There are several ways to extract data from multiple pages to Excel. We have gathered the most effective methods to use.

Extracting data from web pages to a spreadsheet can be tedious. This is especially challenging when the layout of the information on the page changes with each visit, as is often the case with online stores. However, there are a few simple techniques you can use to make the process a little less painful. In this blog post, we will show you how to extract data from multiple pages into an Excel sheet in five easy steps.

What is Data Extraction?

It sounds more exciting than it actually is. But you can think of data extraction as taking any type of image, text, video, or code from a website and storing it somewhere where you can organize, analyze, and use it in the future.

It is the process of obtaining specific information from a larger data set. This can be done manually by sorting and filtering the data, or automatically using software.

When extracting data, it is important to consider both the quality and quantity of the data.

Data quality is crucial as it determines its usefulness. Incorrect data is no better than the absence of data. At least, in the absence of data, you know not to make any critical decisions.

Data quantity is important as it determines the amount of work required to extract the desired information. Additionally, the more data you have, the clearer the results become after analysis.

How to Extract Data from Multiple Pages?

Extracting data from multiple pages can be a daunting task. It can be even more complicated if the data is not easily accessible or spread across multiple pages. However, there are a few methods that can make the process a bit easier.

Use a scraping tool.

One way to extract data from multiple pages is by using a scraping tool. Scraping tools allow you to automatically extract data from websites. They can be used to extract data from a single page or multiple pages.

There are different shapes and sizes of scraping tools. You can use a web scraping API that does most of the work for you. Or you may prefer more advanced customization and choose something where you can add your own crawling and parsing scripts. In that case, you should consider using open-source scraping tools like Selenium, Scrapy, and Beautiful Soup.

Most scraping tools can automatically convert the data into spreadsheets, allowing you to get presentable information with minimal effort.

Scraping tools are likely the preferred solution if you have a small or medium-sized business, need a continuous flow of data for decision-making, but don't have a dedicated team to handle it.

If this sounds like the option for you, check out our guide to the best free web scraping tools.

Perform scraping with a browser extension.

Another method to extract data from multiple pages is by using the Web Scraper browser extension. This extension allows you to retrieve data from a web page by creating a template of the information you want to extract. You can then use the extension to automatically extract data from any number of pages.

Browser extensions for scraping can collect data and export it in spreadsheet formats such as .csv. As this method is slower and more difficult to scale, but accessible and easy to use, it is more suitable for individuals and small businesses.

Manually extract data to Excel.

If you have nothing better to do with your time or have a fear of automation (does that even exist?)... you can copy and paste the HTML and XML data directly into Excel. It's fairly easy until you try to organize the data into a usable form. It's not impossible, but there are plenty of opportunities for errors.

Web scraping tools such as APIs, open-source scripts, and programming libraries are the most efficient. We have compiled a list of data analysis and presentation tools to help you if you're interested.

What do you need to start scraping?

To extract data, there are a few tasks to check off before even looking at web scraping tools. Here's a checklist you can use to prepare:

Identify the target websites from which you want to get data and note the programming languages used. You can find this information in the developer tools by right-clicking on the page and then left-clicking on "Inspect". If you're using a web scraping service, simply provide them with the URLs.

If you're sending many data requests to websites, you'll need to find a reliable source of residential proxies. Additionally, you'll need to find a way to rotate the proxies so as not to trigger security responses from your targets.

Figure out what kind of format you want to receive the data sets in. If you want to use a spreadsheet, make sure to receive the scraped data in .csv or .xlsx format.

Now, research a web scraping tool that meets your criteria for the type of data you want and how you'll use it. If you're still unsure, you can check out types of web data, ask the scraping service provider, or ask us.

Now, you're ready to extract data from multiple pages to Excel. Remember to enable your proxy rotation before starting. If you need expert advice, we offer premium proxy management services that keep your data flow smooth.