Web scraping, also known as web data extraction, involves automatically collecting data from websites. It can be a useful technique for gathering large volumes of public data from the web, but could violate a website's terms of service if done excessively or without permission.
When it comes to scraping Google, their stance is generally permissive of scraping reasonable volumes of data, but strictly prohibits misuse of their services.
What Type of Scraping Triggers Bans
Google has sophisticated detection systems to identify suspicious levels of traffic and scraping activity. The types of scraping behavior that often provoke Google bans include:
The key is to scrape respectfully, throttle your requests and stop if you encounter any blocks. As long as you scrape reasonable data volumes from public URLs without attempting to circumvent security measures, bans are unlikely.
Best Practices for Scraping Google Safely
When web scraping Google search results or services like Google Maps/News, some best practices include:
By following ethical practices and scraping conservatively, permanent Google bans are usually avoidable. But be sure to consult their terms of service and comply with any restrictions you encounter.