Data Scraping API

When we talk about web scraping, we definitely mean to extract data from a website for further use. It also allows us to check the competitor’s work so that to compete him in market. Data scraping API is a fine technique which hundreds of individuals use across the globe to fetch data from websites. Data parsing or web scraping has another benefit for us that it’s provided data is very much accurate and finely maintained or in ordered form our targets to achieve a goal in market is totally dependent to work on trends of market.

To fetch ideas about that we surely need to extract data from their website. For instance a person is looking for article, he surely will search and collect data about this from google or any website like wizarticle. The technique he will use is Data scraping API For this purpose parsing leads the list of methods of extraction of data but most effective one is data extraction API

Data Scraping API

API stands for Application programing interface. It is actually a simple software available on websites to make data parsing possible. It allows two applications to communicate to each other or we can say that it allows the communication of two or more applications. API is surely a gate way for web scraping. We do require some tricky and complex method for data parsing from a website if its API is absent. While doing so HTML markup is not scraped instead CSS or XPath selectors are used. That is why data parsing API is reliable and quite efficient way for this to be implemented.

Challenges in Data Scraping API

As we talked in detail about beneficial side of web scraping using API’s, there are numerous challenges as well for scraping API techniques. It is surely most effective technique but when we talk about issues and challenges in data scraping API, we should be explaining them as well. They can not only restrict us from any operation regarding data extraction but also can create legal problems. Below is a list of top challenges that a data scraper face.

• Getting blocked
• BOT access
• CAPTCHA
• Permission requirements
• Speed

Getting blocked

Some times while website data scraping, we get blocked. After that we find our self a helpless fellow to do any further operation of fetching data from that website. This happens when scraper API considers us as scraping bot. We are available with a corridor to escape this problem as well. This way is termed as Proxy.

Proxies are not a solution to be implemented after getting blocked instead we do parse data from a website through proxy we are safe from blocking experience. The software which uses proxy for data scraping is termed as proxy scraper.

How Proxy Scraper works?

A software which allows us to change our internet protocol address for data parsing form any website is called as proxy scraper. This is a perfect way by using which we cannot get block. Before we do parse data from a website, we use proxy for our self with proxy scraper. Proxy scraper changes our network’s Internet Protocol address. After this when we do form a connection with any website for web scraping API, we stay safe and threat of betting blocked vanishes off.

BOT Access

We are available with a number of websites on World Wide Web which do not permit us to extract their data using web scraping API’s. Still if we want to use scraper API technique for them, they do consider us a robot and this will surely create a considerable problem for us. This is one major issue among data scraping API for us. They can block our IP address for permanent and we will be helpless with that. We cannot do any further operation on that website after that. Secondly they can report our IP address as spam. If this is do so, then we cannot scrap data from that website anymore. We even cannot use the current tool for any further operation on internet. This issue mostly arises during website data scraping and can be solved if a precaution is followed.

Solution

If we do try to connect to a website for web scraping API, and it is not allowing us to parse data from their website, we must take permission from the website owner. We do so in order to avoid spamming and risk of blocking from that website. As mentioned earlier that serious case of this issue can block our presence on internet for permanent. That is why taking permission from website owner is a simple way to get rid of this threat while using API for scraping. If website owner still do not allows us for web scraping API, we must find out some other website for our particular operation and leave that specific one.

CAPTCHA-Data Scraping API

Most of the times when we access a website for data extraction API and we come across with captchas. CAPTCHA stands for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. Whenever we desire to parse data, we have to enter the particular website, which will check us whether we are human or a robot. It will check us by providing us with images to select specific one right in accordance to the caption mentioned there or by providing us with a text written in an arbitrary form to rewrite.

This is a simple process of human or computer (robot) identification but it is surely annoying for all of us to deal with. Unfortunately whichever type of data parsing we are doing, either it is web scraping API, JAVA API scraping, scraper PHP or API scraping python, we will surely see this crap or we have to deal with it. We may do wrong attempts for many times and upon every wrong attempt captcha test will increase its testing limit so it can be an annoying or provocative process to deal with.

Permission requirements

Now have a look at another major problem among data scraping API. We already discussed about permission requirement from website owner to avoid spamming but this section of permission requirement for web scraping API is going to discuss something different. These permissions are those which the website bots will ask you to allow. They can even ask the major things like access of our website sensitive data etc. So there is a risk that some one can hack us because we are giving permission ourselves. Such cases arise when you are dealing with website data scraping and there is a need to closely read and understand the dialogue box seeking permission from us to avoid loss. Better way to skip this huge threat while performing data scraping API is to skip the website seeking permissions from you.

Speed issue in data scraping API

While doing web scraping another problem we face is the issue of speed. We know that website data scraping is a time efficient process but with slow speed it will no more be a time efficient process. If speed decreases this will also affect the performance or data parsing which is not good in this regard. Speed depends upon many factors from which a few are here.

Static or Dynamic website

Speed varies in both type of websites. Data load on a dynamic website is tolerate able for it. It do not affects it speed as compared to the static one. So while doing web scraping this factor has a huge influence on speed of work.

Pages of Website

Some websites are available with number of pages. This means that a huge amount of data is present on it. So data scrap API method will surely face a slow speed problem while extraction of data. While we are extracting data from a website, its time is truly depending upon the speed of process.

Server division

While scraper API process proceeds, if we are dealing with a website having huge amount of traffic on it every time, then surely its speed is surely dependent to number of servers behind that website dealing with all human traffic. If a single server is available for traffic of millions, then surely speed for everyone will drop.

Conclusion

Data scraping API are a part of this process. Web scraping API, PYTHON, PHP or JAVA all are techniques associated with website data scraping but these challenges in web scraping will definitely be faced using any one of the pre mentioned methods. Some of them are available with solution. These solutions are just a few in number, which are in our hand. So we can implement these solutions in order to perform efficient website data scraping. There are some other challenges as well. Their depends upon the steps that website owner (the website we are using for data scraping) takes. It is up to them. As a programmer one must be ready to deal with all challenges of data scraping API. No matters the solution is there for us or not.