Open VSX Extension Search Scraper is a BrowserAct Bot template for collecting structured public extension records from Open VSX. Configure an Open VSX base URL, keyword, and result count, then run the Bot to return extension names, namespaces, versions, download counts, ratings, descriptions, and extension URLs for developer tooling research, marketplace monitoring, or automation workflows.
What Does BrowserAct Open VSX Extension Search Scraper Do?
This template opens the public Open VSX search JSON endpoint, parses extension records, derives public extension page URLs, and returns one structured record per extension.
Key Features
- Extract public Open VSX extension search results without requiring a login.
- Capture extension name, namespace, display name, description, version, publish timestamp, download count, review count, average rating, and search keyword.
- Derive the public Open VSX extension page URL from namespace and extension name.
- Configure base URL, keyword, and count.
- Preserve optional fields as empty when the search API does not expose them.
What Data Can I Extract from Open VSX?
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
rank |
Search result position assigned by the Bot. |
name |
Extension name. |
namespace |
Publisher or namespace. |
display_name |
Display name shown by Open VSX. |
description |
Extension description from the search result. |
extension_url |
Public Open VSX extension page URL. |
version |
Latest version returned by the search API. |
published_timestamp |
Published timestamp for the latest indexed version. |
download_count |
Download count returned by Open VSX. |
review_count |
Review count when available. |
average_rating |
Average rating when available. |
repository_url |
Repository URL when visible. |
license |
License when visible. |
categories |
Tags or categories when visible. |
search_keyword |
Keyword used for the run. |
How to Use Open VSX Extension Search Scraper
- Click Run task.
- Enter the Open VSX base URL.
- Enter an extension, language, framework, or tooling keyword.
- Set how many extension records to collect.
- Run the Bot and review the structured extension results.
- Reuse the Bot with another keyword or connect the output to your workflow.
Input Parameters
| Parameter | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
base_url |
Yes | https://open-vsx.org |
Open VSX instance base URL without a trailing slash. |
keyword |
Yes | python |
Search keyword sent to Open VSX. |
count |
Yes | 20 |
Maximum number of public extension records to collect. |
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 | name | namespace | display_name | description | extension_url | version | published_timestamp | download_count | review_count | average_rating | repository_url | license | categories | search_keyword |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | pyrefly | meta | Pyrefly - Python Language Tooling | Python autocomplete, typechecking, code navigation and more! | https://open-vsx.org/extension/meta/pyrefly | 1.2.9002 | 2026-08-18T21:58:53.549203Z | 79160374 | 7 | 4.428571428571429 | null | null | null | python |
How Does it Work?
BrowserAct builds the public Open VSX URL in the format {base_url}/api/-/search?query={keyword}&size={count}. The response contains an extensions array, where each item is one extension search result.
For each extension, BrowserAct reads the visible JSON fields, including name, namespace, display name, description, version, timestamp, download count, rating, and review count. The public extension URL is derived as {base_url}/extension/{namespace}/{name}. Fields not included in the search response, such as repository URL, license, and categories, are returned empty.
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 Open VSX Extension Results?
Open VSX extension data helps teams discover developer tools, compare extension adoption, monitor marketplace trends, identify popular language tooling, and route extension metadata into dashboards, alerts, or agent workflows.
Who Can Use This Template?
- Developers researching public editor extensions.
- DevRel teams monitoring developer tooling ecosystems.
- Product teams tracking extension adoption and competitors.
- Marketplace researchers comparing download and rating data.
- Automation builders routing extension data into spreadsheets, databases, alerts, or agents.
How Many Results Can You Scrape?
Use count to control the number of extension records returned. Open VSX returns fewer records when fewer public matches are available.
Automation and Export
BrowserAct returns structured Open VSX extension 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
