What is parsing and how to parse correctly?

Parsing is the process of collecting and organizing information placed on specific websites using special programs that automate the process. A parser is a program designed to collect and systematize information from various websites. Data sources can include textual content, HTML code, headers, menu items, databases, and other elements. Web scraping is one of the most convenient methods for automated data collection on the Internet. Using specialized programs or services, it's possible to gather information about competitors, monitor market conditions, and track any external indicators crucial for business. Parsing provides website owners with many competitive advantages: it helps manage prices, product assortment, gather content information, and analyze the market and nearby competitors. This tool is convenient, informative, and can be used in multiple directions, such as collecting data on prices, assortment, and other competitor information. In simple terms, parsing is the collection of information from other websites. To parse is to gather and analyze data from various sites using special programs. The essence of this process can be described as follows: a bot enters the resource's page → dissects HTML code into individual parts → extracts necessary data → saves it in its database. Google's operations are also a form of parsing, making it challenging to protect a site from web scrapers, as limiting access for search engines can be parallelly restricted. Usually, parsing is viewed negatively, although it is not illegal. Parsing involves collecting information that is freely accessible; the program simply speeds up this process. If parsing is used correctly, it can offer many advantages.

Parsing is applied in various fields where the analysis and systematization of large volumes of data are required:

Programming: Parsing translates user-written code into machine code for computer execution.
Web development: Parsers analyze HTML code to render visually structured websites and identify errors.
Web scraping: Search engine crawlers parse relevant sites, extracting data in response to user queries.
News aggregation: Parsers organize news for presentation by collecting and analyzing updates from various sources.
Internet marketing: Parsers gather and analyze user data, product positions, meta tags, and keywords for SEO and SMM optimization.
Plagiarism checking: Parsing helps verify website content for plagiarism.
Competitor price monitoring: Parsers extract competitors' product prices for market analysis and pricing strategy development.

You can extract and collect everything that is on the internet:

- product catalogs.
- data from social networks.
- job vacancies from bulletin boards.
- information about competitors.
- links to documentation.

- A bot that sends you the weather forecast every morning. It goes to a weather website and collects the necessary data.
- Monitoring the price of a product on a website. Set it up to visit the necessary site every day and check how the price changes. As soon as the price drops to the desired level, you receive a notification.
- Market research. Parsing allows for a quick assessment of competitors' products and prices.
- Analysis of dynamic changes. Parsing can be conducted regularly to assess how certain indicators have changed. For example, whether prices have risen or fallen, the number of online listings or forum posts has changed.
- Fixing issues on your own website. Identifying errors in meta-tags, broken links, problems with redirects, and duplicate elements.

- Speed: Parsing allows for the rapid collection and analysis of large volumes of data, surpassing the speed at which a human can manually process information.
- Automation: Parsing can be automated to perform repetitive tasks, eliminating the need for manual intervention and reducing the likelihood of errors.
- Consistency: Automated parsing ensures consistency in data extraction and analysis, avoiding variations that may occur with manual efforts.
- Scalability: Parsing can handle vast amounts of data across numerous sources simultaneously, making it scalable for businesses with diverse data needs.
- Efficiency: Parsing operates 24/7, providing continuous monitoring and analysis without the limitations of human working hours.
- Precision: Well-configured parsing algorithms can extract specific information accurately, minimizing the risk of overlooking details.
- Timeliness: Parsing can be set to retrieve real-time data, ensuring up-to-the-minute information availability.
- Cost-effectiveness: In the long run, automated parsing can be more cost-effective than employing human resources for repetitive and time-consuming tasks.

We recommend carefully reviewing this information:

1. Is Web Scraping Legal? Ethical Web Scraping Guide in 2024
2. Complete guide to GDPR compliance | GDPR FAQ