arbisoft brand logo
arbisoft brand logo

A Technology Partnership That Goes Beyond Code

  • company logo

    “Arbisoft is an integral part of our team and we probably wouldn't be here today without them. Some of their team has worked with us for 5-8 years and we've built a trusted business relationship. We share successes together.”

    Jake Peters profile picture

    Jake Peters/CEO & Co-Founder, PayPerks

  • company logo

    “They delivered a high-quality product and their customer service was excellent. We’ve had other teams approach us, asking to use it for their own projects”.

    Alice Danon profile picture

    Alice Danon/Project Coordinator, World Bank

1000+Tech Experts

550+Projects Completed

50+Tech Stacks

100+Tech Partnerships

4Global Offices

4.9Clutch Rating

  • company logo

    “Arbisoft has been a valued partner to edX since 2013. We work with their engineers day in and day out to advance the Open edX platform and support our learners across the world.”

    Ed Zarecor profile picture

    Ed Zarecor/Senior Director & Head of Engineering

81.8% NPS78% of our clients believe that Arbisoft is better than most other providers they have worked with.

  • Arbisoft is your one-stop shop when it comes to your eLearning needs. Our Ed-tech services are designed to improve the learning experience and simplify educational operations.

    Companies that we have worked with

    • MIT logo
    • edx logo
    • Philanthropy University logo
    • Ten Marks logo

    • company logo

      “Arbisoft has been a valued partner to edX since 2013. We work with their engineers day in and day out to advance the Open edX platform and support our learners across the world.”

      Ed Zarecor profile picture

      Ed Zarecor/Senior Director & Head of Engineering

  • Get cutting-edge travel tech solutions that cater to your users’ every need. We have been employing the latest technology to build custom travel solutions for our clients since 2007.

    Companies that we have worked with

    • Kayak logo
    • Travelliance logo
    • SastaTicket logo
    • Wanderu logo

    • company logo

      “Arbisoft has been my most trusted technology partner for now over 15 years. Arbisoft has very unique methods of recruiting and training, and the results demonstrate that. They have great teams, great positive attitudes and great communication.”

      Paul English profile picture

      Paul English/Co-Founder, KAYAK

  • As a long-time contributor to the healthcare industry, we have been at the forefront of developing custom healthcare technology solutions that have benefitted millions.

    Companies that we have worked with

    • eHuman logo
    • Reify Health logo

    • company logo

      I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate the work you and your team have been doing of all the overseas teams I've worked with, yours is the most communicative, most responsive and most talented.

      Matt Hasel profile picture

      Matt Hasel/Program Manager, eHuman

  • We take pride in meeting the most complex needs of our clients and developing stellar fintech solutions that deliver the greatest value in every aspect.

    Companies that we have worked with

    • Payperks logo
    • The World Bank logo
    • Lendaid logo

    • company logo

      “Arbisoft is an integral part of our team and we probably wouldn't be here today without them. Some of their team has worked with us for 5-8 years and we've built a trusted business relationship. We share successes together.”

      Jake Peters profile picture

      Jake Peters/CEO & Co-Founder, PayPerks

  • Unlock innovative solutions for your e-commerce business with Arbisoft’s seasoned workforce. Reach out to us with your needs and let’s get to work!

    Companies that we have worked with

    • HyperJar logo
    • Edited logo

    • company logo

      The development team at Arbisoft is very skilled and proactive. They communicate well, raise concerns when they think a development approach wont work and go out of their way to ensure client needs are met.

      Veronika Sonsev profile picture

      Veronika Sonsev/Co-Founder

  • Arbisoft is a holistic technology partner, adept at tailoring solutions that cater to business needs across industries. Partner with us to go from conception to completion!

    Companies that we have worked with

    • Indeed logo
    • Predict.io logo
    • Cerp logo
    • Wigo logo

    • company logo

      “The app has generated significant revenue and received industry awards, which is attributed to Arbisoft’s work. Team members are proactive, collaborative, and responsive”.

      Silvan Rath profile picture

      Silvan Rath/CEO, Predict.io

  • Software Development Outsourcing

    Building your software with our expert team.

  • Dedicated Teams

    Long term, integrated teams for your project success

  • IT Staff Augmentation

    Quick engagement to boost your team.

  • New Venture Partnership

    Collaborative launch for your business success.

Discover More

Hear From Our Clients

  • company logo

    “Arbisoft partnered with Travelliance (TVA) to develop Accounting, Reporting, & Operations solutions. We helped cut downtime to zero, providing 24/7 support, and making sure their database of 7 million users functions smoothly.”

    Dori Hotoran profile picture

    Dori Hotoran/Director Global Operations - Travelliance

  • company logo

    “I couldn’t be more pleased with the Arbisoft team. Their engineering product is top-notch, as is their client relations and account management. From the beginning, they felt like members of our own team—true partners rather than vendors.”

    Diemand-Yauman profile picture

    Diemand-Yauman/CEO, Philanthropy University

  • company logo

    Arbisoft was an invaluable partner in developing TripScanner, as they served as my outsourced website and software development team. Arbisoft did an incredible job, building TripScanner end-to-end, and completing the project on time and within budget at a fraction of the cost of a US-based developer.

    Ethan Laub profile picture

    Ethan Laub/Founder and CEO

Contact Us

Screen Scraping Data: A Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started

https://d1foa0aaimjyw4.cloudfront.net/Screen_scraping_data_A_beginner_s_guide_to_getting_started_Cover_Banner_817f3c2fb7.jpg

You can now gather thousands of product prices in minutes, automatically update your business lead list, or track social media trends on a massive scale with the power of screen scraping!

 

A recent study revealed that 73% of businesses leverage web scraping to gain a competitive edge. By extracting valuable data from websites, you can unlock a treasure trove of information and automate tasks that would take hours to do manually.

 

In this blog, you’ll learn everything you need to know to begin screen scraping. We'll break down everything you need to know, from the basic principles to practical applications, so you can harness the power of web data extraction and put it to work for you.

 

Let’s start by looking at the difference between web and screen scraping.

 

Web Scraping vs. Screen Scraping

Web scraping and screen scraping sound similar, but there's a key distinction. Web scraping focuses on grabbing data specifically from websites. It uses the website's code (HTML) to pinpoint and collect the information you need.

 

Screen scraping, on the other hand, has a broader scope. It encompasses extracting data from any visual element on your screen, including websites, desktop applications, and even scanned documents. In the context of this guide, however, we'll focus on using screen scraping techniques to extract data specifically from websites.

 

Screen Scraping Data

Now that you understand the power of screen scraping, let's break down the process into a clear, step-by-step approach.

1. Define Your Goal

What data do you want to extract? Be specific. Are you looking for product prices, business listings, or news articles? Clearly defining your goal will guide your entire scraping process.

2. Target Selection

Identify the websites that contain the data you desire. Make sure the websites allow scraping by checking their robots.txt file. If you're wondering is web scraping legal?, it's important to review the site's policies and legal guidelines to proceed responsibly.

 

While some websites might have their data readily available on the surface, others require a bit more digging.  Look for sections or functionalities on the website that organize the data you're looking for. These sections often hold clues about how the website structures and stores the information you want to extract.

 

By carefully selecting your target websites, respecting their guidelines, and understanding how they organize their data, you'll lay a solid foundation for a successful scraping adventure. Remember, a little planning goes a long way in the world of web data extraction!

3. Website Inspection

Every website has a blueprint – its HTML code. Use your browser's developer tools to examine this code and pinpoint how your target data is structured. Look for HTML tags and attributes that consistently surround the data you want to extract.

4. Tool Selection

Choose the right tool for the job. Beginner-friendly browser extensions like "Web Scraper for Chrome" can handle simple tasks. For more complex scraping, Python is a popular programming language with libraries like BeautifulSoup that can effectively navigate website structures and extract data. There are also paid and freemium web scraping tools available that offer advanced features.

5. Building Your Scraper

Here's where the magic happens! Depending on your chosen tool, you'll build your scraper to:

 

  • Send requests to the website to retrieve the HTML code.
  • Parse the retrieved HTML code to identify the elements containing your target data. (This is where your website inspection from step 3 comes in handy!)
  • Extract the desired data points from the identified elements.
  • Save the extracted data in a usable format like CSV or Excel.

6. Testing and Refinement

Run your scraper and see if it retrieves the data correctly. You might need to refine your scraper logic based on any errors or unexpected website behavior.

7. Data Cleaning and Management

The extracted data might not always be formatted perfectly. 

  • Cleaning - You might encounter inconsistencies, missing values, or unwanted characters in your data. Common cleaning techniques include removing HTML tags, converting data to a consistent format (e.g., dates), and handling missing values (e.g., filling with zeros or removing rows).
  • Structuring - Once clean, organize your data into a well-defined structure. This often involves creating separate columns for each data point (e.g., product name, price, category) and ensuring consistency in how the data is represented throughout. Tools like spreadsheets or data analysis software can help you manage and structure your data effectively.

 

Remember - Throughout this process, prioritize ethical scraping practices. Respect website guidelines, avoid overloading servers, and be mindful of data privacy.

 

Stop wasting time searching manually!

Download our free cheat sheet, "Top 13 Websites to Scrape for B2B Leads," and discover the best online resources overflowing with valuable databases.

 

Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Screen Scraping

Screen scraping can be a powerful tool, but there are pitfalls to watch out for, especially for beginners. Here's a breakdown of common mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Respecting Robots.txt and Website Guidelines

Every website has a robots.txt file that tells bots (like screen scrapers) which pages they can and can't access. Scraping from pages disallowed by robots.txt is unethical and might get your IP address blocked.

Solution

Always check the robots.txt file before scraping any website. The directives like "Disallow: /" which means all scraping is forbidden, or specific paths you should avoid scraping.

 

Many websites have terms of service that frown upon scraping. Review the website's terms and conditions to make sure your scraping activities comply with their guidelines.

2. Avoiding Server Overload

Sending too many scraping requests too quickly can overload a website's server and cause it to crash. This is not only inconsiderate but might also get your IP address banned.

Solution

Be polite! Scrape slowly and spread out your requests over time. Many scraping tools have built-in mechanisms to pause between requests. Use these features or implement your own delays to avoid overwhelming the server.

3. Dealing with Messy or Inconsistent Data

The data you extract might not always be clean and organized. Websites can change their layout or how they present information, breaking your scraper.

Solution

Be prepared to clean and format your data after scraping. This might involve removing HTML tags, converting dates to a consistent format, and handling missing values. Tools like spreadsheets or data analysis software can help you clean and structure your data effectively.

 

Pro Tip: When inspecting the website in step 3 (above) pay close attention to how data is structured across multiple pages. This will help you build a more robust scraper that can handle minor variations in layout.

 

Summing Up The Power of Screen Scraping Data

As you become more comfortable with screen scraping and web scraping, you can explore advanced techniques like proxy servers for masking your IP address and data pipelines for automated data collection. Additionally, some websites offer APIs that provide programmatic access to their data – a valuable alternative to scraping in some cases.

 

Screen scraping opens doors to a world of possibilities. Imagine comparing prices across different online stores, gathering business contact information, or tracking social media sentiment. By following this structured approach and putting your newfound knowledge into practice, you'll be well on your way to becoming a web data pro!

 

Ready to embark on your screen data extraction journey? While Python provides a strong foundation, consider Arbisoft's web scraping services for an extra edge. This frees you to focus on the analysis and transformation of the data you collect, allowing you to unlock its true potential. 

 

Let’s get started together.

Hijab's profile picture
Hijab e Fatima

I’m a technical content writer with a passion for all things AI and ML. I love diving deep into complex topics and breaking them down into digestible information. When I’m not writing, you can find me exploring anything and everything trending.

Explore More

Have Questions? Let's Talk.

We have got the answers to your questions.

We recommend using your work email.
What is your budget? *