Web Scraping eCommerce Websites with Python: Step-by-Step

Handling Thordata's "Job" Mode for Large Scale

For truly massive scrapes (e.g., 50,000 pages), waiting for each HTTP request to finish sequentially is too slow. Thordata’s API often supports an asynchronous "Job" mode or "Batch" mode.

In this workflow:

The Python script submits a batch of 1,000 URLs to Thordata.

Thordata processes them in parallel on its cloud infrastructure.

1. The Python script polls an endpoint to check the status or receives a webhook when the job is done.

2. The script downloads the compiled JSON result.

Using the asynchronous approach is recommended for enterprise-level data collection to maximize throughput and minimize local resource usage.

Step 5: Advanced Configurations and Error Handling

eCommerce sites are unpredictable. A robust scraper must account for changes in layout, out-of-stock items, or network errors.

Implementing Retries

Even the best proxies fail occasionally. The script should implement a retry mechanism.

def get_product_page_with_retry(target_url, retries=3):

    for attempt in range(retries):

        data = get_product_page(target_url)

        if data:

            return data

        print(f"Attempt {attempt + 1} failed. Retrying...")

        time.sleep(2)

    return None

Dealing with CAPTCHAs

Sometimes, a site forces a CAPTCHA. Thordata’s Web Scraper API typically handles this automatically (the "Unlocker" feature). If the API returns a response indicating a CAPTCHA was encountered but not solved, check the API documentation for the `force_captcha_solve: true` parameter or similar flags to ensure the unlocking engine is engaged.

Custom Headers and Cookies

Some eCommerce sites show different data based on the user's cookies (e.g., a returning user vs. a new user). The Thordata API allows developers to pass custom headers or cookies in the payload. This is useful for scraping pages that require a login session, although scraping behind a login requires careful ethical consideration.

Legal and Ethical Considerations in Web Scraping

While technology like Thordata makes scraping accessible, it is imperative to operate within legal and ethical boundaries.

Respect Robots.txt

The `robots.txt` file is a standard used by websites to communicate with web crawlers. While not always legally binding depending on the jurisdiction, ignoring it can lead to aggressive blocking. Developers should review the target site's policy.

Personal Identifiable Information (PII)

When scraping reviews, avoid collecting user names, avatars, or profile links unless necessary and compliant with regulations like GDPR (Europe) or CCPA (California). Focus on the product data and the review text, anonymizing the user identity.

Server Load

Even though Thordata rotates IPs, sending thousands of requests per second to a small eCommerce server is irresponsible and could be considered a Denial of Service (DoS) attack. Always scrape at a rate that does not degrade the performance of the target website for genuine users.

Copyright and Terms of Service

Extracting data for analysis is generally accepted, but republishing that data (e.g., cloning a competitor's catalog to build a copycat site) is often a copyright violation. Always review the Terms of Service of the website being scraped.

Why Choose Thordata Web Scraper API over Building From Scratch?

A common question among developers is:"Why pay for an API when I can build a scraper with Selenium and free proxies?"

The answer lies inTotal Cost of Ownership (TCO) and reliability.

1. Maintenance Hell: eCommerce sites update their HTML structure and anti-bot systems weekly. A custom-built scraper requires constant code updates. Thordata manages the unlocking logic on the backend, ensuring the scraper continues to work even when the target site changes its defense mechanisms.

2 .Infrastructure Costs: Running headless browsers (Chrome/Firefox) requires significant RAM and CPU. Scaling to scrape millions of pages requires managing a fleet of servers. Thordata offloads this computation to its cloud.

3. Proxy Management: High-quality residential proxies are expensive to procure individually. Thordata bundles these into the API cost, providing access to millions of IPs without the need to manage rotation logic or ban lists.

Conclusion

Leveraging Python for web scraping is key to unlocking eCommerce market intelligence. Yet, scaling this capability requires navigating a complex landscape of anti-bot measures. Thordata’s Web Scraper API eliminates this friction, allowing you to focus on data analysis rather than maintenance.

With our specialized tools, you can dive deep into the markets that matter:

Amazon Scraper API: Retrieve global product details, seller info, and 500+ data fields in real-time.

Walmart Scraper API: Instantly scrape IDs, pricing, images, reviews, and competitive benchmarks.

Don't want to code? We also offer ready-to-use e-commerce datasets to fast-track your success.

 

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About the author

Yulia Taylor

Content Manager

Yulia is a dynamic content manager with extensive experience in social media, project management, and SEO content marketing. She is passionate about exploring new trends in technology and cybersecurity, especially in data privacy and encryption. In her free time, she enjoys relaxing with yoga and trying new dishes.

The thordata Blog offers all its content in its original form and solely for informational intent. We do not offer any guarantees regarding the information found on the thordata Blog or any external sites that it may direct you to. It is essential that you seek legal counsel and thoroughly examine the specific terms of service of any website before engaging in any scraping endeavors, or obtain a scraping permit if required.

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