template?
- Perl developers researching modules and releases.
- Platform teams enriching dependency inventories.
- Open source researchers monitoring CPAN package activity.
- Security and compliance teams reviewing public package metadata.
- Automation builders routing package data into spreadsheets, databases, alerts, or agents.
How Many Results Can You Scrape?
Use count to control the number of records returned. MetaCPAN returns fewer records when fewer public matches are available.
Automation and Export
BrowserAct returns structured MetaCPAN 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
