pycraigslist

A fast and expressive Craigslist API wrapper.

⚠	As of September 2021, it is believed that Craigslist added a rate-limiter. It is advised to throttle requests to Craigslist to prevent a 403 HTTP response status code. View the Exceptions section below to appropriately handle this error if encountered.

Disclaimer

I do not work or have an affiliation with Craigslist.
This library is intended for educational purposes. It is not advised to crawl and download data from Craigslist.

Installation

pip install pycraigslist

Quick Start

Find cars & trucks for sale with keyword "Mazda Miata" in the East Bay Area, California:

>> {'country': 'US', 'region': 'CA', 'site': 'sfbay', 'area': 'eby', 'category': 'cto', 'id': '7291715564', 'repost_of': '', 'last_updated': '2021-03-15 09:06', 'title': '1990 Mazda Miata', 'neighborhood': 'oakland lake merritt / grand', 'price': '$5,000', 'url': 'https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/oakland-1990-mazda-miata/7291715564.html'} # ... ">

import pycraigslist

miatas = pycraigslist.forsale.cta(site="sfbay", area="eby", query="Mazda Miata")
for miata in miatas.search():
    print(miata)

>>> {'country': 'US',
    'region': 'CA',
    'site': 'sfbay',
    'area': 'eby',
    'category': 'cto',
    'id': '7291715564',
    'repost_of': '',
    'last_updated': '2021-03-15 09:06',
    'title': '1990 Mazda Miata',
    'neighborhood': 'oakland lake merritt / grand',
    'price': '$5,000',
    'url': 'https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/oakland-1990-mazda-miata/7291715564.html'}
    # ...

Background

This library is intended to be expressive and easy to use.

pycraigslist classes

pycraigslist.community (craigslist.org > community)
pycraigslist.events (craigslist.org > event calendar)
pycraigslist.forsale (craigslist.org > for sale)
pycraigslist.gigs (craigslist.org > gigs)
pycraigslist.housing (craigslist.org > housing)
pycraigslist.jobs (craigslist.org > jobs)
pycraigslist.resumes (craigslist.org > resumes)
pycraigslist.services (craigslist.org > services)

We can search for posts in parent classes. For example, finding paid gigs in Portland, Oregon:

>> {'country': 'US', 'region': 'OR', 'site': 'portland', 'area': 'mlt', 'category': 'lbg', 'id': '7295392821', 'repost_of': '7292985211', 'last_updated': '2021-03-22 13:00', 'title': 'Packing and moving', 'neighborhood': 'SE Portland', 'price': '', 'url': 'https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/lbg/d/portland-packing-and-moving/7295392821.html'} # ... ">

import pycraigslist

paid_gigs = pycraigslist.gigs(site="portland", is_paid=True)
for gig in paid_gigs.search():
    print(gig)

>>> {'country': 'US',
    'region': 'OR',
    'site': 'portland',
    'area': 'mlt',
    'category': 'lbg',
    'id': '7295392821',
    'repost_of': '7292985211',
    'last_updated': '2021-03-22 13:00',
    'title': 'Packing and moving',
    'neighborhood': 'SE Portland',
    'price': '',
    'url': 'https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/lbg/d/portland-packing-and-moving/7295392821.html'}
    # ...

pycraigslist subclasses

Most pycraigslist classes have subclasses to allow for categorical searches. For example:

pycraigslist.forsale.bia (craigslist.org > for sale > bikes)
pycraigslist.forsale.cta (craigslist.org > for sale > cars & trucks)
pycraigslist.housing.apa (craigslist.org > housing > apartments / housing for rent)
pycraigslist.housing.roo (craigslist.org > housing > apartments / rooms & shares)

Finding pycraigslist subclasses

Use class method .get_categories() to search for subclasses. The resulting keys are the subclass names.

import pycraigslist

print(pycraigslist.housing.get_categories())

>>> {'apa': 'apartments / housing for rent',
    'swp': 'housing swap',
    'off': 'office & commercial',
    'prk': 'parking & storage',
    'rea': 'real estate',
    'reb': 'real estate - by dealer',
    'reo': 'real estate - by owner',
    'roo': 'rooms & shares',
    'sub': 'sublets & temporary',
    'vac': 'vacation rentals',
    'hou': 'wanted: apts',
    'rew': 'wanted: real estate',
    'sha': 'wanted: room/share',
    'sbw': 'wanted: sublet/temp'}

We'd choose pycraigslist.housing.vac if we're interested in searching for vacation rentals.

Finding and using filters

We can apply filters to our search. Use .get_filters() to find valid filters for a class or subclass instance.

Search filters are sensitive to the context of the pycraigslist instance and the language of the region. For example, here are applicable filters for cars & trucks for sale in Tokyo, Japan:

>> {'query': '...', 'search_titles': 'True/False', 'has_image': 'True/False', 'posted_today': 'True/False', 'bundle_duplicates': 'True/False', 'search_distance': '...', 'zip_code': '...', 'min_price': '...', 'max_price': '...', 'make_model': '...', 'min_year': '...', 'max_year': '...', 'min_miles': '...', 'max_miles': '...', 'min_engine_displacement': '...', 'max_engine_displacement': '...', 'condition': ['新品', 'ほぼ新品', '美品', '良品', '使用に問題なし', 'サルベージ'], 'auto_cylinders': ['3気筒', '4気筒', '5気筒', '6気筒', '8気筒', '10気筒', '12気筒', 'その他'], 'auto_drivetrain': ['前輪', '後輪', '4WD'], 'auto_fuel_type': ['ガソリン', 'ディーゼル', 'ハイブリッド', '電気', 'その他'], 'auto_paint': ['ブラック', 'ブルー', 'ブラウン', 'グリーン', 'グレー', 'オレンジ', 'パープル', 'レッド', 'シルバー', 'ホワイト', 'イエロー', 'カスタム'], 'auto_size': ['コンパクト', 'フルサイズ', '中型', 'サブコンパクト'], 'auto_title_status': ['クリーン', 'サルベージ', '再生', '部品のみ', '先取特権', '不明'], 'auto_transmission': ['MT', 'AT', 'その他'], 'auto_bodytype': ['バス', 'コンバーチブル', 'クーペ', 'ハッチバック', 'ミニバン', 'オフロード', 'ピックアップ', 'セダン', 'トラック', 'SUV', 'ワゴン', 'バン', 'その他'], 'language': ['afrikaans', 'català', 'dansk', 'deutsch', 'english', 'español', 'suomi', 'français', 'italiano', 'nederlands', 'norsk', 'português', 'svenska', 'filipino', 'türkçe', '中文', 'العربية', '日本語', '한국말', 'русский', 'tiếng việt']} ">

import pycraigslist

tokyo_autos = pycraigslist.forsale.cta(site="tokyo")
print(tokyo_autos.get_filters())

>>> {'query': '...', 'search_titles': 'True/False', 'has_image': 'True/False',
    'posted_today': 'True/False', 'bundle_duplicates': 'True/False',
    'search_distance': '...', 'zip_code': '...', 'min_price': '...', 'max_price': '...',
    'make_model': '...', 'min_year': '...', 'max_year': '...', 'min_miles': '...',
    'max_miles': '...', 'min_engine_displacement': '...', 'max_engine_displacement': '...',
    'condition': ['新品', 'ほぼ新品', '美品', '良品', '使用に問題なし', 'サルベージ'],
    'auto_cylinders': ['3気筒', '4気筒', '5気筒', '6気筒', '8気筒', '10気筒', '12気筒', 'その他'],
    'auto_drivetrain': ['前輪', '後輪', '4WD'],
    'auto_fuel_type': ['ガソリン', 'ディーゼル', 'ハイブリッド', '電気', 'その他'],
    'auto_paint': ['ブラック', 'ブルー', 'ブラウン', 'グリーン', 'グレー', 'オレンジ', 'パープル',
                   'レッド', 'シルバー', 'ホワイト', 'イエロー', 'カスタム'],
    'auto_size': ['コンパクト', 'フルサイズ', '中型', 'サブコンパクト'],
    'auto_title_status': ['クリーン', 'サルベージ', '再生', '部品のみ', '先取特権', '不明'],
    'auto_transmission': ['MT', 'AT', 'その他'],
    'auto_bodytype': ['バス', 'コンバーチブル', 'クーペ', 'ハッチバック', 'ミニバン', 'オフロード',
                      'ピックアップ', 'セダン', 'トラック', 'SUV', 'ワゴン', 'バン', 'その他'],
    'language': ['afrikaans', 'català', 'dansk', 'deutsch', 'english', 'español', 'suomi',
                 'français', 'italiano', 'nederlands', 'norsk', 'português', 'svenska',
                 'filipino', 'türkçe', '中文', 'العربية', '日本語', '한국말', 'русский',
                 'tiếng việt']}

To find cars & trucks with clean titles, we'd use the filter parameter "クリーン" (pronounced 'koo-lean'):

>> {'country': 'JP', 'region': '', 'site': 'tokyo', 'area': '', 'category': 'cto', 'id': '7301105503', 'repost_of': '', 'last_updated': '2021-04-03 14:04', 'title': 'Suzuki Jimny 660 XG 4WD Keyless Entry Aluminum Wheel Non-Smoking Car', 'neighborhood': 'Chiba Ken, Noda shi, Funakata 1630-1', 'price': '¥650,000', 'url': 'https://tokyo.craigslist.org/cto/d/suzuki-jimny-660-xg-4wd-keyless-entry/7301105503.html'} # ... ">

import pycraigslist

tokyo_autos = pycraigslist.forsale.cta(site="tokyo", auto_title_status="クリーン")
for auto in tokyo_autos.search():
    print(auto)

>>> {'country': 'JP',
    'region': '',
    'site': 'tokyo',
    'area': '',
    'category': 'cto',
    'id': '7301105503',
    'repost_of': '',
    'last_updated': '2021-04-03 14:04',
    'title': 'Suzuki Jimny 660 XG 4WD Keyless Entry Aluminum Wheel Non-Smoking Car',
    'neighborhood': 'Chiba Ken, Noda shi, Funakata 1630-1',
    'price': '¥650,000',
    'url': 'https://tokyo.craigslist.org/cto/d/suzuki-jimny-660-xg-4wd-keyless-entry/7301105503.html'}
    # ...

When applying many filters, pass a dictionary of filters into the filters keyword parameter. Note: keyword argument filters will override filters if there are conflicting keys. For example:

import pycraigslist

bike_filters = {
    "bicycle_frame_material": "steel",
    # array of filter values are accepted
    "bicycle_wheel_size": ["650C", "700C"],
    "bicycle_type": "road",
}
# we'd still get titanium road bikes with size 650C or 700C wheels
titanium_bikes = pycraigslist.forsale.bia(
    site="sfbay", area="sfc", bicycle_frame_material="titanium", filters=bike_filters
)

Searching for posts

General search

To search for Craigslist posts, use .search(). .search() will return a dictionary of post attributes (type str) and will search for every post by default. Use the limit keyword parameter to add a stop limit to a query. For example, use limit=50 to get 50 posts. There is a maximum of 3000 posts per query.

Find the first 20 posts for farming and gardening services in Denver, Colorado:

>> {'country': 'US', 'region': 'CO', 'site': 'denver', 'area': '', 'category': 'fgs', 'id': '7301324564', 'repost_of': '6974119634', 'last_updated': '2021-04-03 11:47', 'title': '🌲 Tree Removal/Trimming, Stump Grind: LICENSED/INSURED! 720-605-1584', 'neighborhood': 'All Areas', 'price': '', 'url': 'https://denver.craigslist.org/fgs/d/littleton-tree-removal-trimming-stump/7301324564.html'} # ... ">

import pycraigslist

gardening_services = pycraigslist.services.fgs(site="denver")
for service in gardening_services.search(limit=20):
    print(service)

>>> {'country': 'US',
    'region': 'CO',
    'site': 'denver',
    'area': '',
    'category': 'fgs',
    'id': '7301324564',
    'repost_of': '6974119634',
    'last_updated': '2021-04-03 11:47',
    'title': '🌲 Tree Removal/Trimming, Stump Grind: LICENSED/INSURED! 720-605-1584',
    'neighborhood': 'All Areas',
    'price': '',
    'url': 'https://denver.craigslist.org/fgs/d/littleton-tree-removal-trimming-stump/7301324564.html'}
    # ...

Detailed search

Use .search_detail() to get detailed Craigslist posts. The limit keyword parameter in .search also applies to .search_detail. Set include_body=True to include the post's body in the output. By default, include_body=False. Disclaimer: .search_detail is more time consuming than .search.

Get detailed posts with the post body for all cars & trucks for sale in Abilene, Texas:

>> {'country': 'US', 'region': 'TX', 'site': 'abilene', 'area': '', 'category': 'cto', 'id': '7309894792', 'repost_of': '', 'last_updated': '2021-04-20 12:17', 'title': '2009 Mercedes GL-320', 'neighborhood': 'Brownwood', 'price': '$12,000', 'url': 'https://abilene.craigslist.org/cto/d/brownwood-2009-mercedes-gl-320/7309894792.html', 'lat': '31.729000', 'lon': '-99.019000', 'address': '', 'misc': ['2009 mercedes-benz gl-class'], 'condition': 'excellent', 'drive': 'fwd', 'fuel': 'diesel', 'odometer': '100700', 'paint_color': 'black', 'title_status': 'clean', 'transmission': 'automatic', 'body': 'BEAUTIFUL car inside and out!! Diesel with only 100k, mechanic says its in great condition.'} # ... ">

import pycraigslist

all_autos = pycraigslist.forsale.cta(site="abilene")
for auto in all_autos.search_detail(include_body=True):
    print(auto)

>>> {'country': 'US',
    'region': 'TX',
    'site': 'abilene',
    'area': '',
    'category': 'cto',
    'id': '7309894792',
    'repost_of': '',
    'last_updated': '2021-04-20 12:17',
    'title': '2009 Mercedes GL-320',
    'neighborhood': 'Brownwood',
    'price': '$12,000',
    'url': 'https://abilene.craigslist.org/cto/d/brownwood-2009-mercedes-gl-320/7309894792.html',
    'lat': '31.729000',
    'lon': '-99.019000',
    'address': '',
    'misc': ['2009 mercedes-benz gl-class'],
    'condition': 'excellent',
    'drive': 'fwd',
    'fuel': 'diesel',
    'odometer': '100700',
    'paint_color': 'black',
    'title_status': 'clean',
    'transmission': 'automatic',
    'body': 'BEAUTIFUL car inside and out!! Diesel with only 100k, mechanic says its in great condition.'}
    # ...

Additional attributes

__doc__: Gets category name.
url: Gets full URL.
count: Gets number of posts.

>> 'apartments / housing for rent' # 2 print(east_bay_apa.url) >>> 'https://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/eby/apa?searchNearby=1&s=0&max_price=800' # 3 print(east_bay_apa.count) >>> 56 ">

import pycraigslist

east_bay_apa = pycraigslist.housing.apa(site="sfbay", area="eby", max_price=800)

# 1
print(east_bay_apa.__doc__)
>>> 'apartments / housing for rent'

# 2
print(east_bay_apa.url)
>>> 'https://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/eby/apa?searchNearby=1&s=0&max_price=800'

# 3
print(east_bay_apa.count)
>>> 56

Exceptions

pycraigslist has the following exceptions:

ConnectionError : exceeded maximum retries for a query
HTTPError : encountered a client or server error
InvalidFilterValue : filter is not recognized or has an invalid value

To use pycraigslist exceptions, import / import from pycraigslist.exceptions. For example:

import pycraigslist
from pycraigslist.exceptions import ConnectionError, HTTPError, InvalidFilterValue

try:
    sf_bikes = pycraigslist.forsale.bia(site="sfbay", area="sfc", min_price=50)
    for bike in sf_bikes.search():
        print(bike)
except ConnectionError:
    print("Yikes! Something's up with the network.")
except HTTPError as e:
    print(f"Bad HTTP response encountered: {e.status_code} {e.detail}")
except InvalidFilterValue as e:
    print(f"Craigslist filter validation failed. Filter: '{e.name}', Value: '{e.value}'")

Contribute

Support

If you are having issues or would like to propose a new feature, please use the issues tracker.

License

The project is licensed under the MIT license.

A fast and expressive Craigslist API wrapper

Related tags

Overview

pycraigslist

Disclaimer

Installation

Quick Start

Background

pycraigslist classes

pycraigslist subclasses

Finding pycraigslist subclasses

Finding and using filters

Searching for posts

General search

Detailed search

Additional attributes

Exceptions

Contribute

Support

License

Owner

Ira Horecka

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