Web scraping<\/a> is a method of extracting data from websites. For most people, scraping is still something new. With the development of data science, this practice becomes even more complex and difficult to understand. Like any other thing that seems too confusing, web scraping has accumulated dozens of misconceptions. To help you better understand this activity, we will debunk all the most popular myths that are only preventing you from achieving your goals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n1. It's too difficult to do<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
Indeed, web scraping has its complexities that need to be overcome. However, there are many ready-to-use tools that can help you collect the necessary information, even if you are a complete beginner in data science. Typically, such programs come with detailed instructions and documentation that will help you understand the process. Moreover, there is nothing wrong with hiring third-party specialists. Many companies and freelancers offer their services and are ready to gather well-structured and easily processable data for you. This will cost more than using a scraper. But you will save a lot of time and effort since you won't have to delve into details and do everything yourself.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
2. It's illegal<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
No law prohibits web scraping. However, you should comply with the rules of the website you are working with and generally accepted ethical norms. If you violate the terms set by the website owner, then you are breaking the law. Therefore, although scraping itself is completely legal, you should still be cautious when performing this work. Additionally, it should be noted that scraping personal data is not allowed, as it is always protected by the site and the law. Collecting it may lead to accusations. Thus, if you play by the rules, you are not doing anything illegal.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
3. You don't need additional tools<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
Many beginners think that having a good scraper program is enough. But in reality, this is not the case. Most website owners try to protect their content from processing for various reasons. In particular, they implement scripts that can detect scraper bots and deny them access to the site. Bots give themselves away by sending too many requests from the same IP address. A real user cannot send that many requests. Thus, the server detects suspicious activity and simply bans the IP, refusing access to bots. This limitation can be bypassed using proxy servers. They mask your real IP address and replace it with another. You should choose reliable providers and not be tempted by free proxies. The latter are quite useless and dangerous, as it is unknown who else is using them along with you. By using a proxy network, you can be sure that only authorized clients have access to the pool of IP addresses, and no one uses them for malicious purposes. You can choose between datacenter proxies, which are cheaper but more difficult to use, especially if you are a beginner. Residential proxies are more reliable because only you use one IP address at a time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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4. The scraper will do everything for you<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
It will retrieve the data. But you have to tell it exactly what to look for. Therefore, before launching the scraper, you need to define your needs as precisely as possible. The internet is more than full of data - it is an endless amount of information. And you can't just give the scraper approximate goals and hope for the best. The program must know exactly what data you need. Otherwise, you will not succeed in web scraping. Additionally, scrapers require you to monitor them. For example, proxies may get blocked, or the program may encounter some anti-scraping protection method it doesn't know how to handle. Such situations need to be monitored and fixed as quickly as possible. Since most scrapers are based on artificial intelligence, they learn during operation. And if you let the bot make the same mistake over and over, it will think that's how it should be. That's why you can't just run a scraper and sit back. That's why many companies outsource this process.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
5. Web scraping is a business tool<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
Originally, it was more often used for academic research. Over time, businesses realized the value of data in the modern world and began using scraping to gather information about competitors and target audiences. This allowed companies to make more effective data-driven decisions. Thus, scraping became a "business tool". Still, web scraping is widely used for various personal, professional, or educational needs. And as it becomes more accessible and sophisticated, users come up with new ways to use this tool. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\r\n\r\n
Web scraping is not some out-of-reach knowledge, and thanks to the availability of specialized and ready-to-use tools, most people can use it to their advantage. However, there are some difficulties that you should be aware of. They are not that hard to overcome, but only if you know how to solve them. If you don't want to become a scraping expert, you can simply outsource this task and let professionals handle the process correctly. Then you will get high-quality data that is easy to work with.<\/p>\r\n
