What’s the best way to handle web scraping with PHP these days? or How can I improve my web scraping

Web scraping php is fine, but yeah, Python’s easier. That said, if you’re stuck with PHP, try PHP-Crawler. Lightweight and fast.

For blocks, use a combo of:
- Rotating user agents
- Throttling requests
- HoneyPot avoidance (check for hidden traps)

Free proxy lists are trash. Pay for quality or use Tor (slow but works).