Pick the cheapest tool that works
A documented API beats scraping every time—it's faster, more stable, and clearly permitted. We only reach for a browser when there's genuinely no other way to get the data.
When each fits
- Official API: structured, rate-limited, lowest maintenance.
- Plain HTTP plus HTML parsing: fast for static pages.
- Headless browser: needed for JavaScript-rendered content.
Build it to last
Whatever the method, we add retries, polite rate limits, and monitoring so a small site change doesn't silently break the pipeline.
