The Scraping API dashboard helps you generate a ready-to-use scraping URL that retrieves raw HTML data from a target website using Proxyrack’s infrastructure.
This guide explains:
What the dashboard does
How to generate a scraping URL
How users typically use that URL
What the Scraping API does and does not do
The Web Scraper API lets you get a website content using simple API requests
You send a request with the URL you want to scrape, and our system fetches the page and returns the content (HTML). If something goes wrong, the API returns an error response.
What the Scraping API does (important to set expectations)
The Scraping API only handles data access, meaning it:
Loads the target webpage
Bypasses common blocking mechanisms
Returns the raw HTML response
It does not:
Extract products, prices, or users automatically
Convert data into JSON, CSV, or structured formats
Replace a custom scraping or parsing script
Step-by-step: Using the Scraping API dashboard
Step 1: Open the Request Builder
Go to your dashboard and open the Scraping API → Request Builder section.
Step 2: Enter the target URL
Paste the full URL of the page you want to scrape.
Example:
https://www.example-store.com/products
Step 3: Configure request options (optional)
Depending on your use case, you can select:
Country (IP location)
Device type (desktop or mobile)
Proxy session
Premium proxies (if needed)
These options affect how the page is loaded.
Step 4: Generate the scraping URL
Once the form is completed, the dashboard automatically generates a full scraping request URL.
This URL includes:
Your API key
Target URL
Selected options
Step 5: Copy the generated URL
Click Copy to copy the generated scraping URL.
How to use the generated scraping URL
Option A: Browser (testing only)
You can paste the scraping URL directly into your browser.
What happens
The browser loads the request
You receive the raw HTML response
Best for
Quick testing
Verifying the page loads correctly
Option B: Terminal or script (recommended)
Most users call the scraping URL from:
Terminal (
curl,wget)Python, Node.js, or other scripts
Why
Allows automation
Enables data parsing
Works at scale
Understanding parsing
What parsing means
Parsing is the process of extracting useful data (e.g. product name, price, SKU) from raw HTML.
Example:
If you want to scrape products from an e-commerce store, you need:
Raw HTML (provided by Proxyrack)
A custom parsing script (written by you)
Each website:
Has a different structure
Requires a different parser
There is no universal parser that works for all websites.
Typical real-world example
Goal: Extract product data from an online store
You need:
Scraping API URL → gets the HTML
A script that:
Reads the HTML
Locates product elements
Outputs structured data (JSON, CSV, database, etc.)
Proxyrack provides Step 1 only.
Step 2 is handled by the user or their developer.
Who is this tool for?
The Scraping API is best suited for:
Developers
Data engineers
Technical teams
Users already familiar with scraping workflows
Basic users can still test requests via browser, but full usage requires scripting knowledge.
Common questions (FAQ-style):
Does Proxyrack parse products for me?
No. We return raw HTML only.
Can I get structured data automatically?
No. You must create or use your own parser.
Why does each site need a different parser?
Because every website has a unique HTML structure.
Is the terminal required?
Not required, but strongly recommended for real use cases.
The Scraping API is a building block, not a full scraping solution.
It gives you reliable access to data — what you do with that data is up to you.