Smart Techniques to Avoid Getting Blocked When Web Scraping

Web scraping can be a useful technique for collecting public data from websites. However, many sites try to detect and block scrapers to prevent excessive loads on their servers. Here are some tips to scrape responsibly and avoid blocks.

Use Rotation Proxies and Random User Agents

One of the easiest ways sites detect scrapers is by looking for repeat visits from the same IP address or user agent string. To prevent this:

Here is some sample code to rotate user agents:

import requests
from fake_useragent import UserAgent 

ua = UserAgent()

headers = {'User-Agent': ua.random} 
r = requests.get(url, headers=headers)

Add Realistic Delays Between Requests

Don't slam sites with a huge number of rapid requests. Instead:

Follow Robots.txt Rules

Respect the robots.txt file, which gives guidance on scraping etiquette. Avoid repeatedly hitting pages or endpoints disallowed by robots.txt.

By following these tips, you can scrape responsibly without overburdening sites. Always check a website's terms of service too. With care, scrapers and site owners can coexist peacefully!