In this article, we are going to delve into the distinction between two data analysis concepts available on various sources on the web (websites). We will also discuss the purposes, methods, advantages and disadvantages of each approach
Data is not always provided in an easy-to-process process. A complex and unreadable website address on a manager's business card is just one simple example. To let a client access this information (convert it from a visual representation to a textual input within a browser's address bar), letters, numbers and other characters have to be manually typed on a keyboard.
However, the format can be changed by adding a QR code to the business card or using an NFC tag. In that case, the required information can be easily read using specialized software. This will prevent a user from making a mistake, while the entire input process will be significantly faster.
A similar situation arises when the required data stored on a computer's hard drive essentially comes in an "unreadable" format, thus being incompatible with software programs. Each program is initially developed to read only those formats that are implied by its developers. If the existing formats are not supported, the program will be unable to read the file.
Here's another example: imagine that you need to gather a database of email addresses, but they are stored within PDF files, images (business card photos), email clients, business documents etc. How can you gather the required information in one place to further convert it into a more convenient (readable) format?
A parsing program (scraper) will help. It can open various types of files, find the required info there and then save the data in a different format (typically in the form of charts or lists, but other formats like XML markup, etc. are also possible).
The process of searching for information and converting it into a new type/format is called parsing or scraping.
Previously, we explained what data parsing is. To be precise, web scraping is the process of searching and converting the data into a more convenient format suitable for analysis, storage, indexing etc.
As the prefix "web" suggests, web scraping is the process of searching and converting web data into a convenient format. This refers to information found on web pages and services on the Internet.
It's important to note that modern information systems can work with different data formats. However, information is not stored on the World Wide Web only. Therefore, there are also offline parsers (scraping programs) designed to work with users' local files.
Web scrapers have gained the utmost popularity. Why?
Web scrapers can function as standalone software on user devices (PC or virtual/dedicated server) or be deployed in the cloud as a service (SaaS or PaaS format). In some cases, scrapers can come as a part of more complex software systems as one of their components.
The tasks and objectives of web scrapers can notably vary, ranging from positive goals focused on creation and improvement to negative goals like industrial espionage, detection of security vulnerability etc.
The most popular business tasks include:
While the benefits of parsers/scrapers are more or less obvious (they assist in solving practical tasks), the downsides are rarely discussed. Let's fix that now.
Let's talk about the benefits as well.
A web crawler is a specialized script that navigates websites in search of new content and changes. Webmasters call this process “indexing”. However, from a purely technical standpoint, the data crawling (indexing) process does not significantly differ from parsing or scraping.
The scanning mechanism works as follows:
Similar operations are completed during simple scraping. Data from web pages is also collected by a specialized script, but it is further stored on servers or users' computers instead of a search engine system.
Summing it all up, web crawling is the process of analyzing the content of each individual page of a website for further ranking in relevant search results. The goal of a search bot is to "understand" and "see" the web page content, just as ordinary users would do.
Unlike potentially parasitic traffic brought by the scraping process, crawling is a highly desired process for a website. Based on the results of crawling, a website can be added to search results or improve its ranking if it has already been there.
Special configuration files and maps are created for search crawlers, where webmasters (website owners) can indicate what should/shouldn’t be crawled, what materials have been added/removed etc. This is done using special directives in robots.txt files, XML sitemaps and specific HTML tags within pages.
As understood from the description, scraping is completed by users or business owners for their own purposes, such as content search, analysis, extraction or conversion into a convenient format.
The goals of parsing (scraping) are purely commercial. Special software and solutions (like rotating proxies) are used to bypass blocks and parallelize processes.
The goal of web scanning is adding a website to the search results and its further indexing. This is necessary for website owners, so search engine spiders (search bots) are not blocked. On the contrary, they are expected and information about websites/pages for scanning is prepared in advance
While scraping, the data is collected and processed according to search criteria. For example, only contact info or the body of comments may be extracted or mentions of companies, brands are found. Information can be exported and saved in any place convenient for a client to be further used for processing and analysis. All tabular export formats are generally supported.
While scanning, the information is processed by search engines only. It is not exported anywhere. Third-party individuals do not have access to such data.
When it comes to technical nuances, the differences are not obvious. Any parser can present itself as a search bot or a web browser, acting on its behalf. Data from webpages is collected in the same format - the HTML code.
The differences are all about the purposes of processing such data and the technical capabilities for clients.
Search bots do not require proxies or other protection mechanisms against blocking. If a website does not want to be indexed, it is their problem. The crawler will simply move on to another web resource in the scanning queue.
As opposed to crawlers, parsers (scrapers) have to collect information from a website regardless of the available obstacles. That is why special modules to bypass protection, connect proxy lists, detect captcha, emulate real user behavior etc. may be used in the software.
The term "web scanning" (crawling) is associated with indexing of web page content. It is necessary for web resources (and website owners) to have their data included in organic search results.
The parsing procedure is solely related to commercial purposes and tasks like monitoring, analytics, search, extraction etc.
Technically, however, the procedures of scanning and parsing are largely similar. In both cases, HTML code from web pages is collected and analyzed.
If you are specifically interested in data parsing (scraping), you won’t go without additional investments. Even if you use specialized software, you will need to connect a proxy list to prevent the targeted websites from blocking the IP address of the device sending requests.
Read also: How to Generate a Random IP Address for Every One of Your Sessions
Residential or mobile proxies are the best solutions to bypass blocks.
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