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What is Web Scraping?

Web scraping is an automated process of extracting data from the web. This could be anything from small scripts collecting the current weather data to massive programs collecting all e-commerce product information.

Web scrapers can be programmed in almost any programming language and only require minimum processing resources and an internet connection.

Yes. All publically available data can be collected via automated processes legally as long as these processes don't harm the web server intentionally (e.g. scraping too fast for the server to handle). When starting large-scale scraping it's always a good idea to consult a lawyer.

When it comes to data behind logins or authorization processes the legality becomes a bit more complex - consult a lawyer.

Finally, note that personal data storage acquired through web scraping (or other means) like people's names and other unique details are protected by GDPR in Europe and CCPA in California, US and introduces a lot of legal complexities - consult a lawyer.

Why Scrape Web Data?

It takes little imagination what could be done with web scraped data though here are some common use cases:

  • Business Analytics - scraping product data and competitors' performance.
  • Lead Generation - scraping public details of businesses or persons to find employees or potential partners.
  • AI training - the web is full of creative content that can be used to develop artificial intelligence.
  • Market Analysis - using web scraping we can understand how the web works, what are popular web scraping technologies etc.