Ask HN: Web scraping in production?

Are any of you maintaining any web scrapers in production?

I've done some for side projects, automated testing, and personal scripts (checking personal bank balances, getting a Global Entry interview slot, etc.), but it always feels very brittle.

Curious what applications people have in industry and what sorts of techniques people use for reliability.

sargstuff 1y

excel web scraping[0] (vs. using python[1] and/or odbc/delimited files)

A few 2025 use cases [2],[3]:

   Use publically available database information (construction, taxes, sales, traffic report, proposed building/zone changes, etc) to find out what's going on withing an area aka. zip code, housing area, 'vacation spot', etc

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   creative take on topic:

      modern looming / static 'threaded' approach : https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43977384

      Structurally reprogrammable magnetic maetamaterials hold promise for biomedicine, soft robotics. ("web" support formed via scraping material in relevant patterns) : https://techxplore.com/news/2025-05-reprogrammable-magnetic-metamaterials-biomedicine-soft.html

      3d printed smart-fabrics : https://techxplore.com/news/2025-05-d-smart-fabrics-flexibility-ability.html

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[0] : excel scraping : https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=6coVzIt93vk

[1] : python scraping : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo8-nEuDBkk

[2] : https://dataforest.ai/blog/top-web-scraping-use-cases

[3] : https://www.parsehub.com/blog/web-scraping-examples/

arkmmOP1y

Neat - didn't realize there were affordances for scraping in Excel (but in hindsight I shouldn't be surprised).

I didn't follow the connection between modern looming and scraping though?

sargstuff 1y

hint: silk spider webs & fabric threads.

Guess 3d printing should have been clarified as linear, fused deposition. Melted plastic line gets scraped along plate/material.

The 3d printed web reference, in this instance, being the in-fill pattern. [0]

Robotic metal pinching / incremental sheet forming might be bit more clearer example. [1]

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[0] : in-fill pattern : https://jlc3dp.com/blog/choosing-the-right-infill-structure-...

[1] : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jc16Ob-yoDs

9d 1y

Scraping is inherently brittle, but it can be very useful for short-term scraping in very specific circumstances. I haven't had any in maybe 10 years.

sargstuff 1y

IMHO, "untyped" format/delimited file yes. Directly placing/'compiling' in appropriate topological construct/environment works wonders. aka environment of database, spreadsheet, "reports" with information beyond raw data, etc

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