An image showing how web scraping uses computer programs to collect data from websites
Web scraping uses computer programs to collect data from websites
Other terms for web scraping include “content scraping” or “data scraping” Regardless of what it is called, web scraping is an extremely useful tool for online data collection. Applications of web scraping include market research, price comparison, content monitoring, and much more.
But what exactly does web scraping “scrape” — and how is it possible? Is it even legal? Would a website want someone to come and scrape its data?
The answers depend on several factors. However, before we dive into the methods and use cases, let’s take a closer look at what web scraping is and whether or not it’s ethical.
What Can We Scrape From the Web?
It's possible to scrape all kinds of data from the web. From search engines and RSS feeds to government information, most websites make their data available to scrapers, crawlers, and other forms of automatic data collection.
Some of the Many Types of Data You Can Scrape From the Web
Types of Data You Can Scrape From the Web
However, that doesn't mean this data is always available. Depending argentina whatsppp number data on the website, you may have to employ some tools and tricks to get exactly what you need — assuming the data is accessible in the first place. For example, many web scrapers can't extract meaningful data from visual content.
In the simplest cases, web scraping can be done through a website's API, or application programming interface. When a website makes its API available, web developers can use it to automatically extract data and other useful information in a convenient format. It's almost as if the web host is providing you with your own "conduit" to their data. Now that's hospitality!
Of course, that's not always the case — and many of the websites you want to scrape don't have an API you can use. Plus, even websites that do have an API won't always provide you with the data in the right format.
As a result, web scraping is only necessary when the web data you want isn't available in the form you need. Whether that means the formats you want aren't available, or the website simply doesn't provide the full scope of the data, web scraping makes it possible to get what you want.
While that's all well and good, it also raises an important question: If certain web data is restricted, is it legal to scrape it? As we'll see shortly, it can be a bit of a gray area.
