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Web Scraping & Automation Basics
Web Scraping & Automation Basics

Basics of web scraping for newbies

Christina Platz avatar
Written by Christina Platz
Updated over a week ago

What is web scraping?

Web Scraping also is known as Web Data extraction or Web Harvesting is a technique used to extract large amounts of data from websites that can then be saved to a local computer or database.

What is automation?

Web Browser automation involves using software or scripts to automate tasks in a web browser, eliminating the need for manual interaction. It saves time by performing actions like form filling, data extraction, and navigation automatically, increasing efficiency and streamlining workflows.

Couldn’t I just do it myself?

You can. However it will come at the cost of your most valuable asset. Time!

According to research Nearly 60% workers estimate they could save six or more hours a week — almost a full workday — if the repetitive aspects of their jobs were automated.

Is it legal?

Every project we undertake involves the collection of publicly available data or the automation of manual tasks, which is completely legal. However, there may be instances where a specific website explicitly states in their terms and conditions that copying or replicating data is not allowed. In such cases, we take the initiative to contact the website on your behalf and ensure that our actions align with legal guidelines. If a website's terms and conditions prohibit automation, we utilize our human cloud worker network to handle the tasks, ensuring that there is no actual automation performed on the website. Our dedicated team of humans guarantees a 24-hour delivery time frame for all tasks.

In the past, there have been numerous cases where companies have wrongly claimed ownership over data on their websites, despite it being public knowledge. Court rulings have consistently upheld the legality of web scraping, with recent examples such as LinkedIn being ordered to allow users to scrape data.


We respect each platforms terms and conditions and we want scraping solutions customers to use our service responsibly.

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