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Glossary

Data Scraping

November 21, 2023 - Around 2 mins mins to read

Understanding Data Scraping

Data scraping, also referred to as web scraping, is a computer science technique that involves extracting data from websites and storing it in local databases or other applications using software. This method is commonly used to gather content, pricing information, or contact details from various online sources.

Data scraping comprises two main components: the crawler and the scraper. The crawler, also known as a “spider,” is an artificial intelligence mechanism that navigates through hyperlinks and search engines to search for and retrieve data from the internet. Once relevant data is found, it is sent to the web scraper.

The web scraper is a specialized tool designed specifically for extracting data from online web pages. It utilizes data beacons within the HTML file, such as XPath, CSS selectors, regex, or a combination of these protocols, to identify and extract the desired data.

Market research heavily relies on web scraping to gather, analyze, and monitor product/service data, which assists in decision-making, content production, and marketing activities.

Data scraping is a valuable technique for businesses to maintain competitiveness. For instance, a company investing in product marketing to boost sales may be unaware that their competitors are utilizing business automation technologies and web scrapers to gain an advantage. By quickly identifying a competitor’s new pricing through web scraping, they can respond promptly and maintain their market dominance.

While manual data scraping is possible, automated methods are generally preferred due to their cost-effectiveness and efficiency.

However, web scraping can present challenges as websites vary in structure and requirements. It is crucial to ensure that your web scrapers are compatible with the targeted sites.

E-commerce and sales industries extensively utilize web scraping to track prices and generate leads. Additionally, web scraping is gaining popularity in online financial transactions, enabling the automated extraction and structured storage of data from various sources for systematic review.

In the cryptocurrency world, web scraping can be employed to conduct comprehensive market studies and extract historical crypto market data. Experienced traders can monitor crypto prices and gain insights into the overall market cap using automated data scraping tools.

While data scraping has legitimate legal uses, it can also be misused for unlawful purposes. Spammers and fraudsters often employ data scraping techniques to collect email addresses for spamming or to gain unauthorized access to websites and corporate intranets for malicious activities.

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Coincu

Glossary

Data Scraping

Understanding Data Scraping

Data scraping, also referred to as web scraping, is a computer science technique that involves extracting data from websites and storing it in local databases or other applications using software. This method is commonly used to gather content, pricing information, or contact details from various online sources.

Data scraping comprises two main components: the crawler and the scraper. The crawler, also known as a “spider,” is an artificial intelligence mechanism that navigates through hyperlinks and search engines to search for and retrieve data from the internet. Once relevant data is found, it is sent to the web scraper.

The web scraper is a specialized tool designed specifically for extracting data from online web pages. It utilizes data beacons within the HTML file, such as XPath, CSS selectors, regex, or a combination of these protocols, to identify and extract the desired data.

Market research heavily relies on web scraping to gather, analyze, and monitor product/service data, which assists in decision-making, content production, and marketing activities.

Data scraping is a valuable technique for businesses to maintain competitiveness. For instance, a company investing in product marketing to boost sales may be unaware that their competitors are utilizing business automation technologies and web scrapers to gain an advantage. By quickly identifying a competitor’s new pricing through web scraping, they can respond promptly and maintain their market dominance.

While manual data scraping is possible, automated methods are generally preferred due to their cost-effectiveness and efficiency.

However, web scraping can present challenges as websites vary in structure and requirements. It is crucial to ensure that your web scrapers are compatible with the targeted sites.

E-commerce and sales industries extensively utilize web scraping to track prices and generate leads. Additionally, web scraping is gaining popularity in online financial transactions, enabling the automated extraction and structured storage of data from various sources for systematic review.

In the cryptocurrency world, web scraping can be employed to conduct comprehensive market studies and extract historical crypto market data. Experienced traders can monitor crypto prices and gain insights into the overall market cap using automated data scraping tools.

While data scraping has legitimate legal uses, it can also be misused for unlawful purposes. Spammers and fraudsters often employ data scraping techniques to collect email addresses for spamming or to gain unauthorized access to websites and corporate intranets for malicious activities.

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