"What’s the best way to build a python web crawler for scraping large sites?"
Hey folks! I’m trying to scrape a massive site (like, *thousands* of pages) and my current python web crawler is kinda slow + keeps getting blocked. 😅
I’ve messed around with Scrapy, but the learning curve’s steep. BeautifulSoup + Requests is easier, but idk if it scales well.
Any tips? Like:
- How to speed things up without getting banned?
- Best libs for handling big jobs?
- Should I even bother with async stuff?
Also, anyone got experience with rotating proxies or user-agents? My script keeps getting slapped by Cloudflare lol.
Thanks in advance! 🙏 (and sorry if this has been asked a million times)
If you're dealing with Cloudflare and slow scraping, try using Scrapy + Scrapy-Splash. It handles JS rendering better than just Requests.
For proxies, check out Bright Data or Luminati—they’re pricey but work well for large-scale python web crawler projects.
Async *can* help, but tbh, if you’re new to it, stick with threading first (like concurrent.futures). Less headache, still faster than sequential requests.
Also, randomize your user-agents and throttle requests. Cloudflare hates bots that go brrrrr.
Hey! Been there lol. For big sites, Scrapy is worth the learning curve—it’s built for scaling.
Pro tip: Use rotating proxies (I like ProxyMesh) and set a DOWNLOAD_DELAY in Scrapy to avoid bans.
If you’re stuck, check out Zyte (formerly Scrapinghub). They’ve got tools to handle anti-bot stuff.
Async is great but overkill if you’re just starting. Focus on not getting blocked first!
For a python web crawler scraping thousands of pages, you *need* proxies. Free ones won’t cut it—try Smartproxy or Oxylabs.
Also, Cloudflare hates fast requests. Slow down (like 2-5 sec delay) and mimic human behavior.
BeautifulSoup + Requests is fine for small stuff, but Scrapy + middleware (like scrapy-rotating-proxies) is better for large sites.
Async? Only if you’re comfy with it. Otherwise, threading is simpler.
Dude, Cloudflare is the worst. Try adding headers (like Accept-Language, Referer) to make your python web crawler look legit.
For libs, Scrapy is king for big jobs. If it’s too complex, maybe try httpx + asyncio? Faster than Requests but still manageable.
Proxies: I’ve had luck with Storm Proxies. Rotate ’em and keep delays random.
Also, CAPTCHA solvers like 2Captcha can save your butt.
Wow, thanks for all the tips! Didn’t expect so many replies.
I’ll give Scrapy another shot with rotating proxies (probably Smartproxy) and throttle the requests.
Quick Q: Anyone tried Scrapy Cloud? Is it worth it for handling bans automatically, or should I just stick to local tweaking?
Also, big shoutout for the proxy recommendations—saved me hours of trial and error. 🙌
If you’re scraping *massive* sites, Scrapy + Redis is a powerhouse combo. Lets you distribute crawling across machines.
Proxies are a must—I use GeoSurf. And yeah, randomize user-agents (fake-useragent lib is handy).
Async is cool, but Scrapy’s already async under the hood. Stick with it and tweak settings like CONCURRENT_REQUESTS.
P.S. Check out Scrapy’s AutoThrottle feature to avoid bans.
Honestly, for a python web crawler, start simple. Use Requests + BeautifulSoup with a *slow* delay (3+ sec) and see if that avoids bans.
If you *must* scale, Scrapy is the way. But yeah, the learning curve sucks.
Proxies: Luminati is gold but $$$. For free, try scraping public proxy lists (ironic, I know).
Async? Only if you’re ready for the rabbit hole.
Cloudflare’s a pain, but you can bypass it with playwright or selenium—just slower.
For proxies, I rotate with ProxyCrawl. Works decently.
Scrapy’s the best for large-scale python web crawler, but if it’s too much, try httpx + asyncio. Less magic, more control.
Oh, and always respect robots.txt. Unless you’re feeling risky lol.
