How do I Send a JSON Object Instead of an Array to an Apify Endpoint?

When you use Apify.pushData, each call pushes an individual item to the default dataset, which is later output as an array. If your endpoint expects a single JSON object (not an array), you have a couple of options:

1. Use Apify.setValue instead of Apify.pushData

   Instead of pushing each item separately, you can store your entire output object with Apify.setValue. For example:

   JSCopied
   const output = {
       startUrls: [
           { url: 'https://www.facebook.com/example1/' },
           { url: 'https://www.facebook.com/example2/' },
           // You can add more URLs if needed.
       ],
   };
   
   await Apify.setValue('OUTPUT', output);

   This approach writes your output as a single JSON object under the key OUTPUT, and it won’t be wrapped in an array.

2. Generate Your Output Manually

   If you prefer to use Apify.pushData for other reasons, ensure that your code outputs the object directly rather than pushing it as the only item in the dataset. However, note that if you push even one item, the final dataset will still be an array containing that object. In that case, use Apify.setValue as shown above to get the correct output format.

In summary, to output a single JSON object (without an outer array), replace your use of Apify.pushData with Apify.setValue and store your result as a single object.

To get a plain JSON object as your output rather than an array, you need to ensure that you’re not wrapping your object in an array when you output it. For example, if you’re using Apify’s dataset API:

Instead of this:

JSCopied
// This pushes an object into the dataset which results in an array of objects.
await Apify.pushData({
    startUrls: [
        { url: 'https://www.facebook.com/example1/', method: 'GET' },
        { url: 'https://www.facebook.com/example2/', method: 'GET' },
        { url: 'https://www.facebook.com/example3/', method: 'GET' }
    ]
});

Apify will collect every call to pushData into an array. If you only have one object and you need to output it as a JSON object (not wrapped in an array), use Apify.setValue() instead:

Use this:

JSCopied
// This stores the result as a JSON object at key OUTPUT.
const output = {
    startUrls: [
        { url: 'https://www.facebook.com/example1/', method: 'GET' },
        { url: 'https://www.facebook.com/example2/', method: 'GET' },
        { url: 'https://www.facebook.com/example3/', method: 'GET' }
    ]
};

await Apify.setValue('OUTPUT', output);

Using Apify.setValue writes your object directly to the key OUTPUT, so the resulting file (if you download it) is the JSON object you expect, not an array containing the object.

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Remember to adjust your code based on whether you’re expecting one result or multiple. In this case, since your endpoint expects a single JSON object, using setValue is the correct approach.