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    Web Scraping for Chatbot Content

    6 min read
    Web Scraping for Chatbot Content
    Overview
    Web scraping is a powerful feature that allows you to automatically extract content from web pages and integrate it into your chatbot's knowledge base. This ensures that your bot is consistently updated with the latest information from your website, documentation, or other online resources.
    What Web Scraping Can Do
    • Extracts text content from web pages to enhance chatbot responses
    • Converts HTML into a searchable knowledge base
    • Crawls multiple linked pages automatically, expanding your bot's knowledge
    • Updates your bot with the latest online information seamlessly
    • Saves time compared to manual content copying

    When to Use Web Scraping Ideal Scenarios:
    ✅ Company websites and product pages
    ✅ Documentation and help centers
    ✅ Blog posts and news articles
    ✅ FAQ pages and knowledge bases
    ✅ Public information you wish to reference
    Not Recommended For:
    ❌ Password-protected or login-required pages
    ❌ Dynamic content that loads with JavaScript
    ❌ Social media posts or private content
    ❌ Copyright-protected material without ownership
    ❌ E-commerce product catalogs (due to excessive data)
    Step-by-Step Guide to Web Scraping 1. Prepare Your URLs
    Collect the URLs you want to scrape:
    • Begin with your main website or documentation.
    • Identify key pages containing crucial information.
    • Ensure that the pages are publicly accessible.
    • Confirm that the content is text-based (minimal images).

    2. Start a Scraping Job
    1. Navigate to Documents in your dashboard.
    2. Click on "Upload Document".
    3. Select the "Web URL" tab.
    4. Enter the webpage URL you wish to scrape.

    3. Configure Your Scraping Options Single Page Scraping
    • Enter a single URL (e.g., https://yoursite.com/about).
    • Leave "Crawl subpages" unchecked for specific pages.
    • This method provides the fastest processing time.

    Multi-Page Crawling
    • Enter a starting URL (e.g., https://yoursite.com/docs).
    • Check the "Crawl subpages" option.
    • The system will follow links to related pages.
    • Expect a processing time of 10-30 minutes for larger sites.

    4. Monitor the Scraping Process
    • Processing begins immediately after clicking "Start Scraping".
    • You will see real-time progress updates.
    • A notification will alert you when the scraping job is complete.

    Advanced Crawling Options Crawl Depth Settings
    • Level 1: Scrapes only the specified page.
    • Level 2: Includes the specified page + directly linked pages.
    • Level 3: Extended crawling (available for Pro plans).
    • Custom: Define specific crawl parameters.

    Content Filtering
    Our system automatically:
    • Removes navigation menus and headers.
    • Filters out advertisements.
    • Extracts main content areas.
    • Skips empty or low-content pages.

    Crawl Frequency
    • One-time: Manual scraping.
    • Weekly: Automatic updates (available in Growth+ plans).
    • Daily: Real-time sync (available for Pro Agency plans).
    • Custom: Define your own schedule.

    Quality Tips & Best Practices Choosing Effective URLs
    1. Start Specific: Focus on key pages instead of homepages.
    2. Check Content: Ensure pages contain substantial text.
    3. Test First: Begin with single pages before expanding.
    4. Review Structure: Well-organized sites yield better results.

    Optimizing Your Results
    • Utilize clean and well-structured websites.
    • Avoid pages dominated by images or videos.
    • Choose sites with straightforward navigation.
    • Conduct tests with a few pages before executing large crawls.

    Managing Large Crawls
    • Start small and gradually expand your scraping scope.
    • Keep an eye on your account limits.
    • Schedule crawls during off-peak hours.
    • Regularly review and clean up unnecessary pages.

    Troubleshooting Common Issues Scraping Fails to Start Common Causes:
    • Invalid or inaccessible URL.
    • The website restricts automated access.
    • Network connectivity issues.
    • Reached account limits.

    Solutions:
    • Verify that the URL loads in your browser.
    • Check if the site requires login credentials.
    • Try scraping a different page from the same site.
    • Contact support if the problem continues.

    No Content Extracted Possible Issues:
    • Page primarily consists of images/videos.
    • Content loads dynamically with JavaScript.
    • The website blocks scraping tools.
    • Page structure is overly complex.

    What to Try:
    • Check if content loads without JavaScript.
    • Attempt scraping individual articles instead.
    • Use manual uploads for problematic pages.
    • Request API access from the website owner.

    Partial or Incorrect Content Common Problems:
    • Mixed content (menus, ads mixed with articles).
    • Pages with multiple languages.
    • Complex page layouts.
    • Duplicate content across pages.

    Improvements:
    • Use more specific starting URLs.
    • Focus on individual articles instead of category pages.
    • Review extracted content before finalizing.
    • Conduct manual cleanups for critical pages.

    Legal & Ethical Considerations Copyright & Permissions
    • Scrape only content that you own or have permission to use.
    • Respect the robots.txt file and site terms of service.
    • Credit original sources when appropriate.
    • Avoid scraping competitor content without consent.

    Rate Limiting & Politeness
    • Our system respects crawl delays automatically.
    • We limit requests to avoid overwhelming servers.
    • Large crawls are processed during off-peak hours.
    • Report any concerns regarding excessive crawling.

    Integration & Automation API Access (Pro Plans)
    • Trigger scraping jobs programmatically.
    • Monitor crawl status via API.
    • Submit URLs in bulk.
    • Receive custom webhook notifications.

    Scheduled Updates
    • Set automatic re-crawling schedules.
    • Keep content in sync with source sites.
    • Get notifications upon content changes.
    • Maintain version control for updated content.

    Content Management
    • Review and approve scraped content.
    • Edit or remove irrelevant sections.
    • Organize content by source or topic.
    • Track content freshness and accuracy.

    Performance & Limits Scraping Limits by Plan
    • Starter: 10 pages per month, 1 concurrent job.
    • Growth: 500 pages per month, 3 concurrent jobs.
    • Pro Agency: 5,000 pages per month, 10 concurrent jobs.

    Processing Times
    • Single Page: 30-60 seconds.
    • Small Sites (10-50 pages): 5-15 minutes.
    • Large Sites (100+ pages): 30-60 minutes.
    • Complex Sites: May require multiple sessions.

    Tips for Better Results
    1. Test First: Always try single pages before large crawls.
    2. Be Specific: Use direct links to content instead of homepages.
    3. Review Output: Check extracted content for accuracy and quality.
    4. Iterate: Continuously refine your approach based on results.
    5. Stay Updated: Regularly re-scrape for fresh content.

    Need Further Assistance?
    • Start with small tests before initiating large crawls.
    • Check our community forum for site-specific advice.
    • Contact support for enterprise-level crawling needs.
    • Review the quality of extracted content before going live.