From b6c9df1e686b243c8af81a6d1a4cf88ca7afab74 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Marcel Rebro Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:52:59 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 1/8] docs: add Apify AI launch coverage Introduce Apify AI - the conversational AI interface inside Apify Console - and explain that Actors are ranked across Store search, the MCP server, and Apify AI by the same Actor quality score. Refs: https://github.com/apify/apify-docs/issues/2625 Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) --- .../apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md | 4 ++ .../actors/publishing/quality_score.mdx | 10 ++++ sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md | 46 +++++++++++++++++++ sources/platform/console/store.md | 4 ++ sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md | 9 ++++ 5 files changed, 73 insertions(+) create mode 100644 sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md diff --git a/sources/academy/build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md b/sources/academy/build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md index 6f936f5651..fc4fef6e0b 100644 --- a/sources/academy/build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md +++ b/sources/academy/build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md @@ -100,6 +100,10 @@ Since the **Issues** tab is public, the level of activity - or lack thereof - ca Learn more about how to handle the [Issues tab](/academy/actor-marketing-playbook/interact-with-users/issues-tab) +## How to make your Actor appear in search + +Apify ranks Actors in Apify Store search, the [Apify MCP server](/platform/integrations/mcp) `search-actors` tool, and [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai) using the same metric: the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score). Improving your quality score lifts visibility across all three surfaces at once - there is no separate optimization for AI-driven discovery. + ## Resources - Best practices on setting up [testing for your Actor](https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/publishing/test) diff --git a/sources/platform/actors/publishing/quality_score.mdx b/sources/platform/actors/publishing/quality_score.mdx index 76ddf37889..01392f7a76 100644 --- a/sources/platform/actors/publishing/quality_score.mdx +++ b/sources/platform/actors/publishing/quality_score.mdx @@ -9,6 +9,16 @@ The Actor quality score is a metric that evaluates your Actor's performance acro --- +## How the quality score affects ranking + +The Actor quality score drives ranking across all three Apify search surfaces: + +- _Apify Store search_ at [apify.com/store](https://apify.com/store). +- The _Apify MCP server_ `search-actors` tool used by external AI agents. See [Apify MCP server](/platform/integrations/mcp). +- _Apify AI_, the conversational interface inside Apify Console. See [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai). + +All three surfaces use the same backend, so a higher quality score lifts your Actor's visibility across each of them at once. There is no separate ranking mechanism for AI-driven discovery, and you do not need to optimize separately for it. + ## How to view your score Navigate to **Console > Insights > Actor quality**, and then select your Actor. diff --git a/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md b/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..5b7eacdf23 --- /dev/null +++ b/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md @@ -0,0 +1,46 @@ +--- +title: Apify AI +description: Apify AI is the conversational AI interface inside Apify Console for finding and running Actors using natural language, instead of keyword search. +sidebar_position: 2.5 +category: platform +slug: /console/apify-ai +--- + +Apify AI is a conversational AI interface inside [Apify Console](https://console.apify.com) that lets you describe what you want in plain English and runs the right Actor for you. It is powered by the same search and execution backend as [Apify Store](https://apify.com/store) search and the [Apify MCP server](/platform/integrations/mcp), so improvements to an Actor's quality lift its visibility across all three surfaces. + + + +## Where to find Apify AI + +Apify AI has two entry points in Apify Console: + +- _Store search bar_ - long, intent-heavy queries are routed to Apify AI. Short keyword queries continue to use the regular Store search. +- _Dashboard widget_ - a chat widget on the Console dashboard. + +## What you can do with Apify AI + +Apify AI currently supports the core discovery and execution workflow: + +- Search Apify Store for an Actor that matches your goal. +- View an Actor's details, including its input schema and pricing. +- Run an Actor with inputs that Apify AI fills in from your description. +- Fetch results from the Actor's default dataset. + +## Out of current scope + +Apify AI does not yet support the following operations. Use Apify Console directly for these: + +- Creating or running [tasks](/platform/actors/running/tasks). +- Setting up [schedules](/platform/schedules). +- [Publishing](/platform/actors/publishing) Actors. +- Configuring external [integrations](/platform/integrations). + +## For Actor creators + +Actors are ranked in Apify AI by the same [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score) that drives ranking in Apify Store search and the MCP server `search-actors` tool. Improving your quality score lifts your Actor's visibility across all three surfaces at once. See [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score) for what the score measures and how to improve it. + +## Related + +- [Apify MCP server](/platform/integrations/mcp) - the programmatic interface to the same backend for external AI agents and CLIs. +- [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score) - how Apify ranks Actors across search surfaces. +- [Apify Store](/console/store) - the Console view of the Store, including the search bar entry point. diff --git a/sources/platform/console/store.md b/sources/platform/console/store.md index 81262dbe4d..3860166965 100644 --- a/sources/platform/console/store.md +++ b/sources/platform/console/store.md @@ -18,4 +18,8 @@ You can also organize the results from the store by different criteria, includin Once you select an Actor from the store, you'll be directed to its specific page. Here, you can configure the settings for your future Actor run, save these configurations for later use, or run the Actor immediately. +## AI-powered search + +The Store search bar routes long, intent-heavy queries to [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai), the conversational AI interface inside Apify Console. Short keyword queries continue to use the regular Store search. Both surfaces use the same backend and rank Actors by the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score). + For more information, see [Actors in Store](/sources/platform/actors/running/store/index.md). diff --git a/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md b/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md index be9c133720..c286618a51 100644 --- a/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md +++ b/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md @@ -28,6 +28,15 @@ This page covers the Apify MCP server, which exposes Apify Actors as tools to ou ::: +## Apify AI vs the MCP server + +The Apify MCP server and [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai) share the same Actor search and execution backend, but they serve different audiences: + +- _MCP server_ - a programmatic interface for external AI agents, IDEs, and CLIs. Use it when you build or operate your own agent. +- _Apify AI_ - the conversational interface inside [Apify Console](https://console.apify.com) for users who interact with Apify through a chat UI rather than their own agent. + +Actor ranking is identical across both surfaces and is driven by the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score). + ## Prerequisites Before connecting your AI to Apify, you'll need three things: From 1d027bdb10e97fa67ddc416f870dcdd52f3bf935 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Marcel Rebro Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2026 15:00:47 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 2/8] docs: add Apify AI daily token limit guidance Per Daniela: free users have a lower daily limit, all paid plans share the same higher limit. Do not state the exact value - it changes. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) --- sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md | 9 +++++++++ 1 file changed, 9 insertions(+) diff --git a/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md b/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md index 5b7eacdf23..7b8bfef37f 100644 --- a/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md +++ b/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md @@ -35,6 +35,15 @@ Apify AI does not yet support the following operations. Use Apify Console direct - [Publishing](/platform/actors/publishing) Actors. - Configuring external [integrations](/platform/integrations). +## Daily usage limit + +Apify AI has a daily token limit per user: + +- Free plan users get a lower daily allowance. +- Users on any paid plan share the same higher daily allowance. + +The exact value is not published because it may change. If you hit the limit, wait until the next day or upgrade to a paid plan for the higher allowance. + ## For Actor creators Actors are ranked in Apify AI by the same [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score) that drives ranking in Apify Store search and the MCP server `search-actors` tool. Improving your quality score lifts your Actor's visibility across all three surfaces at once. See [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score) for what the score measures and how to improve it. From ae1816fdd5d2a268542169f45c64b3829efb2c28 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Marcel Rebro Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2026 11:26:39 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 3/8] docs: reflect new recommender-based Store search behavior Store search now uses a recommender system with per-user personalization, so Web Store and Console Store can return different results for the same query. Expand the publisher-facing search guidance in how_store_works.md, soften the "identical across surfaces" wording on the quality score, MCP, and Apify AI pages, and surface the web-vs-Console divergence on the Console Store page. --- .../apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md | 25 +++++++++++++++++-- .../actors/publishing/quality_score.mdx | 2 +- sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md | 2 +- sources/platform/console/store.md | 4 +-- sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md | 2 +- 5 files changed, 28 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-) diff --git a/sources/academy/build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md b/sources/academy/build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md index fc4fef6e0b..fcdf0c8b85 100644 --- a/sources/academy/build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md +++ b/sources/academy/build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md @@ -100,9 +100,30 @@ Since the **Issues** tab is public, the level of activity - or lack thereof - ca Learn more about how to handle the [Issues tab](/academy/actor-marketing-playbook/interact-with-users/issues-tab) -## How to make your Actor appear in search +## How Apify Store search works -Apify ranks Actors in Apify Store search, the [Apify MCP server](/platform/integrations/mcp) `search-actors` tool, and [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai) using the same metric: the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score). Improving your quality score lifts visibility across all three surfaces at once - there is no separate optimization for AI-driven discovery. +Apify Store search is powered by a recommender system, not a classic keyword search. Results are personalized and intent-based, so the same query can return different Actors for different users - and you might not always see the Actors you use most often. That is expected behavior, not a drop in ranking. + +### Web Store vs. Apify Console + +Search behaves differently on the public Store at [apify.com/store](https://apify.com/store) and in [Apify Console](https://console.apify.com). Console search is personalized to your account and intent, so a query can bring back different results in each place. + +### What influences your Actor's visibility + +Visibility comes mainly from quality signals: + +- _Usage and retention_ - active users and repeat runs. +- _Reliability_ - successful runs and passing automated tests. +- _Documentation_ - a clear [README](/academy/actor-marketing-playbook/actor-basics/how-to-create-an-actor-readme) drives activation. +- _Feedback_ - reviews, ratings, and a well-maintained [Issues tab](/academy/actor-marketing-playbook/interact-with-users/issues-tab). + +Keywords in your Actor's description, README, and categories still play a role, but the system is designed so that focusing on a genuinely good Actor - clear README, reliable runs, responsive support - is what lifts your visibility. Apify does not guarantee placement, and there is no way to game the ranking. + +These signals are aggregated into the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score), which drives ranking across Store search, the [Apify MCP server](/platform/integrations/mcp) `search-actors` tool, and [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai). + +### Disputing Actor categories + +If you believe your Actor is in the wrong category, contact Apify support. In a later phase, you will be able to see and dispute categories directly in the Actor publication settings. ## Resources diff --git a/sources/platform/actors/publishing/quality_score.mdx b/sources/platform/actors/publishing/quality_score.mdx index 01392f7a76..551a9e6c5f 100644 --- a/sources/platform/actors/publishing/quality_score.mdx +++ b/sources/platform/actors/publishing/quality_score.mdx @@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ The Actor quality score drives ranking across all three Apify search surfaces: - The _Apify MCP server_ `search-actors` tool used by external AI agents. See [Apify MCP server](/platform/integrations/mcp). - _Apify AI_, the conversational interface inside Apify Console. See [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai). -All three surfaces use the same backend, so a higher quality score lifts your Actor's visibility across each of them at once. There is no separate ranking mechanism for AI-driven discovery, and you do not need to optimize separately for it. +All three surfaces use the same recommender backend, so a higher quality score lifts your Actor's visibility across each of them. There is no separate ranking mechanism for AI-driven discovery, and you do not need to optimize separately for it. Results are also personalized to the user, so the same query can return different Actors for different users - especially between the public Store and Apify Console. See [How Apify Store search works](/academy/actor-marketing-playbook/store-basics/how-store-works#how-apify-store-search-works) for the publisher-facing guidance. ## How to view your score diff --git a/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md b/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md index 7b8bfef37f..af75027436 100644 --- a/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md +++ b/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md @@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ The exact value is not published because it may change. If you hit the limit, wa ## For Actor creators -Actors are ranked in Apify AI by the same [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score) that drives ranking in Apify Store search and the MCP server `search-actors` tool. Improving your quality score lifts your Actor's visibility across all three surfaces at once. See [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score) for what the score measures and how to improve it. +Apify AI ranks Actors using the same recommender backend as Apify Store search and the Apify MCP server. See [How Apify Store search works](/academy/actor-marketing-playbook/store-basics/how-store-works#how-apify-store-search-works) for what affects your Actor's visibility, and [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score) for the underlying metric. ## Related diff --git a/sources/platform/console/store.md b/sources/platform/console/store.md index 3860166965..949cf4433b 100644 --- a/sources/platform/console/store.md +++ b/sources/platform/console/store.md @@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ You can also organize the results from the store by different criteria, includin Once you select an Actor from the store, you'll be directed to its specific page. Here, you can configure the settings for your future Actor run, save these configurations for later use, or run the Actor immediately. -## AI-powered search +## Search -The Store search bar routes long, intent-heavy queries to [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai), the conversational AI interface inside Apify Console. Short keyword queries continue to use the regular Store search. Both surfaces use the same backend and rank Actors by the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score). +The Store search bar in Apify Console uses a recommender system that personalizes results to your account and intent, so the same query can return different Actors than the public Store at [apify.com/store](https://apify.com/store). Long, intent-heavy queries are routed to [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai), the conversational AI interface inside Apify Console. Short keyword queries stay on regular Store search. Both are ranked by the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score). For more information, see [Actors in Store](/sources/platform/actors/running/store/index.md). diff --git a/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md b/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md index c286618a51..be95f6850b 100644 --- a/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md +++ b/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md @@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ The Apify MCP server and [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai) share the same Actor sear - _MCP server_ - a programmatic interface for external AI agents, IDEs, and CLIs. Use it when you build or operate your own agent. - _Apify AI_ - the conversational interface inside [Apify Console](https://console.apify.com) for users who interact with Apify through a chat UI rather than their own agent. -Actor ranking is identical across both surfaces and is driven by the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score). +Actor ranking on both surfaces is driven by the same recommender backend and the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score). Results in Apify AI are personalized to the user, while MCP results are not. ## Prerequisites From 449f4b57113d1354cc1a5867e194d180f235abd0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Marcel Rebro Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2026 14:36:27 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 4/8] docs: revise Store search guidance per PMM-approved framing Drop "recommender system" wording (technology is not publicly acknowledged). Frame ranking around quality-score-like criteria with extra emphasis on popularity, with the explicit caveat that a higher score makes higher placement more likely but not guaranteed. Console search is the only personalization exception: same criteria, individual order. --- .../apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md | 19 ++++--------------- .../actors/publishing/quality_score.mdx | 2 +- sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md | 2 +- sources/platform/console/store.md | 2 +- sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md | 2 +- 5 files changed, 8 insertions(+), 19 deletions(-) diff --git a/sources/academy/build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md b/sources/academy/build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md index fcdf0c8b85..fa2ccde6d0 100644 --- a/sources/academy/build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md +++ b/sources/academy/build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md @@ -102,24 +102,13 @@ Learn more about how to handle the [Issues tab](/academy/actor-marketing-playboo ## How Apify Store search works -Apify Store search is powered by a recommender system, not a classic keyword search. Results are personalized and intent-based, so the same query can return different Actors for different users - and you might not always see the Actors you use most often. That is expected behavior, not a drop in ranking. +Apify ranks Actors in [Apify Store](https://apify.com/store) search, the [Apify MCP server](/platform/integrations/mcp) `search-actors` tool, and [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai) using criteria similar to what the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score) evaluates, with extra emphasis on popularity. A higher quality score makes your Actor more likely to place higher, though no specific position is guaranteed. -### Web Store vs. Apify Console +To improve your Actor's visibility, focus on improving its quality score. See [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score) for what the score measures and how to influence each category. -Search behaves differently on the public Store at [apify.com/store](https://apify.com/store) and in [Apify Console](https://console.apify.com). Console search is personalized to your account and intent, so a query can bring back different results in each place. +### Search in Apify Console is personalized -### What influences your Actor's visibility - -Visibility comes mainly from quality signals: - -- _Usage and retention_ - active users and repeat runs. -- _Reliability_ - successful runs and passing automated tests. -- _Documentation_ - a clear [README](/academy/actor-marketing-playbook/actor-basics/how-to-create-an-actor-readme) drives activation. -- _Feedback_ - reviews, ratings, and a well-maintained [Issues tab](/academy/actor-marketing-playbook/interact-with-users/issues-tab). - -Keywords in your Actor's description, README, and categories still play a role, but the system is designed so that focusing on a genuinely good Actor - clear README, reliable runs, responsive support - is what lifts your visibility. Apify does not guarantee placement, and there is no way to game the ranking. - -These signals are aggregated into the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score), which drives ranking across Store search, the [Apify MCP server](/platform/integrations/mcp) `search-actors` tool, and [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai). +Search in [Apify Console](https://console.apify.com) is an exception: results are personalized for each individual user. The ranking criteria are the same as the public Store, but the order is individual, so the same query can return different Actors than the public Store at [apify.com/store](https://apify.com/store). ### Disputing Actor categories diff --git a/sources/platform/actors/publishing/quality_score.mdx b/sources/platform/actors/publishing/quality_score.mdx index 551a9e6c5f..8028236899 100644 --- a/sources/platform/actors/publishing/quality_score.mdx +++ b/sources/platform/actors/publishing/quality_score.mdx @@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ The Actor quality score drives ranking across all three Apify search surfaces: - The _Apify MCP server_ `search-actors` tool used by external AI agents. See [Apify MCP server](/platform/integrations/mcp). - _Apify AI_, the conversational interface inside Apify Console. See [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai). -All three surfaces use the same recommender backend, so a higher quality score lifts your Actor's visibility across each of them. There is no separate ranking mechanism for AI-driven discovery, and you do not need to optimize separately for it. Results are also personalized to the user, so the same query can return different Actors for different users - especially between the public Store and Apify Console. See [How Apify Store search works](/academy/actor-marketing-playbook/store-basics/how-store-works#how-apify-store-search-works) for the publisher-facing guidance. +All three surfaces rank Actors using criteria similar to the quality score, with extra emphasis on popularity. A higher quality score makes your Actor more likely to place higher across each of them, though no specific position is guaranteed. There is no separate ranking mechanism for AI-driven discovery. Search in Apify Console is an exception: the ranking criteria are the same, but the order is personalized to each individual user. See [How Apify Store search works](/academy/actor-marketing-playbook/store-basics/how-store-works#how-apify-store-search-works) for the publisher-facing guidance. ## How to view your score diff --git a/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md b/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md index af75027436..9a6ab15489 100644 --- a/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md +++ b/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md @@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ The exact value is not published because it may change. If you hit the limit, wa ## For Actor creators -Apify AI ranks Actors using the same recommender backend as Apify Store search and the Apify MCP server. See [How Apify Store search works](/academy/actor-marketing-playbook/store-basics/how-store-works#how-apify-store-search-works) for what affects your Actor's visibility, and [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score) for the underlying metric. +Apify AI ranks Actors using criteria similar to the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score), with extra emphasis on popularity, the same as Apify Store search and the Apify MCP server. A higher quality score makes your Actor more likely to place higher, though no specific position is guaranteed. See [How Apify Store search works](/academy/actor-marketing-playbook/store-basics/how-store-works#how-apify-store-search-works) for what affects your Actor's visibility. ## Related diff --git a/sources/platform/console/store.md b/sources/platform/console/store.md index 949cf4433b..0f5eb3ab39 100644 --- a/sources/platform/console/store.md +++ b/sources/platform/console/store.md @@ -20,6 +20,6 @@ Once you select an Actor from the store, you'll be directed to its specific page ## Search -The Store search bar in Apify Console uses a recommender system that personalizes results to your account and intent, so the same query can return different Actors than the public Store at [apify.com/store](https://apify.com/store). Long, intent-heavy queries are routed to [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai), the conversational AI interface inside Apify Console. Short keyword queries stay on regular Store search. Both are ranked by the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score). +Search results in Apify Console are personalized to each individual user, so the same query can return different Actors than the public Store at [apify.com/store](https://apify.com/store). Long, intent-heavy queries are routed to [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai), the conversational AI interface inside Apify Console. Short keyword queries stay on regular Store search. Both are ranked using criteria similar to the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score), with extra emphasis on popularity. For more information, see [Actors in Store](/sources/platform/actors/running/store/index.md). diff --git a/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md b/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md index be95f6850b..70224ee93f 100644 --- a/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md +++ b/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md @@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ The Apify MCP server and [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai) share the same Actor sear - _MCP server_ - a programmatic interface for external AI agents, IDEs, and CLIs. Use it when you build or operate your own agent. - _Apify AI_ - the conversational interface inside [Apify Console](https://console.apify.com) for users who interact with Apify through a chat UI rather than their own agent. -Actor ranking on both surfaces is driven by the same recommender backend and the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score). Results in Apify AI are personalized to the user, while MCP results are not. +Actor ranking on both surfaces uses criteria similar to the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score), with extra emphasis on popularity. ## Prerequisites From 1febfccb2029cdcc1ed6f6602ddd05aa9a22ea8c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Marcel Rebro Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2026 14:56:12 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 5/8] docs: narrow PR scope to Apify AI page and MCP comparison Move the Store search ranking guidance to its own PR (#2653). This PR now covers only the Apify-AI-specific surface: the new Apify AI page and the Apify AI vs MCP comparison. Soften the MCP page's ranking line to avoid pre-empting the search PR's framing. --- .../apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md | 14 -------------- .../platform/actors/publishing/quality_score.mdx | 10 ---------- sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md | 2 +- sources/platform/console/store.md | 4 ---- sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md | 2 +- 5 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 30 deletions(-) diff --git a/sources/academy/build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md b/sources/academy/build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md index fa2ccde6d0..6f936f5651 100644 --- a/sources/academy/build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md +++ b/sources/academy/build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md @@ -100,20 +100,6 @@ Since the **Issues** tab is public, the level of activity - or lack thereof - ca Learn more about how to handle the [Issues tab](/academy/actor-marketing-playbook/interact-with-users/issues-tab) -## How Apify Store search works - -Apify ranks Actors in [Apify Store](https://apify.com/store) search, the [Apify MCP server](/platform/integrations/mcp) `search-actors` tool, and [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai) using criteria similar to what the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score) evaluates, with extra emphasis on popularity. A higher quality score makes your Actor more likely to place higher, though no specific position is guaranteed. - -To improve your Actor's visibility, focus on improving its quality score. See [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score) for what the score measures and how to influence each category. - -### Search in Apify Console is personalized - -Search in [Apify Console](https://console.apify.com) is an exception: results are personalized for each individual user. The ranking criteria are the same as the public Store, but the order is individual, so the same query can return different Actors than the public Store at [apify.com/store](https://apify.com/store). - -### Disputing Actor categories - -If you believe your Actor is in the wrong category, contact Apify support. In a later phase, you will be able to see and dispute categories directly in the Actor publication settings. - ## Resources - Best practices on setting up [testing for your Actor](https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/publishing/test) diff --git a/sources/platform/actors/publishing/quality_score.mdx b/sources/platform/actors/publishing/quality_score.mdx index 8028236899..76ddf37889 100644 --- a/sources/platform/actors/publishing/quality_score.mdx +++ b/sources/platform/actors/publishing/quality_score.mdx @@ -9,16 +9,6 @@ The Actor quality score is a metric that evaluates your Actor's performance acro --- -## How the quality score affects ranking - -The Actor quality score drives ranking across all three Apify search surfaces: - -- _Apify Store search_ at [apify.com/store](https://apify.com/store). -- The _Apify MCP server_ `search-actors` tool used by external AI agents. See [Apify MCP server](/platform/integrations/mcp). -- _Apify AI_, the conversational interface inside Apify Console. See [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai). - -All three surfaces rank Actors using criteria similar to the quality score, with extra emphasis on popularity. A higher quality score makes your Actor more likely to place higher across each of them, though no specific position is guaranteed. There is no separate ranking mechanism for AI-driven discovery. Search in Apify Console is an exception: the ranking criteria are the same, but the order is personalized to each individual user. See [How Apify Store search works](/academy/actor-marketing-playbook/store-basics/how-store-works#how-apify-store-search-works) for the publisher-facing guidance. - ## How to view your score Navigate to **Console > Insights > Actor quality**, and then select your Actor. diff --git a/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md b/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md index 9a6ab15489..679effc4df 100644 --- a/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md +++ b/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md @@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ The exact value is not published because it may change. If you hit the limit, wa ## For Actor creators -Apify AI ranks Actors using criteria similar to the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score), with extra emphasis on popularity, the same as Apify Store search and the Apify MCP server. A higher quality score makes your Actor more likely to place higher, though no specific position is guaranteed. See [How Apify Store search works](/academy/actor-marketing-playbook/store-basics/how-store-works#how-apify-store-search-works) for what affects your Actor's visibility. +Actors are ranked in Apify AI by the same [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score) that drives ranking in Apify Store search and the MCP server `search-actors` tool. Improving your quality score lifts your Actor's visibility across all three surfaces. See [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score) for what the score measures and how to improve it. ## Related diff --git a/sources/platform/console/store.md b/sources/platform/console/store.md index 0f5eb3ab39..81262dbe4d 100644 --- a/sources/platform/console/store.md +++ b/sources/platform/console/store.md @@ -18,8 +18,4 @@ You can also organize the results from the store by different criteria, includin Once you select an Actor from the store, you'll be directed to its specific page. Here, you can configure the settings for your future Actor run, save these configurations for later use, or run the Actor immediately. -## Search - -Search results in Apify Console are personalized to each individual user, so the same query can return different Actors than the public Store at [apify.com/store](https://apify.com/store). Long, intent-heavy queries are routed to [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai), the conversational AI interface inside Apify Console. Short keyword queries stay on regular Store search. Both are ranked using criteria similar to the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score), with extra emphasis on popularity. - For more information, see [Actors in Store](/sources/platform/actors/running/store/index.md). diff --git a/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md b/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md index 70224ee93f..308ef71786 100644 --- a/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md +++ b/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md @@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ The Apify MCP server and [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai) share the same Actor sear - _MCP server_ - a programmatic interface for external AI agents, IDEs, and CLIs. Use it when you build or operate your own agent. - _Apify AI_ - the conversational interface inside [Apify Console](https://console.apify.com) for users who interact with Apify through a chat UI rather than their own agent. -Actor ranking on both surfaces uses criteria similar to the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score), with extra emphasis on popularity. +Actor ranking on both surfaces is driven by the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score). ## Prerequisites From 9cab211b327ff4ee61781490ee9ed0173e08d4f3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Marcel Rebro Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2026 15:01:55 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 6/8] docs: reframe ranking, add Actor categories dispute guidance Quality score and search ranking are separate systems that evaluate similar parameters, so they correlate strongly without one driving the other. Reword the Apify AI ranking guidance to match. Add a short publisher note on disputing Apify-assigned categories. --- .../build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md | 4 ++++ sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md | 6 +++--- sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md | 2 +- 3 files changed, 8 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-) diff --git a/sources/academy/build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md b/sources/academy/build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md index 6f936f5651..b142429d45 100644 --- a/sources/academy/build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md +++ b/sources/academy/build-and-publish/apify-store-basics/how_store_works.md @@ -100,6 +100,10 @@ Since the **Issues** tab is public, the level of activity - or lack thereof - ca Learn more about how to handle the [Issues tab](/academy/actor-marketing-playbook/interact-with-users/issues-tab) +## Disputing Actor categories + +If you believe your Actor is in the wrong category, contact Apify support. In a later phase, you will be able to see and dispute categories directly in the Actor publication settings. + ## Resources - Best practices on setting up [testing for your Actor](https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/publishing/test) diff --git a/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md b/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md index 679effc4df..b9f630f46d 100644 --- a/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md +++ b/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md @@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ category: platform slug: /console/apify-ai --- -Apify AI is a conversational AI interface inside [Apify Console](https://console.apify.com) that lets you describe what you want in plain English and runs the right Actor for you. It is powered by the same search and execution backend as [Apify Store](https://apify.com/store) search and the [Apify MCP server](/platform/integrations/mcp), so improvements to an Actor's quality lift its visibility across all three surfaces. +Apify AI is a conversational AI interface inside [Apify Console](https://console.apify.com) that lets you describe what you want in plain English and runs the right Actor for you. It uses the same search and execution backend as [Apify Store](https://apify.com/store) search and the [Apify MCP server](/platform/integrations/mcp). @@ -46,10 +46,10 @@ The exact value is not published because it may change. If you hit the limit, wa ## For Actor creators -Actors are ranked in Apify AI by the same [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score) that drives ranking in Apify Store search and the MCP server `search-actors` tool. Improving your quality score lifts your Actor's visibility across all three surfaces. See [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score) for what the score measures and how to improve it. +Search ranking in Apify AI uses parameters similar to those evaluated by the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score), the same as Apify Store search and the MCP server `search-actors` tool. The two are separate systems that correlate strongly: Actors with higher quality scores tend to rank higher in search. To improve your Actor's visibility, focus on improving its quality score. ## Related - [Apify MCP server](/platform/integrations/mcp) - the programmatic interface to the same backend for external AI agents and CLIs. -- [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score) - how Apify ranks Actors across search surfaces. +- [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score) - the metric that correlates with search ranking across surfaces. - [Apify Store](/console/store) - the Console view of the Store, including the search bar entry point. diff --git a/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md b/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md index 308ef71786..25d8b6df90 100644 --- a/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md +++ b/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md @@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ The Apify MCP server and [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai) share the same Actor sear - _MCP server_ - a programmatic interface for external AI agents, IDEs, and CLIs. Use it when you build or operate your own agent. - _Apify AI_ - the conversational interface inside [Apify Console](https://console.apify.com) for users who interact with Apify through a chat UI rather than their own agent. -Actor ranking on both surfaces is driven by the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score). +Actor ranking on both surfaces uses parameters similar to those evaluated by the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score), so Actors with higher quality scores tend to rank higher. ## Prerequisites From 1694a2792f2d0b9de4e9d0d712f1fa183cf369d6 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Marcel Rebro Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2026 15:38:47 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 7/8] docs: simplify Apify AI ranking framing to match PMM wording Drop the "separate systems that" preamble. Lead directly with the correlation: search ranking evaluates parameters similar to those in the quality score, so the two correlate strongly. --- sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md | 2 +- sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md | 2 +- 2 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md b/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md index b9f630f46d..b71c5b2f7e 100644 --- a/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md +++ b/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md @@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ The exact value is not published because it may change. If you hit the limit, wa ## For Actor creators -Search ranking in Apify AI uses parameters similar to those evaluated by the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score), the same as Apify Store search and the MCP server `search-actors` tool. The two are separate systems that correlate strongly: Actors with higher quality scores tend to rank higher in search. To improve your Actor's visibility, focus on improving its quality score. +Search ranking in Apify AI evaluates parameters similar to those in the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score), the same as Apify Store search and the MCP server `search-actors` tool. As a result, the two correlate strongly: Actors with higher quality scores tend to rank higher in search. To improve your Actor's visibility, focus on improving its quality score. ## Related diff --git a/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md b/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md index 25d8b6df90..b358b4245d 100644 --- a/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md +++ b/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md @@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ The Apify MCP server and [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai) share the same Actor sear - _MCP server_ - a programmatic interface for external AI agents, IDEs, and CLIs. Use it when you build or operate your own agent. - _Apify AI_ - the conversational interface inside [Apify Console](https://console.apify.com) for users who interact with Apify through a chat UI rather than their own agent. -Actor ranking on both surfaces uses parameters similar to those evaluated by the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score), so Actors with higher quality scores tend to rank higher. +Actor ranking on both surfaces evaluates parameters similar to those in the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score), so Actors with higher quality scores tend to rank higher. ## Prerequisites From 15a8e35b0a07eda916d8ab5fa391a4a6be800364 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Marcel Rebro Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2026 15:39:27 +0200 Subject: [PATCH 8/8] docs: revert Apify AI ranking wording PMM feedback was scoped to the Search PR only. --- sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md | 2 +- sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md | 2 +- 2 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md b/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md index b71c5b2f7e..b9f630f46d 100644 --- a/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md +++ b/sources/platform/console/apify-ai.md @@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ The exact value is not published because it may change. If you hit the limit, wa ## For Actor creators -Search ranking in Apify AI evaluates parameters similar to those in the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score), the same as Apify Store search and the MCP server `search-actors` tool. As a result, the two correlate strongly: Actors with higher quality scores tend to rank higher in search. To improve your Actor's visibility, focus on improving its quality score. +Search ranking in Apify AI uses parameters similar to those evaluated by the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score), the same as Apify Store search and the MCP server `search-actors` tool. The two are separate systems that correlate strongly: Actors with higher quality scores tend to rank higher in search. To improve your Actor's visibility, focus on improving its quality score. ## Related diff --git a/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md b/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md index b358b4245d..25d8b6df90 100644 --- a/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md +++ b/sources/platform/integrations/ai/mcp/index.md @@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ The Apify MCP server and [Apify AI](/console/apify-ai) share the same Actor sear - _MCP server_ - a programmatic interface for external AI agents, IDEs, and CLIs. Use it when you build or operate your own agent. - _Apify AI_ - the conversational interface inside [Apify Console](https://console.apify.com) for users who interact with Apify through a chat UI rather than their own agent. -Actor ranking on both surfaces evaluates parameters similar to those in the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score), so Actors with higher quality scores tend to rank higher. +Actor ranking on both surfaces uses parameters similar to those evaluated by the [Actor quality score](/platform/actors/publishing/quality-score), so Actors with higher quality scores tend to rank higher. ## Prerequisites