How to get Accela building permits in an AI tool

Accela Citizen Access is the public building-permit search a US city or county hosts. Atlanta's portal is one of them. A run reads that public list and saves one row per permit.

The steps below connect an AI client so it can run the search and read the rows.

Set up the Apify actor

Apify is where this list gets collected. An actor is the program that reads the city's public permit search. A task is that program saved with your city and your row limit, so the next section can ask for the latest rows. You need a free Apify account.

01
Open US Accela Building Permit Grid and click Try for free. Create an Apify account if you do not have one. The Free plan does not ask for a card.
02
You are on the input form. Keep the sample for this first run: tenant SLCREF, module Building, Days to look back 90, and Max permit rows 5. SLCREF is the first folder in Salt Lake City's Accela address (aca-prod.accela.com/SLCREF/), not the city name. Five rows is enough to see the columns.
03
Leave the proxy setting as it is. Click Start and wait until the run says Succeeded.
04
Open Storage, then Dataset. You should see a record number, an address, a status, and a filed date. Those are the permits.
05
When you want the real list, raise Max permit rows. If the start and end dates stay empty, Days to look back sets the window. A quiet portal widens that window to 90 days, then to 365.
06
Go back to the input and choose Save as a new task. Name it after the portal, for example Salt Lake City building permits.
07
Open the task. Copy the task ID from the address bar. Excel, Sheets, Power BI, and the other guides ask for this ID.
08
On the task, open Schedules and add a weekly run if you want fresh rows. Each run pays the start charge and the charge for the rows. The amounts are in the price list on this page.
09
Open Settings, then API & Integrations, and copy an API token. Excel, Sheets, and the other guides put this token in a download link. Anyone with that link can download the rows, so treat it like a password.

How to set up in an AI tool

Use the task ID and the API token from Set up the Apify actor, above.

01
Open the API tab on this actor.
02
Copy the MCP config shown there.
03
Paste it into the MCP client (Claude, Cursor, or another client that accepts that config).
04
Sign in when the client asks. It can then run this actor. Give it the same input as a Console run:
```
{
    "tenants": ["SLCREF"],
    "module": "Building",
    "daysBack": 90,
    "maxItems": 5
}
```
05
Ask it to read the default dataset when the run finishes. The columns are listed above.
06
A schedule still lives on the task from Set up the Apify actor, above. The client does not replace that. Setup for each client: Apify MCP server.

Schema

Examples are invented, not a live permit.

Name	Description	Example
`recordNumber`	The permit's record number, as the city prints it on the public list.	`BLD2026-001234`
`recordType`	The permit type, such as Building Permit.	`Building Permit`
`description`	What the permit is for. Empty when the city left that cell blank.	`Interior remodel`
`address`	The property address from the public list.	`123 MAIN ST, SALT LAKE CITY UT 84101`
`status`	Where the permit stands, such as Issued or In Review.	`Issued`
`filedDate`	The date the permit was filed.	`2026-08-20`
`module`	Which Accela module was searched. Usually Building.	`Building`
`agencyCode`	The city's portal code: the first folder in the Accela URL. SLCREF is the sample for Salt Lake City, not the words Salt Lake City.	`SLCREF`
`detailUrl`	The city's own page for this permit, when the list has one.	`https://aca-prod.accela.com/SLCREF/Cap/CapDetail.aspx`
`scrapedAt`	When this run saved the row, in UTC.	`2026-09-25T14:00:00.000Z`

recordNumberThe permit's record number, as the city prints it on the public list.BLD2026-001234
recordTypeThe permit type, such as Building Permit.Building Permit
descriptionWhat the permit is for. Empty when the city left that cell blank.Interior remodel
addressThe property address from the public list.123 MAIN ST, SALT LAKE CITY UT 84101
statusWhere the permit stands, such as Issued or In Review.Issued
filedDateThe date the permit was filed.2026-08-20
moduleWhich Accela module was searched. Usually Building.Building
agencyCodeThe city's portal code: the first folder in the Accela URL. SLCREF is the sample for Salt Lake City, not the words Salt Lake City.SLCREF
detailUrlThe city's own page for this permit, when the list has one.https://aca-prod.accela.com/SLCREF/Cap/CapDetail.aspx
scrapedAtWhen this run saved the row, in UTC.2026-09-25T14:00:00.000Z