feat: Improved the "Find ideas for new Actors" page (#2061)

<!-- CURSOR_SUMMARY -->
> [!NOTE]
> Rewrites and expands the actor ideas guide with clearer Actor
concepts, modes, rich examples (scrapers, SaaS wrappers, OSS, MCP,
agents), idea-sourcing steps, and resources.
> 
> - **Docs update**
(`sources/academy/build-and-publish/actor-ideas/what_software_an_actor_can_be.md`):
> - **Rewritten intro and scope**: Clarifies what Actors are, emphasizes
backend automation use cases, and adds two run modes (`batch`,
`standby`).
>   - **Expanded categories and examples**:
>     - Web scrapers/crawlers with refined subtypes and examples.
>     - SaaS API wrappers with additional examples.
> - Open‑source libraries with examples plus a curated list of candidate
OSS projects.
> - MCP servers/tools for AI with rationale and examples; links to store
categories.
>     - AI agents with security/sandbox note and examples link.
>     - Other: criteria for identifying suitable tasks.
>   - **Idea sourcing workflow**:
> - Revamped “Actor ideas” page section with step‑by‑step
browse/claim/build/publish/claim/monitor flow and multi‑developer
policy.
>     - Guidance to submit ideas and engage the community.
> - Additional sources for ideas (SEO, experience, community, competitor
analysis) and link to idea validation.
>   - **Program note**: Tip on Apify’s Open Source Fair Share program.
> 
> <sup>Written by [Cursor
Bugbot](https://cursor.com/dashboard?tab=bugbot) for commit
3894e40. Configure
[here](https://cursor.com/dashboard?tab=bugbot).</sup>
<!-- /CURSOR_SUMMARY -->

---------

Co-authored-by: Michał Olender <[email protected]>

Author: jancurn

sources/academy/build-and-publish/actor-ideas/what_software_an_actor_can_be.md

@@ -1,129 +1,183 @@
 ---
-title: Find ideas for your Actor
-description: Discover what types of software you can build as Actors and use Apify's Ideas page to find trending projects for scrapers, integrations, and automation tools.
+title: Find ideas for new Actors
+description: Learn what kind of software tools are suitable to be packaged and published as Apify Actors and where you can find ideas and inspiration what to build.
 sidebar_position: 1
 category: build-and-publish
 slug: /build-and-publish/actor-ideas/find-actor-ideas
 ---
 
-You want to build an Actor and publish it on Apify Store. Where should you start? See what types of software work as Actors and how to use the Apify Ideas page to find projects that users need.
+Learn what kind of software tools are suitable to be packaged and published as Actors on Apify, and where you can find inspiration what to build.
 
 ---
 
 ## What can you build as an Actor
 
-Actors are serverless cloud applications that run on the Apify platform. While most Actors are web scrapers, you can build various types of software as Actors can be anything that accepts input, performs a job, and runs in Docker.
+[Actors](https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors) are a new concept for building serverless micro-apps, which are easy to develop, share, integrate, and build upon.
+
+They are useful for backend automation jobs, which users set up, integrate into their workflow, and let run in the background, rather than consumer-facing applications that users need to interact with.
+
+Actors can run in two modes:
+
+- In _batch mode_, they take a well-defined input, perform a job, and produce a well-defined output. This is useful for longer-running operations,
+  such as web crawling or data processing.
+- In _standby mode_, they run as a web server at a specific public URL. This is useful for request-response style applications, such as APIs or MCP servers.
 
 ### Web scrapers and crawlers
 
-The most common type of Actor extracts data from websites. These Actors navigate web pages, collect information, and store structured data in datasets.
+This is the most common type of Actors on [Apify Store](https://apify.com/store). These Actors navigate websites, collect information from web pages, and store structured data in datasets for further processing.
 
 Examples:
 
-- Site-specific scrapers ([Amazon Product Scraper](https://apify.com/junglee/amazon-crawler), [LinkedIn Profile Scraper](https://apify.com/curious_coder/linkedin-profile-scraper))
-- Search engine scrapers ([Google Search Results](https://apify.com/apify/google-search-scraper), [Bing Search](https://apify.com/curious_coder/bing-search-scraper))
-- Social media scrapers ([X/Twitter Scraper](https://apify.com/apidojo/twitter-scraper-lite), [Instagram Scraper](https://apify.com/apify/instagram-scraper))
-- E-commerce data extractors ([Shopify Store Scraper](https://apify.com/autofacts/shopify), [eBay Price Monitor](https://apify.com/dtrungtin/ebay-items-scraper))
+- **Website-specific scrapers** ([Amazon Product Scraper](https://apify.com/junglee/amazon-crawler), [LinkedIn Profile Scraper](https://apify.com/curious_coder/linkedin-profile-scraper))
+- **Search engines** ([Google Search Results](https://apify.com/apify/google-search-scraper), [Bing Search](https://apify.com/curious_coder/bing-search-scraper))
+- **Social media** ([X/Twitter Scraper](https://apify.com/apidojo/twitter-scraper-lite), [Instagram Scraper](https://apify.com/apify/instagram-scraper))
+- **E-commerce data** ([Shopify Store Scraper](https://apify.com/autofacts/shopify), [eBay Price Monitor](https://apify.com/dtrungtin/ebay-items-scraper))
+- **General-purpose crawlers** ([Web Scraper](https://apify.com/apify/web-scraper), [Website Content Crawler](https://apify.com/apify/website-content-crawler))
 
 ### SaaS API wrappers
 
-Convert existing SaaS services into Actors to make them accessible through the Apify platform. This approach lets users integrate these services with Apify's automation ecosystem.
+These Actors wrap existing SaaS services as Actors to make them accessible through the Apify platform and its many integrations.
 
-Example:
+Examples:
 
-- [Parsera](https://apify.com/parsera-labs/parsera) wraps the Parsera.org service
+- [OpenRouter](https://apify.com/apify/openrouter)
+- [Parsera](https://apify.com/parsera-labs/parsera)
+- [Super Scraper API](https://apify.com/apify/super-scraper-api)
 
 ### Open-source libraries
 
-Package open-source tools as Actors to provide cloud-hosted versions that users can try without local installation. You handle no infrastructure while users cover compute costs.
+Many open-source automation or data processing tools do not have a presence in the cloud, and need to be installed locally in "just five easy steps". Wrap those tools as Actors and make it easy for users to try and integrate those tools.
 
 Examples:
 
-- [Monolith](https://apify.com/snshn/monolith) from the Y2Z/monolith GitHub project
-- [Crawl4AI](https://apify.com/janbuchar/crawl4ai) from the unclecode/crawl4ai repository
-- [Docling](https://apify.com/vancura/docling/source-code) from IBM's
-docling-project
+- [Sherlock](https://apify.com/misceres/sherlock)
+- [Docling](https://apify.com/vancura/docling)
+- [Monolith](https://apify.com/snshn/monolith)
+- [Crawl4AI](https://apify.com/janbuchar/crawl4ai)
+
+For inspiration, check out the [Open-source category](https://apify.com/store/categories/open-source) in Apify Store.
+
+Here is a short list of open-source projects that might be suitable for turning into Actors:
+
+- https://github.com/bytedance/Dolphin
+- https://github.com/google/langextract
+- https://github.com/virattt/ai-hedge-fund
+- https://github.com/jamesturk/scrapeghost/
+- https://github.com/idosal/git-mcp
+- https://github.com/browser-use/browser-use
+- https://github.com/browserbase/stagehand
+- https://github.com/BuilderIO/gpt-crawler
+- https://github.com/errata-ai/vale
+- https://github.com/scrapybara/scrapybara-demos
+- https://github.com/David-patrick-chuks/Riona-AI-Agent
+- https://github.com/projectdiscovery/katana
+- https://github.com/exa-labs/company-researcher
+- https://github.com/Janix-ai/mcp-validator
+- https://github.com/JoshuaC215/agent-service-toolkit
+- https://github.com/dequelabs/axe-core
+- https://github.com/janreges/siteone-crawler
+- https://github.com/eugeneyan/news-agents
+- https://github.com/askui/askui
+- https://github.com/Shubhamsaboo/awesome-llm-apps
+- https://github.com/TheAgenticAI/TheAgenticBrowser
+- https://github.com/zcaceres/markdownify-mcp
+
 
 :::tip Open Source Fair Share
 
-Open-source developers can earn income through [Apify's Open Source Fair Share program](https://apify.com/partners/open-source-fair-share).
+Developers of open-source Actors can earn passive affiliate income through Apify's [Open source fair share](https://apify.com/partners/open-source-fair-share) program
+to help them support their projects.
 
 :::
 
-### MCP servers
+### MCP servers and tools for AI
 
-Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers let AI agents interact with external tools and data sources. Converting MCP servers to Actors makes them accessible through Apify's platform.
+[Model Context Protocol (MCP)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/getting-started/intro) lets AI agents interact with external tools and data sources.
+Many MCP servers are still stand-alone packages that need to be installed locally, which is both inefficient and insecure,
+or require an external service account.
+Publishing these packages as Actors makes the MCP servers remote and accessible through the Apify platform and ecosystem,
+including the new agentic payments protocols.
 
 Examples:
 
-- [Playwright MCP](https://apify.com/jiri.spilka/playwright-mcp-server) from Microsoft's playwright-mcp
-- [Browserbase MCP](https://apify.com/mcp-servers/browserbase-mcp-server) from Browserbase
+- [Playwright MCP Server](https://apify.com/jiri.spilka/playwright-mcp-server)
+- [Browserbase MCP Server](https://apify.com/mcp-servers/browserbase-mcp-server)
+- [Firecrawl MCP Server](https://apify.com/agentify/firecrawl-mcp-server)
+- [Brave Search MCP Server](https://apify.com/agentify/brave-search-mcp-server)
+
+For more inspiration, check out the [MCP server category](https://apify.com/store/categories/mcp-servers) in Apify Store.
 
 ### AI agents
 
-Build Actors that use LLMs to perform complex tasks autonomously. These Actors can navigate websites, make decisions, and complete multi-step workflows.
+Build Actors that use LLMs to perform complex tasks autonomously. These Actors can navigate websites, make decisions, and complete multistep workflows.
 
-## Use the Ideas page
+:::note Secure execution
 
-The [Apify Ideas page](https://apify.com/ideas) is where users submit and explore potential projects for Actors. It serves as a collaborative space for proposing new tools and finding inspiration for web scraping and automation solutions.
+Actors are cloud-based sandboxes that can securely run any AI-generated code.
 
-### Browse and claim ideas
+:::
 
-If you're unsure what to build next, the Ideas page shows projects the community wants.
+For inspiration, check out the [Agents category](https://apify.com/store/categories/agents) in Apify Store.
 
-Steps to develop an idea:
+### Other
 
-1. Browse the page: Visit [apify.com/ideas](https://apify.com/ideas) to find ideas that interest you. Look for ideas that align with your skills.
+Any repetitive job matching the following criteria might be suitable for turning into an Actor:
 
-1. Select an idea: Review the details and requirements. Check the status—if it's marked **Open to develop**, you can start building.
+- The job is better to be run in the background in the cloud and forgotten.
+- The task is isolated and can be described and delegated to another person.
+- There are at least a few hundred people in the world dealing with this problem.
 
-1. Build your Actor: Develop your Actor based on the idea. You don't need to notify Apify during development.
+If you look closely, you'll start seeing opportunities for new Actors everywhere. Be creative!
 
-1. Prepare for launch: Ensure your Actor meets quality standards and has a comprehensive README with installation instructions, usage details, and examples.
 
-1. Publish your Actor: Deploy your Actor on Apify Store and make it live.
+## Use the Actor ideas page
 
-1. Claim your idea: After publishing, email [ideas@apify.com](mailto:ideas@apify.com) with your Actor URL and the original idea. Apify will tag the idea as _Completed_ and link it to your Actor.
+The [Actor ideas](https://apify.com/ideas) page is where you can find inspiration for new Actors sourced from the Apify community.
 
-1. Monitor and optimize: Track your Actor's performance and user feedback. Make improvements to keep your Actor current.
+### Browse and claim ideas
 
-### Criteria for claiming an idea
+1. _Visit_ [apify.com/ideas](https://apify.com/ideas) to find ideas that interest you. Look for ideas that align with your skills.
 
-To claim an idea, ensure:
+1. _Select an Actor idea_: Review the details and requirements. Check the status—if it's marked **Open to develop**, you can start building.
 
-- Your Actor is functional
-- Your README contains relevant information
-- Your Actor closely aligns with the original idea
+1. _Build your Actor_: Develop your Actor based on the idea. You don't need to notify Apify during development.
 
-### Submit your own ideas
+1. _Prepare for launch_: Ensure your Actor meets quality standards and has a comprehensive README with installation instructions, usage details, and examples.
 
-The Ideas page is also where you contribute concepts to drive innovation in the community.
+1. _Publish your Actor_: Deploy your Actor on Apify Store and make it live.
 
-How to contribute:
+1. _Claim the idea_: After publishing, email [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) with your Actor URL and the original idea. Apify will tag the idea as **Completed** and link it to your Actor.
 
-1. Submit ideas: Share Actor concepts through the [Ideas submission
-form](https://apify.typeform.com/to/BNON8poB#source=ideas). Provide clear details about what the tool should do and how it should work.
+   1. To claim an idea, ensure your Actor is functional, README contains relevant information, and your Actor closely aligns with the original idea.
 
-1. Engage with the community: Upvote ideas you find intriguing. More support
-increases the likelihood a developer will build it.
+1. _Monitor and optimize_: Track your Actor's performance and user feedback. Make improvements to keep your Actor current.
+
+#### Multiple developers for one idea
+
+Apify Store can host multiple Actors with similar functions. However, the "first come, first served" rule applies—the first developer to claim an idea receives the **Completed** tag and a link from the Actor ideas page.
+
+Competition motivates developers to improve the code. You can still build the Actor, but differentiate with a unique set of features.
 
-1. Claim completed ideas: Once your Actor is running, claim your idea by emailing [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). Apify will mark it
-_Completed_ and link it to your Actor—signaling to other developers that this tool exists.
 
-### Multiple developers for one idea
+### Submit your own ideas
+
+The Ideas page is also where you contribute concepts to drive innovation in the community.
 
-Apify Store can host multiple Actors with similar functions. However, the "first come, first served" rule applies—the first developer to claim an idea receives the _Completed_ tag and a link from the Ideas page.
+Here's how you can contribute too:
 
-Competition helps developers improve their code. You can still build the Actor, but differentiate with a unique set of features.
+- _Submit ideas_: Share Actor concepts through the [Ideas submission form](https://apify.typeform.com/to/BNON8poB#source=ideas).
+Provide clear details about what the tool should do and how it should work.
+
+- _Engage with the community_: Upvote ideas you find intriguing. More support
+increases the likelihood a developer will build it.
 
-## Generate ideas from other sources
+## Find ideas from other sources
 
-Beyond the Ideas page, you can find Actor ideas through:
+Beyond the [Actor ideas](https://apify.com/ideas) page, you can find new Actor ideas through:
 
 - SEO tools: Discover relevant search terms people use to find solutions
 - Your experience: Draw from problems you've encountered in your work
-- Community discussions: Browse Reddit, Stack Overflow, and forums for pain
-points
+- Community discussions: Browse Reddit, Twitter, Stack Overflow, and forums for user pain points
 - Competitor analysis: Research existing tools and identify gaps
 
-For a complete validation framework, see [Validate your Actor idea](/academy/build-and-publish/actor-ideas/actor-validation).
+Once you get one, learn how to [validate your Actor idea](/academy/build-and-publish/actor-ideas/actor-validation).