# Web Scraping

## What is web scraping ?

**Web Scraping** (also known as **Web Harvesting** or **data extraction**) is the **automated process** of extracting data or content from websites. **Bots or scripts** crawl web pages, gather information, and export it into structured formats like **databases or spreadsheets**.

Used both by individuals and businesses, scraping has **legitimate applications**, but it’s also widely used for **malicious and illegal activities** such as **content theft, data breaches, and unfair SEO tactics**.

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## How is web scraping used ?

**Legal & ethical use cases** :

* **Price comparison** and **market research**.
* Monitoring **classifieds** or **job listings**.
* Analyzing **reviews** or **trends**.
* Collecting **public data** (with respect to **privacy laws like GDPR**).

**Malicious & illegal use cases** :

* **Data scraping** of personal or confidential information (**violates GDPR & privacy laws**).
* **Content scraping** to duplicate entire websites or steal **SEO content**.
* **Competitive intelligence abuse** through unauthorized crawling.
* **Database harvesting** from platforms like **LinkedIn** or **eCommerce sites**.

⚠️ **Warning** : Most malicious scrapers **disguise themselves as legitimate bots** (e.g. **Googlebot**) or use **fake accounts** and **proxy networks**.

## How do web scraping attack work ?

A scraping attack typically happens in **3 distinct stages** :

1. **Target configuration** : Bots are set up with specific URLs to crawl, often **mimicking human behavior** or **disguising themselves** as trusted crawlers.
2. **Automated crawling** : Multiple bots (or botnets) access pages simultaneously, often **consuming server resources** and **degrading performance**.
3. **Content & data extraction** : Information is collected in bulk (**product prices, proprietary text, personal data**) and exported to a **third-party database**.

## Why is web scraping dangerous ?

Without protection, scraping bots can :

* **Steal valuable business data** or **customer information**.
* **Copy your website entirely**, harming your **SEO rankings** and **brand image**.
* Cause **site performance issues** through high traffic loads.
* **Compromise pricing strategies** by feeding your data to competitors.
* **Trigger security breaches**, especially when combined with **brute force** or **fake account creation**.

## How to detect web scraping activity ?

**Common signs** of a scraping attack :

* **Sudden spikes** in traffic from **unknown or foreign IPs**.
* **Unusual session durations** (too short or extremely long).
* **Multiple fake accounts** registering simultaneously.
* **High volume** of page views without conversions.
* **Suspicious download behavior** or **bulk form submissions**.

Use tools like **CloudFilt**, **server logs**, and **traffic analyzers** to detect bot behavior in real time.

## How to protect your website from web scraping ?

**Manual techniques** :

* Use **CAPTCHAs** on forms and login pages.
* Block **known bad IPs** and **user agents**.
* Monitor **account creation patterns**.
* **Rate-limit** API and page access.
* Prevent bots using **robots.txt** (*not secure, but a basic step*).

**Best practice : Use an automated protection solution** :\
**CloudFilt** offers advanced Web scraping protection that :

* **Detects bot behavior** from both **front-end** and **back-end**.
* **Blocks scraping attempts in real-time**, without hurting **SEO bots**.
* **Differentiates** between **human traffic** and **sophisticated bots**.
* Provides **full visibility** into scraping activity and **IP profiles**.

👉 **CloudFilt’s AI-powered system ensures your content, pricing, and customer data stay safe, while real users continue to enjoy seamless access.**
