If you scrape websites for data, you already know the pain: blocks, weird errors, and CAPTCHAs popping up just when your script was humming along. This isn’t a “scraping is easy” puff piece. It’s for people who are sick of wrestling with anti-bot defenses and want to know how to get past them using Scrapingbee and its advanced features. If you’re tired of getting blocked, or you’ve already hit the wall with free proxies and headless browsers, you’re in the right place.
Let’s get real about what works, what doesn’t, and how to actually solve these scraping problems without wasting time or money.
Why Scraping Even Gets Blocked (And Why CAPTCHAs Exist)
Before you start throwing tools at the problem, understand why scraping is hard now. Most sites don’t want bots, so they put up roadblocks:
- Rate limits: Too many requests, too fast? Blocked.
- User agent checks: Obvious bots get flagged.
- JavaScript rendering: Some content won’t load unless you run scripts, like a real browser.
- IP blacklisting: Too many hits from one IP? Goodbye.
- CAPTCHAs: The nuclear option—prove you’re human, or get lost.
The simple stuff (rotating user agents, basic proxies) might work for tiny projects, but it fails fast on real sites. Scrapingbee handles a ton of this for you, but you’ll need to know how to use its advanced features if you want to reliably get through.
Step 1: Start With the Basics—Use the Right Scrapingbee Settings
First, don’t overcomplicate things. Scrapingbee is built to look like a real browser right out of the gate. Most of the time, just using their API with default settings will fool basic bot detection.
Example: Basic API request
python import requests
api_key = "YOUR_API_KEY" url = "https://target-website.com" params = { "api_key": api_key, "url": url }
response = requests.get("https://app.scrapingbee.com/api/v1/", params=params) print(response.text)
- Pro tip: Try this on a few sites first. If you get what you need, don’t add extra complexity. Most scraping guides over-engineer from the start.
Step 2: Turn On JavaScript Rendering When the Page Needs It
Some sites load data with JavaScript, not plain HTML. If your response looks like a skeleton or is missing key info, that’s your clue. Scrapingbee can render JavaScript for you, just by flipping a switch.
How to enable JavaScript rendering
Add the render_js=True parameter:
python params = { "api_key": api_key, "url": url, "render_js": "true" }
- When to use: Only when you’re sure you need it—JavaScript rendering is slower and costs more credits.
- What doesn’t work: Don’t expect this to magically bypass every block. Some sites still detect headless browsers, even with rendering. But it handles 90% of dynamic sites.
Step 3: Rotate Proxies and Headers Like a Human
If you’re hitting rate limits or getting banned, you need to look less like a bot. Scrapingbee can rotate proxies and user-agents for you.
Enable premium proxies and user-agent rotation
Add these parameters:
python params = { "api_key": api_key, "url": url, "premium_proxy": "true", # For harder targets "random_user_agent": "true" }
- Pro tip: Premium proxies cost more credits, but are much less likely to get blocked. Standard proxies are fine for easy sites.
- What to ignore: Don’t waste time cobbling together free proxy lists. They’re slow, unreliable, and most are already blacklisted.
Step 4: Attack CAPTCHAs with Scrapingbee’s CAPTCHA Solving
Here’s the part everyone wants: beating CAPTCHAs. Scrapingbee can automatically solve many common types—especially image- and reCAPTCHA v2/v3. It can’t beat every single CAPTCHA, but it gets most of the annoying ones out of the way.
How to enable CAPTCHA solving
Add the captcha="true" parameter:
python params = { "api_key": api_key, "url": url, "render_js": "true", "captcha": "true" }
- What works: Scrapingbee handles most “prove you’re not a robot” popups if you enable both JavaScript rendering and CAPTCHA solving.
- Limits: It can’t beat every custom or super new CAPTCHA (think hCaptcha or very new, interactive ones). Also, this feature uses more credits, so don’t leave it on for every request.
- Real talk: If you see a site that’s throwing unique, interactive puzzles at you, even Scrapingbee (or any service) might struggle. Sometimes, it’s just not worth the battle.
Step 5: Use Sessions and Cookies for Tougher Targets
Some sites tie access to a session cookie, or they require you to log in. Scrapingbee lets you pass cookies and manage sessions.
How to pass cookies
python cookies = "cookie1=value1; cookie2=value2" params = { "api_key": api_key, "url": url, "cookies": cookies }
- When to use: Login walls, “Are you still there?” checks, and sites that nag you after a few pageviews.
- What doesn’t work: Don’t count on this for sites with strict, short-lived session tokens. You may need to automate the login flow and update cookies often.
Step 6: Handle Edge Cases—Headers, Geotargeting, and More
Some sites check for weird headers or block requests from certain countries. Scrapingbee lets you tweak headers and pick proxy locations.
Custom headers
python params = { "api_key": api_key, "url": url, "headers": '{"Accept-Language": "en-US,en;q=0.9"}' }
Set country for proxies
python params = { "api_key": api_key, "url": url, "country_code": "us" }
- When this matters: Scraping geo-blocked content, or when a site serves different data by region.
- Don’t bother: Faking headers for the sake of it doesn’t help. Only tweak what the target site is actually checking.
What to Do When Scrapingbee (or Anyone) Can’t Get Through
Let’s be honest: No tool is magic. Some sites are just too aggressive with their anti-bot tech. If you’ve tried all the above and still can’t get in:
- Try scraping less often or at different times.
- See if there’s a public API or official data feed—sometimes there’s an easier way.
- Reconsider if you really need that data, or if there’s another source.
- Last resort: Manual extraction (ugh, but sometimes it’s faster than fighting a losing battle).
A Quick Checklist for Scrapingbee Power Users
- [ ] Start with default settings—don’t overcomplicate.
- [ ] Turn on JavaScript rendering only when you need it.
- [ ] Rotate proxies and user agents for tougher sites.
- [ ] Enable CAPTCHA solving for sites that throw up blocks.
- [ ] Use session cookies for login-protected pages.
- [ ] Set headers or geolocation if the site cares.
- [ ] Know when to quit and find another way.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
You don’t need to use every advanced trick for every scrape. Start simple, then layer on Scrapingbee’s features only as sites get tougher. If you hit a wall, don’t waste days fiddling—move on or rethink your approach.
Web scraping is a never-ending cat-and-mouse game. Scrapingbee gives you a head start, but the real edge is knowing when to push, and when to pivot. Try these steps, keep your scripts tidy, and don’t overthink it.