Scraper
A scraper is the tool that does the scraping — a program that visits web pages, reads the data you care about, and saves it in a structured format like a spreadsheet. If web scraping is the activity, the scraper is the thing doing the work. The word covers everything from a few lines of code to a polished app, so "scraper" tells you what a tool does, not how it is built.
Scrapers come in very different shapes. Some are scripts a developer writes and maintains in code. Some are browser extensions. And some are fully self-serve web tools where you fill in a form and download a file, with all the technical machinery hidden. They range from general-purpose (point at any site) to purpose-built (one source, done well).
Whatever the form, a good scraper handles the tedious parts for you: working through many pages, keeping the columns consistent, and coping when a site changes its layout. The best ones also stay strictly on public data, so you are only ever collecting what any visitor could see.
How it relates to 1Scrape
1Scrape is a purpose-built, no-code scraper for three sources: TikTok, Instagram, and Google Maps. Rather than a general tool you configure or a script you maintain, it is a form: choose a source, describe your target, set how many results you want, and it returns a clean CSV. Contact columns — email, phone, and bio link from public profiles — come built in, so the same scraper that gathers posts also builds a lead list.
Frequently asked questions
What types of scrapers are there?
Broadly: code libraries a developer writes, browser extensions that grab data from the page you are viewing, and self-serve web tools that do everything behind a form. Tools also split into general-purpose scrapers you point at any site and purpose-built ones focused on a single source.
Do I need to install a scraper?
Not with a web-based one. 1Scrape runs in the browser — nothing to install, no extension, no API to wire up. You fill in a form, watch the run, and download the CSV.