Data serves as the foundation for market research and business strategies. So whether you want to start a new project or develop a new plan for a current business, you need to access and analyze lots of data. This is where the web or data scraping comes in.
Web scraping, or data scraping, automates data collection quickly and efficiently. This process has several traditional and emerging applications, such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, computer vision, data science, and big data analytics.
For example, scrapers enable you to collect specific data from websites, save it to the database, and retrieve it for analysis. Also, companies commonly use scrapers to gain market insights, conduct price comparisons, and perform many other business development processes.
However, it can only be safe if you know how this process and related tools work. Here, we aim to introduce web scraping to beginners and provide a few valuable tips to make it smoother. So, let’s get started.
Essential Solutions for a Smoother Web Scraping Process
There are various solutions available that can make the web scraping process even smoother. If used well in combination, web scraping can undoubtedly be a lifesaver. We understand the significance of having accurate and up-to-date data. Therefore, we have shared some critical tips to help you make the best use of web scraping:
Simulate Human Behavior
Among the primary objectives of web scraping is faster data collection than if done manually. Still, it is better to scrape the content slowly as the browsing speed helps the site determine whether the user is a person or a scraper.
If not identified otherwise, a scraper will unmask by taking the fastest route. Therefore, it is a great idea to put delays while crawling and scraping the site to make your bot appear like a human.
Detect When You Are Blocked
Many websites prefer to avoid getting scraped. Some have even created anti-scraping methods that will block you if detected. You’ll generally know you are plugged in if you see a 403 error code.
However, many malicious methods are used to secure you without your knowledge. Some sites send you data, but it will be deliberately fake. By recording logs, you can track how the area responded and get alerted in case of anything unusual.
Avoid Getting Blocked Again
When a regular user visits a site, the site reads this person’s user agent. This incorporates some details, including how this person visits their site. When no user agent exists, sites automatically label those users as bots. A good tip is to write different user agents and regularly rotate between them.
Plus, it would help if you were careful not to use older versions of browsers, as this might lead to suspicion. Keep updating your user agents pool now and then.
Routing Requests through Proxy Servers
Looking at your IP address is what anti-scraping systems do. If they detect you, you’ll become a part of their blocklist and unable to visit/scrape that website again. So, it is ideal to use a proxy, making your request appear as if it was coming from a different IP address than the actual one.
IP addresses provided by standard proxies are easier to detect and block. Premium proxies allow you to bypass geo-blocks and scrape more prominent websites, such as Amazon and Google.
Use a Headless Browser
Some websites have content rendered by JavaScript, so they cannot scrape directly from raw HTML. One approach for scraping is to use a headless browser. In general, the headless browser processes JavaScript and renders all the content.
It is called headless due to the lack of a graphical user interface (GUI). This is an advanced way of simulating a human user since the scraper visits and parses the page(s) as if using a standard browser.
Opting for Scraping Languages and Libraries
Several programming languages are used to write code for automated web scraping. Python is the most famous web scraping language. Thanks to its simple syntax, versatility, scalability, flexibility, and, most importantly, diverse libraries, packages, and modules, it has achieved this status.
Its archives of modules and libraries, including Python requests library, Selenium, Scrapy, etc. These libraries, such as the Python requests library, enable developers to automate specific processes in web scraping.
Click here to read more about the Python requests library.
Key Takeaways
Many companies are finding creative ways to use web scraping to grow their business. Web scraping is an excellent way of obtaining essential data but can be intimidating for beginners. Following our tips, we are writing this post to help beginners better understand what web scraping is, how it works, and how you can use it for your business. Good luck!