---
name: apify-install-auth-56008a6b0846
description: 'Install and configure Apify SDK, CLI, and API client authentication.

  Use when setting up a new Apify project, configuring API tokens,

  or initializing apify-client / Apify SDK in your codebase.

  Trigger with "install apify", "setup apify", "apify auth", "configure apify token".

  '
allowed-tools: Read, Write, Bash(npm:*), Bash(npx:*), Bash(apify:*)
version: 1.5.0
license: MIT
author: Jeremy Longshore <jeremy@intentsolutions.io>
tags:
- saas
- scraping
- automation
- apify
compatibility: Designed for Claude Code
---
# Apify Install & Auth

## Overview

Set up the Apify ecosystem: the `apify-client` JS library (for calling Actors remotely), the `apify` SDK (for building Actors), the Apify CLI (for deploying), and Crawlee (for crawling). Each package serves a different purpose — install only what the task needs, then wire up a single API token.

## Package Map

| Package | npm | Purpose |
|---------|-----|---------|
| `apify-client` | `npm i apify-client` | Call Actors, manage datasets/KV stores from external apps |
| `apify` | `npm i apify` | Build Actors (includes `Actor.init()`, `Actor.pushData()`) |
| `crawlee` | `npm i crawlee` | Crawler framework (Cheerio, Playwright, Puppeteer crawlers) |
| `apify-cli` | `npm i -g apify-cli` | CLI for `apify login`, `apify run`, `apify push` |

## Prerequisites

- Node.js 18+ (required by SDK v3+)
- Apify account at https://console.apify.com
- API token from Settings > Integrations in Apify Console

## Instructions

### Step 1: Install Packages

```bash
# For CALLING existing Actors from your app:
npm install apify-client

# For BUILDING your own Actors:
npm install apify crawlee

# For CLI deployment:
npm install -g apify-cli
```

### Step 2: Configure Authentication

Pick one. Read any existing `.env` first so you do not clobber it, then Write the token in.

```bash
# Option A: Environment variable (recommended for apps)
export APIFY_TOKEN="apify_api_YOUR_TOKEN_HERE"

# Option B: .env file (add .env to .gitignore)
echo 'APIFY_TOKEN=apify_api_YOUR_TOKEN_HERE' >> .env

# Option C: CLI login (for interactive development)
apify login
# Paste your token when prompted
```

The `APIFY_TOKEN` env var is auto-detected by both `apify-client` and the `apify` SDK. For every place a token can be supplied (constructor option, header, precedence) plus the full platform env-var list, see [authentication reference](references/authentication.md).

### Step 3: Verify Connection

```typescript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });

// List your Actors to confirm auth works
const { items } = await client.actors().list();
console.log(`Authenticated. You have ${items.length} Actors.`);
```

### Step 4: Verify CLI (if installed)

```bash
apify login --token YOUR_TOKEN
apify info  # Shows your account info
```

## Output

A working, authenticated Apify setup:

- The needed packages installed in `node_modules` (verify with `npm ls apify-client`).
- `APIFY_TOKEN` available to the process — via a Write to `.env`, an exported shell var, or `apify login` credentials in `~/.apify/auth.json`.
- The Step 3 snippet printing `Authenticated. You have N Actors.` — proof the token reaches the API.
- `apify info` showing your account (only when the CLI was installed in Step 1).

If the verify snippet throws instead of printing the count, jump to Error Handling below.

## Error Handling

| Error | Cause | Solution |
|-------|-------|----------|
| `401 Unauthorized` | Invalid or expired token | Regenerate token in Console > Settings > Integrations |
| `Cannot find module 'apify-client'` | Package not installed | `npm install apify-client` |
| `APIFY_TOKEN is not set` | Missing env var | Export `APIFY_TOKEN` or pass `token` to constructor |
| `apify: command not found` | CLI not installed globally | `npm install -g apify-cli` |

## Examples

The essential singleton-client skeleton:

```typescript
// src/apify/client.ts
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';
import 'dotenv/config';

let client: ApifyClient | null = null;

export function getClient(): ApifyClient {
  if (!client) {
    if (!process.env.APIFY_TOKEN) {
      throw new Error('APIFY_TOKEN environment variable is required');
    }
    client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });
  }
  return client;
}
```

For the full worked set — the `.env.example` template, the verify snippet, and CLI verification — see [worked examples](references/examples.md).

## Resources

- [Apify Console — API Tokens](https://console.apify.com/account/integrations)
- [JS Client Quick Start](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs/introduction/quick-start)
- [Apify CLI Reference](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs/reference)
- [SDK for JavaScript](https://docs.apify.com/sdk/js)

## Next Steps

With the client authenticated, proceed to `apify-hello-world` to make your first
Actor call and push results to a dataset. If you are building your own Actor
instead of calling one, the `apify` SDK and Crawlee installed above are your
starting point — deploy with `apify push`.


---
Source attribution: jeremylongshore
Original project: https://github.com/jeremylongshore/claude-code-plugins-plus-skills/blob/ab85a061f7bcc039dac13ee193de7a4cd4388571/plugins/saas-packs/apify-pack/skills/apify-install-auth/SKILL.md
License: MIT
License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit
Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Mega AI Hub.

## Upstream license notice

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2025 Jeremy Longshore

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.



# Mega AI Hub resource metadata

Creator / publisher: jeremylongshore
Original project: https://github.com/jeremylongshore/claude-code-plugins-plus-skills/blob/ab85a061f7bcc039dac13ee193de7a4cd4388571/plugins/saas-packs/apify-pack/skills/apify-install-auth/SKILL.md
Attribution basis: Source repository record

Fields of work: Development & Engineering, Marketing
Roles: Backend Developer, Data Engineer, Growth Marketer
Specialties: API, Backend
Tools: Apify
Country applicability: Country not specified
Classification basis: Source catalog labels
Instruction SHA-256: 4c1cfc80506796e4a5420ac06fd6fc4be26f59cad9728f7df6de087d1712408e