Simple Scraper
Tool Description : A web scraping tool that allows users to extract data from websites quickly and easily.
Simple Scraper
Quick Overview
What it does
Extracts structured data from websites and exports it into formats such as CSV, Excel, Google Sheets, APIs, and databases.
How to use it
Install the browser extension, select the data you want to collect, create a scraper template, and export the results.
Cost
Freemium model with both free and paid plans.
Account required
No for basic use. Yes for most cloud-based features and saved scraping projects.
Cookies
Uses cookies and similar technologies for authentication, analytics, and service functionality.
Ownership
Owned and operated by Simple Scraper Ltd, headed up by ‘Mike’.
Use in Reporting
Particularly useful for gathering contact information, listings, directories, product data, social media profiles, and other publicly accessible web content.
What does Simple Scraper do?
Simple Scraper automates the collection of information from websites and converts it into usable datasets. Instead of manually copying information line by line, users can extract hundreds or thousands of records in minutes.
It’s simple to use; available as a browser extension and cloud-based service, enabling users to collect structured data from web pages without needing programming skills.
The lowdown: It bridges the gap between manual collection and advanced coding-based scraping tools.
How to Use:
1. Install the Simple Scraper browser extension and navigate to the webpage containing the info you want to collect. Then highlight a piece of data as below:
2. Review the extracted fields and check that the correct info is being captured, then export and analyse.
Note: Simple Scraper also allows you to create ‘recipes’ so repetitive tasks don’t become mundane.
Cost
Freemium model with both free and paid plans.
Data Processing
Account Required:
No for basic use. Yes for most cloud-based features and saved scraping projects.
Cookies:
Uses cookies and similar technologies for authentication, analytics, and service functionality.
Use in Reporting
Typical reporting uses include:
Collecting directory listings.
Capturing business information.
Gathering public contact details.
Building research datasets.
Monitoring changes over time.
Creating evidence tables.
Supporting due diligence investigations.
Capturing website content at scale.
Capabilities
Limitations
Extracts structured data from websites without requiring coding skills.
Website design changes can break existing scrapers and require reconfiguration.
Automatically identifies patterns and collects similar data across multiple pages.
Some websites use anti-scraping measures that may limit data collection.
Exports data into formats including CSV, Excel and Google Sheets.
Dynamic or highly interactive websites can be difficult to scrape accurately.
Supports automated and scheduled scraping for ongoing monitoring tasks.
Data accuracy depends on website quality and requires manual verification before reporting.
Quickly gathers large datasets from directories, listings and public websites.
Summary
Simple Scraper is primarily a collection tool that helps investigators efficiently gather and structure large amounts of publicly available web data for later analysis and reporting. While it’s not a replacement for advanced scraping tools in every scenario, it provides a great balance of power, speed, and ease of use.
Ownership
Owned and operated by Simple Scraper Ltd, headed up by ‘Mike’.
Ethical Considerations
Avoid excessive requests that may impact website performance.
Ensure compliance with applicable privacy and data protection laws.
Only collect information necessary for the investigation or research objective.
Consider whether individuals would reasonably expect the information to be collected and analysed.
Avoid collecting sensitive personal data without lawful justification.
Use automation responsibly and proportionately.
Related Tools:
ParseHub
Octoparse
Web Scraper.io
Sources
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