Simplescraper

How to scrape and save recipes with the extension ​

Meet Simplescraper 2.0

The new Simplescraper sidepanel extension makes web scraping more simple than ever. Follow the updated steps below to start scraping data quickly and easily.

Install and pin the extension ​

First, install the Simplescraper extension from the Chrome Web Store.

To make it easily accessible, pin it to your toolbar by clicking the extension menu (puzzle piece icon) and clicking the pin next to Simplescraper:


Scraping Data ​

Step 1: Select scrape type and list ​

First, navigate to the webpage you want to scrape. Then click the Simplescraper icon in your toolbar to open the side panel on the right.

Choose your scrape type:

  • Scrape Lists (default) - For extracting repeating data like products, articles, search results etc
  • Scrape Details - For grabbing specific fields from a single page like profile pages, product details

For Scrape lists option: ​

  1. Click "Detect Lists" to auto-identify lists on the current page. Each list will be numbered and ranked by likelihood
  2. Simplescraper will automatically select List 1 and show 'List 1 confirmed'
  3. To choose a different list, click the numbered buttons to switch to that list. A green "Active" badge will appear to confirm your selection

Manual selection:

Click "Manually choose" if auto-detection doesn't find your list, then click on the list you intend to scrape.


For Scrape Details option: ​

Use Scrape Details when you want to extract specific fields from a single page (like a product page, profile, or article).

  1. Select "Scrape Details" from the scrape type dropdown
  2. Click on elements you want to extract - each click adds a property
  3. Rename properties as needed in the Edit Properties tab

Scrape Details recipes work well with batch scraping - create the recipe on one page, then run it across a list of similar URLs.


Step 2: Configure page navigation (optional) ​

If you need to scrape multiple pages follow these steps:

  1. Select your navigation method from the dropdown:

    • Next page button - For clicking through numbered pages or "next" buttons

    • Infinite scroll - For pages that automatically load content as you scroll

    • Load more button - For clicking buttons that reveal additional content

    • No navigation - For scraping the current page only

  2. Confirm the auto-detected selector or manually enter the CSS selector
  3. Set max pages to scrape (leave blank for unlimited pages - simplescraper will stop when it finds no new data)
  4. Adjust wait time between pages if needed (default is 2 seconds)

Note: Single page scraping is free. Each additionally scraped page uses 2 credits


Step 3: Start scraping ​

Click the 'Start Scraping' button. Simplescraper will navigate through your pages, extracting data in real-time.

When complete, you'll see your results in a sortable table format with extraction summary (e.g., "Extracted 150 items from 3 pages").

To run another scrape, click 'Try another Scrape'.


Step 4: Edit your properties ​

In 'Scrape Lists' mode, Simplescraper automatically selects data properties to extract. To customize these:

  1. Click the 'Edit Properties' tab to see each property with its CSS selector and data preview
  2. To rename: Hover over the property name, click the pen icon, enter the new name, and press Enter or click the green check
  3. To delete: Click the X button to remove the property

The edit properties tab also shows the data type (text, image, url) and number of list items (e.g., "100/100 rows") each property appears on.


Step 5: Export your data ​

Click the buttons below the table of scrape results to download the data in your preferred format.

Export options:

  • CSV - For Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet app
  • JSON - Structured data for developers and APIs
  • Copy - Copy to your clipboard to paste into documents or AI tools

You can also copy individual columns directly from the results table.


If you want to run this scrape task again, click "Save Recipe" to save your scraping pattern.

Once saved, you can:

  • Run it instantly from the extension's "My Recipes" tab (see Step 7)
  • Run it in the cloud on schedule or at scale via the Simplescraper dashboard
  • Call it via API for programmatic access

Saving is optional - if you only need the data once, export it and you're done.


Step 7: Run a saved recipe ​

To run a recipe you've saved:

  1. Click the Simplescraper extension icon to open the side panel
  2. Click the "My Recipes" tab to view your saved recipes
  3. Find your recipe (use search if you have many recipes)
  4. Click on the recipe to open it
  5. Click "Run Recipe" and Simplescraper will open a new tab and begin scraping based on your saved configuration

Tips ​


What's next? ​

Once you've saved a recipe, you can also run it in the cloud for more power:


Need Help? ​

Click the chat button in the bottom-right corner to get in touch