Downloading Web Content with HTTP Requests and Web Browsers
The different ways in which data exists on the internet cause concerns and questions for anyone looking to extract data from a website.
These concerns mostly have to do with what methods to use in extracting data from the internet. There are two very common ways of downloading content from web pages.
One involves using HTTP requests and writing a series of codes that interact quickly with the web page to collect its HTML content.
The other entails using a web browser with its specific WebDriver to communicate with the web page and harvest all its content before it is rendered and transformed to suit your particular needs.
Both routes have their advantages and disadvantages, as we will see shortly. We will also consider why web scraping tools are an important part of data extraction.
What Are HTTP Requests?
The HTTP request can be defined as an intermediary transfer method for sending communications to a server and returning the appropriate results.
They are a very fast way of extracting simple text-based data from a website but with long lines of code.
The data is often extracted in a more sensible structure that can be improved upon more quickly to make key business decisions.
What Are Web Browsers?
Web browsers are defined as tools or programs that help display web pages accurately so that users can easily navigate them and parse data from those sites.
They are used for web scraping mostly because they carry requests to websites and make it easier to access their content.
Some of the most popular web browsers used to extract data include Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
And while they get the job done, they are often much slower than using an HTTP request, as we will see under their differences later on.
However, web browsers help execute codes heavy on JavaScript, making them more accessible and scrapable.
The Difference between HTTP Requests and Web Browser
There are several differences between HTTP requests and web browsers, and below are some of the most obvious:
- Most HTTP requests are basic and hence faster than web browsers which need to be complex to perform different tasks.
- HTTP requests are often used for simple direct tasks of web scraping while web browsers deal with the more complicated processes.
- Web browsers can render styles and execute scripts on behalf of the target sites while this feature is absent in HTTP requests.
- HTTP requests are more appropriate for specific tasks as web browsers are well known for collecting both necessary and unnecessary resources
- Web scraping websites heavily dependent on JavaScript is best done with web browsers and not HTTP requests.
Why Scraping Tools Are Important To Extract Data
The following are some of the reasons why web scraping tools are crucial to any data extraction process:
- They Introduce Automation
The process of automation involves extracting data with little or no human interference, which is a very common feature of many web scraping tools.
When they are used, data extraction can happen repeatedly and frequently without you breaking a sweat.
The tools can also regularly revisit the websites to extract updated information and add it to your database.
- They Improve Accuracy
One advantage of using these tools is that they help you extract very accurate data. This is because the data is collected with machines and entered using algorithms and programs.
The absence of human touch in this equation helps to eliminate errors making the data more accurate.
- They Save Time
Using web scraping tools is a great way to save time and other resources. Since the process is automated, you can quickly visit the target data sources, scrape what you need quickly, and parse it in local storage in record time.
This will save time for both the business and staff, which can grow the brand in many other ways.
- They Boost Productivity
When processes are automated and time and other resources are not wasted, productivity can significantly increase.
Increased productivity leads to more achievement and increased revenue for your company.
- They Are Cost-Effective
Every brand would like to cut down on cost, and web scraping tools help you achieve this effortlessly.
For instance, because of the automation and little or zero human input, you can eliminate the need to hire more staff, thereby saving the cost from salaries that would have been paid.
From the above, you can see why whenever most people are looking for how to extract data from a website, they go for web scraping tools as they have repeatedly been shown to be the most efficient way to get this done. Check this blog post, since It’s also about how to extract data from websites.
Conclusion
Web scraping can be achieved in various ways, but it is often best done using automated tools that eliminate the stress and make data gathering more enjoyable.
Particularly you can use HTTP requests or web browsers to download web content, and these tools can get you what you want in their respective ways.
