# scraping

/ˈskɹeɪpɪŋ/ (US) · /skɹˈeɪpɪŋ/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/scraping
Updated: 2026-05-06

## Definition

the process of using a computer program to copy data from a website. It is a fast way to collect a lot of information at once.

For teachers: the automated extraction of data from websites or digital documents. Often involves parsing HTML to transform unstructured web content into a structured database format.

## Examples

- Web scraping helps us track price changes on different sites.
- The marketing team used web scraping to gather customer reviews from several different retail platforms for their analysis.
- While scraping provides valuable datasets for research, developers must ensure their scripts do not violate the website's terms of service or overwhelm the host server with excessive requests.

## Usage notes

- Often used as a gerund or as part of the compound noun 'web scraping'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.