If you're running B2B outbound campaigns, you know the hardest part is often just getting a decent list of prospects. Buying lists is a crapshoot. Manual copy-paste takes forever. Enter web scraping—a way to grab info from public web pages, fast. But scraping can sound technical, even sketchy. Here's the truth: you don't need to code, and you don't need to be a hacker. You just need the right tool, a bit of patience, and a willingness to clean up messy data.
This guide is for salespeople, founders, marketers, and anyone who wants to use Instant Data Scraper (a free Chrome extension) to build prospect lists from websites—without learning Python or paying for overpriced SaaS.
What is Instant Data Scraper? (And what it isn’t)
Instant Data Scraper is a Chrome extension that tries to grab tables and lists of data from any web page you visit. It’s simple, free, and doesn’t require an account. You point it at a web page, hit “Scrape,” and it tries to pull out whatever structured data it finds.
A few honest notes before you get started:
- It’s not magic. It works best on web pages with clear tables or lists (think directories, search results, association member lists).
- It won’t log into sites for you, and it struggles with sites loaded entirely by JavaScript.
- It’s not built for scraping thousands of pages in one go—if you want true automation or scale, you’ll need something more advanced.
If you want a quick way to pull down 50, 500, or even 5,000 leads from public web pages, though, this tool hits a sweet spot.
Step 1: Set Up Instant Data Scraper
1.1. Install the Extension
- Go to the Chrome Web Store page for Instant Data Scraper.
- Click “Add to Chrome.” That’s it—no sign-ups, no onboarding maze.
Pro tip: Pin the extension to your Chrome toolbar for easy access.
1.2. Find a Target Website
You need a site that lists your prospects. Good targets include:
- Trade association member directories
- Conference attendee lists
- Local chamber of commerce directories
- LinkedIn search results (in small batches, and see notes below)
- B2B marketplace listings (think Clutch, UpCity, etc.)
What doesn’t work well:
- Sites that hide lists behind logins or paywalls
- Pages built entirely from JavaScript (some modern UIs)
- Social networks with aggressive bot detection (e.g., LinkedIn at scale)
Step 2: Scrape Data From a Web Page
2.1. Navigate to the List Page
Open the page in Chrome. Make sure the list you want is loaded and visible—sometimes you need to scroll or click “Show More” to reveal all items.
2.2. Launch Instant Data Scraper
- Click the extension icon.
- The extension window pops up. It’ll start automatically looking for data tables or lists.
If it finds a table:
You’ll see a preview of the data. It usually guesses pretty well, but sometimes it grabs the wrong bits.
If it doesn’t find what you want:
- Try the “Try another table” button—it cycles through different guesses.
- Still no luck? Click “Manual Table” and select elements yourself. This can get fiddly but sometimes works.
2.3. Deal With Pagination
Most directories don’t show all entries on one page. Here’s how to handle it:
- Click “Enable auto-pagination” in the extension.
- The extension will try to click “Next” or scroll for you and combine data from each page.
- If it works, you’ll see the data pile up in the preview.
- If it stalls or misses some pages, you may have to scrape each page manually (annoying, but sometimes unavoidable).
Heads up:
Some sites change their HTML between pages, which can trip up the scraper. If results look weird after a few pages, stop and check your data.
Step 3: Export and Clean Your Data
3.1. Export
- Click “Download CSV” or “Download XLSX.”
- Save the file somewhere you’ll remember.
3.2. Open the File
Use Google Sheets, Excel, or your spreadsheet tool of choice. Don’t expect beautiful, perfectly labeled columns. Realistically, you’ll get:
- Column names like “Column 1,” “Column 2,” etc.
- Some columns you want, some you don’t
- Occasional merged or missing data
3.3. Clean Up
You need to make this list usable. Here’s how:
- Delete useless columns: There’s always junk.
- Rename columns: Give them clear names—Company, Name, Email, URL, etc.
- Split columns: If names and titles or phone numbers are jammed together, use “Split text to columns” in Google Sheets.
- De-duplicate: Use “Remove duplicates” to clean up repeats.
- Find real emails: Most scraped lists don’t include emails; you’ll often need to add these using email-finding tools. More on this below.
Pro tip:
Don’t obsess over perfection. Get it 80% clean and move on—you can always refine later.
Step 4: Enrich and Validate Your Prospects
Most scraped lists are missing key info—especially emails and direct contacts. Here’s what you can do:
4.1. Add Missing Data
- Use email finder tools: Upload your list to Hunter, Snov.io, Apollo, or similar services. They’ll try to append emails based on name and company domain.
- Double-check company details: Sometimes the scraper pulls company names but not websites. Use basic Google searches or add-ons to fill in blanks.
4.2. Validate Emails
- Run your list through an email validation tool (ZeroBounce, NeverBounce, etc.) to weed out dead addresses. This helps you avoid spam traps and bounces.
4.3. Spot-Check Quality
- Scroll through your sheet. Are company names legit? Are there weird foreign entries, spam, or weird duplicates? Delete anything sketchy.
- Check 10-20 rows manually. If you wouldn’t email them, don’t put them in your campaign.
Step 5: Import to Your Outreach Tool
Once your list is cleaned and enriched, you can import it to your CRM, email outreach tool, or whatever system you use (e.g., Outreach, Lemlist, HubSpot).
Checklist before importing: - Columns clearly labeled (First Name, Last Name, Company, Email, etc.) - No obvious duplicates - No personal emails (unless your campaign is okay with them) - No scraped emails from privacy-focused sites (GDPR/CCPA risk)
What Works, and What To Ignore
What Works
- Scraping public directories of B2B companies, especially industry/trade associations
- Grabbing company URLs and names for later enrichment
- Quick-and-dirty lists to bootstrap a campaign or test a new segment
What Doesn’t
- Scraping LinkedIn at scale (you’ll be rate-limited or blocked fast)
- Getting personal emails or direct dials—most sites don’t list these openly
- Legal gray areas: Don’t scrape data that’s behind logins, paywalls, or marked private
What To Ignore
- Hype about “100,000 leads in a click”—quality always beats quantity
- Sites that block scrapers aggressively (move on, don’t waste time)
- Any tool or person promising “fully automated, undetectable scraping” for free—doesn’t exist
Real Talk: Limitations and Gotchas
- Data is messy: You’ll almost always need to clean, split, and enrich.
- Sites change: Your favorite directory might update their HTML and break scraping.
- Gray legal area: Scraping public data is usually fine, but don’t go behind logins or scrape “private” info. Always check terms of use.
- Burnout: Don’t try to build a perfect list in one sitting. It gets tedious.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Bulk prospecting with Instant Data Scraper isn’t rocket science, but it’s not push-button magic either. Expect to experiment, clean up messy data, and hit a few dead ends. The trick is to start small, see what works, and keep refining. Don’t waste days making a “perfect” list—get to outreach, learn, and improve as you go.
If you’re stuck, ask for help or try another site. The payoff is worth it: a fresh, targeted B2B list built by you, not some shady list vendor. Good luck—and remember, done is better than perfect.