How to Collect Public Data from Websites Without Getting Blocked?

Web scraping is essential for market research, SEO, e-commerce tracking, and more. But without precautions, your IP may get banned fast. Here’s how to stay under the radar while collecting public data online — safely and effectively.

Why Websites Block Scrapers

Unusual traffic: High request frequency raises suspicion.
Repeated patterns: Same IPs hitting same URLs.
Missing headers: Lack of User-Agent, Referer, etc.
JavaScript rendering: Some sites expect JS execution.
Robots.txt restrictions: Legal limits for crawlers.

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Step-by-Step Guide to Avoid Blocks

1. Use a Reliable Proxy for Web Scraping

Using a proxy for web scraping helps you rotate IP addresses, mimic real users, and avoid detection.

Proxy Type	Best Use Case	Risk Level	Price
Datacenter	Bulk scraping, price tracking	Medium	$
Residential	Login-protected content	Low	$$
Rotating	Large-scale scraping	Very Low	$$$

Tip: For public data, rotating datacenter proxies often offer the best speed/cost balance.

2. Respect Crawl Rate and Add Delays

Add 1–3 seconds between requests.
Use random delays to avoid patterns.
Respect Retry-After headers.

3. Mimic Real User Headers

Include headers like:

User-Agent
Accept-Language
Referer
Cookies (optional)

Simulate normal browsing behavior.

4. Rotate IPs and User-Agents

Use tools such as:

Scrapy middlewares
Puppeteer + proxy pool
ProxyElite’s rotating proxy plans (link)

Each request should feel like it came from a different person, in a different place.

5. Use Headless Browsers If Needed

Some pages load content dynamically. Use tools like:

Playwright
Selenium
Puppeteer

Add stealth plugins to evade bot detection.

6. Check and Follow Robots.txt

Always verify robots.txt before scraping.

User-agent: *
Disallow: /admin/
Allow: /public/

Scrape only what’s explicitly allowed.

Legal & Ethical Considerations

Only collect public data.
Avoid rate-limiting protected endpoints.
Add contact info in headers if scraping for research.
Avoid scraping personal or sensitive data.

Summary Table

Tip	Why It Works
Use rotating proxies	Prevents IP bans
Add request delays	Mimics human behavior
Rotate headers	Avoids bot fingerprinting
Follow `robots.txt`	Keeps scraping ethical and legal
Render JS if needed	Helps collect full content

Conclusion

Scraping public websites is a powerful tool — if done right. The key to success lies in blending in. A good proxy for web scraping, combined with smart tactics, ensures your project won’t get cut off before it starts.

Need a solid, affordable proxy for web scraping?
👉 Check ProxyElite’s Datacenter & Rotating Proxy Packages

How to Collect Public Data from Websites Without Getting Blocked