Choosing How to Scrape
Every scrape starts with the Chrome extension. Use it to select the data you want and save it as a reusable scrape recipe. From there, choose how to run it - in the browser, in the cloud, or via API.
- Browser scraping runs and is managed in your browser via the extension. Results appear in seconds.
- Cloud scraping runs on Simplescraper's servers and is managed in the dashboard. Use it for scheduling, scale, and background automation.
- API scraping is cloud scraping triggered programmatically. Ideal for developers and custom integrations.
Compare capabilities
| Capability | Browser | Cloud | API |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runs from | Extension | Web Dashboard | Your code or tools |
| Scale | One page at a time | Unlimited concurrency | Unlimited concurrency |
| Save scrape recipes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Scrape in background | No | Yes | Yes |
| Logged-in scraping | Yes | Yes (with cookies) | Yes (with cookies) |
| Multi-page | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Scheduled runs | No | Yes | Via external triggers |
| AI Enhance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Browser Scraping
Scrape data directly from your browser with the extension.
Ideal for
- Instant results in your browser
- Hands-on scraping with full control
- Logged-in content via your session
- Quick one-off extractions
Guides
Cloud Scraping
Scrape using Simplescraper's servers, in the background, on schedule.
Ideal for
- Large-scale data collection
- Automated monitoring and tracking
- Scheduled recurring scrapes
- Auto-feed to spreadsheets and tools
Guides
- Multiple page and infinite scroll scraping
- Crawling lists of URLs (Batch scraping)
- Deep scraping URLs
- Scheduling your webscraping
- Using a unique results key
API Scraping
Scrape programmatically from your app or service and retrieve results as JSON.
Ideal for
- Full programmatic control - run scrapes from your own code
- External tools - trigger from Make, Zapier, or any automation platform
- Custom integrations - feed data into your own apps or dashboards
- High-volume pipelines - unlimited concurrency for large-scale operations