Checks S'PARK Boulder's 2BR availability daily at 9 AM MT and emails grahamzemel@gmail.com whenever anything changes (unit listed, delisted, or rent changes).

git init spark-tracker
cd spark-tracker
# Copy spark_check.py and .github/workflows/check.yml into this folder
git add .
git commit -m "init"
git remote add origin https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/spark-tracker.git
git push -u origin main

1. Go to sendgrid.com → Sign up free (100 emails/day free)
2. Go to Settings → API Keys → Create API Key
3. Name it spark-tracker, select Restricted Access → Mail Send → Full Access
4. Copy the key (you only see it once)

1. In SendGrid: Settings → Sender Authentication → Single Sender Verification
2. Add any email you own (e.g. a Gmail alias, or your domain email)
3. Verify it — this becomes your FROM_EMAIL

Gmail users: you can use Gmail as a sender if you verify it. Or just use any email you own.

In your repo: Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions → New repository secret

Go to your repo → Actions tab → enable workflows if prompted.

That's it. The workflow runs every day at 9 AM MT. You can also trigger it manually from the Actions tab.

• First run: saves a baseline state (spark_state.json in cache). No email.

• Subsequent runs: diffs against baseline. Emails on any change:

  • 🟢 New unit listed
  • 🔴 Unit taken/removed
  • 🟡 Rent changed
  • ✨ New floor plan appeared
  • ⚠️ Floor plan removed

• State is stored in GitHub Actions cache between runs (persists ~7 days of inactivity, resets if no runs)

pip install requests beautifulsoup4 sendgrid
python spark_check.py

Without SENDGRID_API_KEY set, it just prints to terminal and skips the email.

Edit .github/workflows/check.yml:

- cron: '0 15 * * *'   # 9 AM MDT / 8 AM MST daily
- cron: '0 15,21 * * *' # twice daily (9 AM + 3 PM MT)

Crontab guru is useful for this.