How to increase the number of requests when web scraping using a proxy

Web scraping is the process of extracting information from various websites for analysis, processing, storage, or use in marketing or other applications. It involves automatically retrieving data from online resources using specialized programs or tools, either directly or via a proxy. The extracted data is initially presented in HTML code, then transformed into user-friendly formats like text, tables, or databases. Web scraping serves multiple purposes:

• Data collection. It enables the extraction of details like product prices, exchange rates, statistics, news, and reviews from any website. This data aids in analysis and decision-making for technical or business purposes.
• Competitor monitoring and analysis. Companies use web scraping to track competitor activities, such as changes in prices, product assortments, and review ratings, providing insights into both direct and potential competitors' strategies.
• Market research. This technique is valuable for market research, gathering user opinions and reviews, and collecting statistical data. It is particularly useful before entering new markets, launching products, or making strategic business decisions.
• Content aggregators. Websites offering news, viral content, or event updates utilize web scraping to automatically gather and publish pertinent information. This approach saves time in content publishing and offers a competitive edge.

Online scraping's primary benefit is the automation of routine tasks like data collection from multiple sources, updating feeds, and other actions. It enables efficient resource and internet traffic management and reduces the need for manpower in the online industry. Where scraping once required 5-6 people, now it only needs a single debugger and analyst to monitor the web scraper and translate technical data into a format understandable for marketers and management.
However, web scraping must adhere to the legal and policy constraints of the source websites. Unregulated data collection can infringe on copyrights and privacy laws, potentially leading to legal issues. At best, scrapers could get blocked, preventing them from accessing data. To avoid IP address blocking, legitimate paid proxy servers are recommended, allowing for controlled request frequencies and mimicking real-user activities.
For enhancing request volume during web scraping, two main methods are advised:

• Proxy pool. This involves creating a pool of proxies, either automatically or manually, and selecting a random proxy for each request. This method helps bypass request number restrictions.
• Rotating proxy. This automatically changes proxies for each request, ensuring efficient request management and growth.

Specialized proxy services offer access to numerous proxy servers. Users can connect to these services, purchase proxy packages, and use APIs for automatic rotation. Tools like Python Scrapy provide libraries and methods (e.g., “random” or “itertools”) to enhance scraping efficiency.
Remember, any scraping methods must comply with web resource policies, like robots.txt, and consider administrators' restrictions. Ignoring these rules can lead to IP address blocking.

Advantages of proxies in web scraping

Private proxies are essential for SMM and SEO specialists engaged in web scraping and analytics. Their key advantage is user anonymity, as they mask the user's real IP address from the data source. Utilizing a proxy pool can boost request capabilities, enabling aggregators to update data more frequently and ensure its freshness and relevance.
Another advantage of sourcing proxies from reputable providers is the access to supplementary tools. These can include features like API scraping, handling JavaScript pages, and services for automating analytics or visualizing collected data, often as part of a tariff plan. These tools enhance the overall efficiency and effectiveness of web scraping and analytical tasks.

Changing IP address

Using a proxy in web scraping, particularly for large or repetitive tasks, offers significant benefits. Here are the main advantages:

• Proxy servers conceal your real IP address, preventing blockages or access restrictions to your scraper. This also helps avoid sanctions from foreign websites that may restrict certain IP addresses.
• Many websites, especially those in the US or EU, might block or limit access based on IP origin. Proxy services enable you to circumvent these limitations. Rotating proxies, which use different IP addresses for each request, and residential proxies, which mimic local IPs, are particularly effective in this regard.
• Quality proxy providers offer large pools of proxies, allowing you to distribute the scraping load across multiple IP addresses. This enhances performance and enables simultaneous analysis of various services.
• Proxy servers can be selected based on geographic locations. This is beneficial for collecting region-specific data or checking product availability and pricing in different markets. Geographic location also influences request speed and the likelihood of successfully bypassing blocks.
• Investing in diverse proxy packages with varying IP addresses, regions, connection types, and protocols can significantly speed up data processing and overall productivity.

Using IP rotation, even with intense request frequency, minimizes the risk of detection by website security systems, allowing continuous analysis and data collection. Long-term monitoring and data gathering from a particular resource can lead to the creation of a comprehensive database, valuable for in-depth analysis.

Managing the number of requests

Effective management of request numbers during web scraping is crucial, especially when collecting data from multiple websites or when a source limits requests per IP. Using packet proxies or connection pools helps distribute requests across different IPs, reducing the likelihood of blocking and ensuring stable data access. Key considerations for managing requests through a proxy include:

• Prepare a list of proxies or buy a pool in advance. For seamless transitions between requests, it's crucial to switch quickly from one IP to another. Many proxy providers offer rotating packages where proxies change automatically every 2-5 minutes, with user-configurable intervals.
• Public proxy servers can be unreliable. Private paid connections are preferable for stable internet connectivity. Instead of rotating connections, regular proxy packages can be used, switched either in a set order or randomly by the webmaster or PC.
• Instead of sending all traffic from a single IP, redirect the connection through proxy servers provided by the service. This approach decreases the load on any single IP, increases scraping efficiency, and allows detailed monitoring without fear of blocking.
• Constantly monitor for errors and server availability. While proxy services simplify tasks, users must stay vigilant to any proxy failures or slowdowns in scraping, switching to another functional connection when necessary.
• To avoid detection, limit the speed of requests sent through the proxy. Many websites have limits on request rates, and their security systems may block requests that come in too rapidly.
• Opt for proxy providers that require authentication for their servers. This enhances online security, maintains anonymity, and protects personal data from leaks.

In summary, managing request volumes in web scraping demands careful attention and a strategic approach. Using proxy services can facilitate efficient and ethical data access, but it's essential to monitor diligently and prioritize safety and compliance with website policies.

Bypassing blocks and restrictions

Python tools and web scraping proxies are widely used to circumvent regional blocks, especially when researching competitors whose websites are hosted on servers in regions where access from your country is restricted. To navigate these limitations, consider the following options:

• VPN services. VPNs create private virtual networks with customizable geo-settings, effectively handling regional blocks. They mask your real IP address and reroute your internet connection through servers in different locations, allowing access to regionally restricted content.
• Proxy servers. These come with a variety of settings to bypass regional, state, and technical blocks, as well as censorship policies. For changing geolocation, static residential IPs are suitable. For enhanced privacy, dynamic or rotating addresses are recommended. Proxies operate by acting as intermediaries between your computer and the internet, allowing you to access content without revealing your real IP address.

Using these methods to unblock content not only facilitates better internet research outcomes but also enables the collection of specific data such as prices, ratings, reviews, and other relevant information from foreign websites.

Python and web scraping

Python stands out as a top choice for web scraping due to its straightforwardness, comprehensive libraries, and numerous integrated frameworks. It equips webmasters and developers with efficient tools for data extraction. Here's how Python proves beneficial in web scraping:

• Python's “Requests” library simplifies making HTTP requests to servers, enabling the retrieval of web pages. This library is adept at sending GET and POST requests and receiving HTML page content.
• With libraries like BeautifulSoup and lxml, Python excels in parsing HTML code. These tools facilitate the extraction and processing of data from HTML documents, streamlining the search for specific information.
• Python is adept at interacting with web APIs, retrieving data in formats like JSON or XML from portals that offer API access.
• The Selenium library in Python allows for browser automation, which is crucial for scraping interactive web pages that require navigation and data entry.

Additionally, Python shines in data processing and analysis post-extraction. Libraries such as Pandas are used for structuring and analyzing data, while Matplotlib or Seaborn assist in visualizing results. The data can be stored in various formats, including CSV, JSON, and databases.

Python libraries for web scraping

Data scraping with Python is achievable for users with intermediate proficiency in the language. Python's straightforward syntax, compatibility with third-party APIs, and helpful code hints simplify the process. Key libraries for site monitoring and extracting technical and analytical data include Requests, Selenium, ProxyMesh, and Scrapy. Each library serves a specific purpose and offers unique advantages, making them essential tools for SEO professionals.

Requests

This library offers a straightforward and effective way to perform HTTP requests in Python, commonly used for fetching web pages and data from servers. Its benefits include:

• A user-friendly interface for executing GET and POST requests.
• Comprehensive and accessible documentation, complete with usage examples.
• Support for session persistence, enabling the saving of cookies and session states across requests.

However, it's important to note that Requests lacks HTML parsing capabilities. For this task, additional libraries like BeautifulSoup are often employed.

Selenium

This tool is widely used for automating web browsers to enhance scraping efficiency. Its key advantages are:

• It enables automatic control of the browser, including clicking elements, filling out forms, and executing other actions.
• It is effective for interacting with dynamic websites that use JavaScript and AJAX.
• It offers support for various programming languages, including Python.

However, Selenium is compatible with specific browsers like Chrome and Firefox. To use it, the corresponding Selenium WebDriver for the chosen browser must be downloaded separately.

ProxyMesh

A proxy provisioning service that allows network traffic to be routed through proxy servers. To work with ProxyMesh in Python, it is recommended to use libraries such as “Requests” to make HTTP requests through proxy servers. The code for connecting a proxy via ProxyMesh in Python looks something like this:

To interact with ProxyMesh resources, you will need to register on their platform, access their proxy servers, and obtain credentials (such as a username and password).

Scrapy

Scrapy is a robust and versatile web scraping framework widely used in marketing and IT analytics for extracting data from websites. Its key advantages include:

• Asynchronous processing for parallel task execution, boosting productivity.
• Comprehensive parsing tools, including a library for data extraction from HTML and various formats.
• High extensibility, offering numerous customization and integration possibilities.

While Scrapy is Python-based, it is ideally suited for substantial projects handling large data volumes.

TOP 5 proxy providers for web scraping

Effective web scraping hinges on using proxy servers for anonymity and overcoming access restrictions. Features like rotating IPs and integrated analytics tools simplify a webmaster's tasks. To ensure a swift, reliable, and uninterrupted scraping process without the risk of being blocked, selecting an appropriate proxy server service is crucial.

Proxy-Seller

Proxy-Seller offers a diverse range of proxy servers, supporting HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS connections. Key benefits for web scraping include:

• A variety of proxy types, including mobile, ISP, and residential, with options for personal IPv4 and IPv6 channels.
• A user-friendly web panel for easy proxy management, enabling one-click changes to addresses, connection types, and locations.
• Assured high-speed connections, facilitating simultaneous processing of multiple websites without network lags.

Proxy-Seller provides various paid plans featuring different bandwidth options and access to international proxies. Visit their website to purchase a proxy package tailored to your specific needs.

BrightData

BrightData (previously known as Luminati) offers a vast array of proxies and virtual browsers for anonymous web scraping and data collection. Their offerings include:

• A range of proxies, such as ISP, residential, mobile, and server proxies, catering to large marketing services and data centers.
• Reliable network performance with support for HTTP and SOCKS5 protocols, and IPv4 connections.
• Advanced privacy features like user agent masking and technologies to counter browser fingerprinting, ensuring webmasters' anonymity.

Additionally, BrightData provides flexible proxy usage options with transparent traffic consumption monitoring for users.

Proxy-Sale

This proxy server service boasts excellent network performance, enhancing web scraping and site research processes. Key features include:

• Multiple connection protocols like HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5, ensuring fast and stable connectivity.
• A variety of proxy types available for purchase, such as IPV4, IPV6, ISP, and Mobile. For web scraping, proxies with packet connections using diverse IPs are ideal.
• An option to choose proxies from over 30 countries.

Proxy-Sale offers a flexible pricing model based on the number and type of proxies, allowing webmasters to select plans according to their project scale. While free packages are available, they tend to be less stable and slower.

Stormproxies

This platform offers rotational proxies, essential for efficient online site scraping. The highlight of this service is its rotating proxy and IP feature, changing every few minutes. Clients can purchase a vast proxy pool, integrate it with their web scraper, set it up, and then enjoy hassle-free operation without manual IP changes. Key aspects include:

• Support for various proxy types, including backconnect, HTTP, and SOCKS proxies.
• A stable connection with 99.98% uptime and data transfer speeds up to 1 Gbit/sec.
• Various paid plans with adjustable bandwidth and customizable proxy settings.

To evaluate the service, customers can start with a purchase of 5 proxies before upgrading to more extensive plans.

Youproxy

The service provides personal IP addresses, significantly reducing the risk of user blocking due to suspected spam, even with frequent requests. Its offerings include:

• Proxy servers supporting various protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS4, and SOCKS5.
• High-speed private proxies with IPV4, IPV6, and mobile proxy connections.
• The option for users to specify their preferred network or subnet when ordering a proxy pool.

To get started, we recommend exploring Proxy-Seller and Brightdata, renowned for their specialized scraping tools and solutions. These providers offer a range of APIs for efficient data collection. Brightdata stands out with additional features like Web Unlocker, a scraping browser, and Web Scraper IDE - a library of templates and functions for custom scraper development.
In terms of tariff flexibility and pricing, Proxy-Sale, Youproxy, and Proxy-Seller offer a diverse array of options, suitable for both occasional and regular large-scale proxy needs. Their high-quality, 24/7 support ensures you find the best fit for your requirements.
For those requiring rotating or residential proxies, Stormproxies, Brightdata, Proxy-Seller, and Proxy-Sale are top choices. They are well-regarded and reliable, particularly for scraping purposes.
This overview aims to guide you in selecting a dependable and high-quality server and scraping tool provider.