Discovering TikTok Creators by Niche
Finds TikTok creators in any topic area by scraping relevant hashtags and profiles. Returns a ranked list with follower count, engagement rate, and contact-ready profile data for influencer outreach.
Prerequisites
APIFY_TOKEN environment variable set- Optional: Apify MCP server installed
| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Notes |
|---|
startUrls | array | Optional | [] | TikTok URLs — user profiles, hashtags, music pages, search, locations |
keywords | array | Optional | [] | Search keywords/terms to find posts |
sortType | string | Optional | RELEVANCE | Sort order for keyword results: RELEVANCE, MOST_LIKED, DATE_POSTED |
location | string | Optional | — | ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code for regional filtering (e.g. US, GB) |
maxItems | number | Optional | Unlimited | Maximum posts to return across the run |
includeSearchKeywords | boolean | Optional | false | Add the matched search keyword field to each post |
customMapFunction | string | Optional | — | JavaScript function to transform each output object |
Workflow
Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Define niche and targeting criteria
- [ ] Step 2: Build hashtag list for the niche
- [ ] Step 3: Run tiktok-scraper to find creators
- [ ] Step 4: Optionally enrich with tiktok-profile-scraper
- [ ] Step 5: Rank and format output
Step 1: Clarify Parameters
Ask the user for:
- Niche/topic (e.g., "fitness", "sustainable fashion", "personal finance")
- Max followers (for micro-influencers, e.g., 100000)
- Min followers (optional, e.g., 10000)
- Number of creators (default: 50)
- Language/region (optional)
Step 2: Build Hashtag List
Generate 5-8 relevant hashtags for the niche. Examples:
- Fitness →
#fitness, #workout, #gymtok, #fitnessmotivation, #homeworkout
- Finance →
#personalfinance, #investing, #moneytips, #financetok, #budgeting
- Beauty →
#beautytok, #skincareroutine, #makeuptutorial, #glowup, #skincare
Step 3: Run tiktok-scraper
Recommended — run_actor.js (handles waiting, output, and file saving automatically):
# Quick answer (prints table to chat)
node scripts/run_actor.js \
--actor "apidojo~tiktok-scraper" \
--input '{"param": "value"}'
# Save as CSV
node scripts/run_actor.js \
--actor "apidojo~tiktok-scraper" \
--input '{"param": "value"}' \
--output YYYY-MM-DD_results.csv --format csv
# Save as JSON
node scripts/run_actor.js \
--actor "apidojo~tiktok-scraper" \
--input '{"param": "value"}' \
--output YYYY-MM-DD_results.json --format json
APIFY_TOKEN must be set in environment or .env file.
If Apify MCP is available:
Tool: apify:run-actor
Actor: "apidojo~tiktok-scraper"
Input:
{
"keywords": ["[hashtag1]", "[hashtag2]", "[hashtag3]"],
"shouldDownloadCovers": false
}
If Apify MCP is not available:
curl -X POST \
"https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/apidojo~tiktok-scraper/runs?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"keywords": ["[hashtag1]", "[hashtag2]"],
"shouldDownloadCovers": false
}'
Save RUN_ID. Wait for status: SUCCEEDED.
Step 4: Fetch and Deduplicate Creators
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/actor-runs/$RUN_ID/dataset/items?token=$APIFY_TOKEN"
From the results, extract unique authorMeta.id values. Deduplicate — same creator often appears across hashtags. Sort by authorMeta.fans (follower count).
Optional enrichment: If the user wants deeper profile data, run apidojo/tiktok-profile-scraper with the top creator usernames to get engagement rate and video performance.
Step 5: Apply Filters and Rank
Apply user's follower range filters. Compute a simple engagement score:
engagement_score = (avg_likes + avg_comments) / follower_count * 100
Rank by engagement score within the follower range.
# TikTok Creator Discovery: [NICHE] Niche
Found: [N] creators | Follower range: [MIN]–[MAX] | Date: [DATE]
| # | Username | Followers | Avg Views | Eng. Rate | Niche Tags | Profile |
|---|----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------|---------|
| 1 | @[name] | [N] | [N] | [X.X%] | [tags] | [url] |
| 2 | @[name] | [N] | [N] | [X.X%] | [tags] | [url] |
## Top Picks for Outreach
1. **@[name]** — [N] followers, [X.X%] engagement, posts primarily about [topic]
2. **@[name]** — [N] followers, [X.X%] engagement, posts primarily about [topic]
3. **@[name]** — [N] followers, [X.X%] engagement, posts primarily about [topic]
## Notes
- Engagement rate > 5% is considered high for this follower range
- [N] creators filtered out (outside follower range)
- Data freshness: ~24h from TikTok public API
Troubleshooting
Too few results: Add more hashtags or remove follower filters.
All results are large accounts: Niche hashtags tend to surface mega-influencers — try sub-niche hashtags (e.g., #homegymtok instead of #fitness).
Stale follower counts: TikTok data cached by Apify is typically 24-48h old.