Web scraping relies on the structure of the web pages you are targeting, which includes HTML tags, CSS classes, and other identifiers that help you extract the content you need. If Yellow Pages or any other website changes its layout, your web scraping code may break because it can no longer find the elements it expects in the same places or with the same identifiers.
Here are the steps you should take if Yellow Pages changes its layout:
1. Manually Inspect the New Layout
- Use your browser's developer tools (usually accessible by pressing F12 or right-clicking on the page and selecting "Inspect") to examine the new structure of the web page.
- Identify the new patterns and HTML elements that contain the data you want to extract.
- Look for new class names, IDs, or other attributes that can be used to locate the data.
2. Update Your Code
Update your web scraping code to match the new layout. This typically involves changing the selectors you use (e.g., XPath, CSS selectors) to locate elements on the page.
Here's an example of how you might update your Python code using Beautiful Soup:
from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
import requests
# Fetch the page content
response = requests.get('https://www.yellowpages.com/search?search_terms=plumber')
html_content = response.text
# Parse the HTML content
soup = BeautifulSoup(html_content, 'html.parser')
# Assuming the layout has changed and you've identified the new structure
# Update the selectors accordingly
for business in soup.find_all('div', class_='new-business-class'):
name = business.find('a', class_='business-name').text
phone = business.find('div', class_='phones phone primary').text
# Extract other details similarly
print(name, phone)
If you're using JavaScript with a library like Puppeteer, you'd similarly update your selectors:
const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');
(async () => {
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://www.yellowpages.com/search?search_terms=plumber');
// Use new selectors based on the updated layout
const businessData = await page.evaluate(() => {
return Array.from(document.querySelectorAll('.new-business-class')).map(business => {
const name = business.querySelector('.business-name').innerText;
const phone = business.querySelector('.phones.phone.primary').innerText;
// Extract other details similarly
return { name, phone };
});
});
console.log(businessData);
await browser.close();
})();
3. Test Your Code
After updating your code, thoroughly test it to ensure it works correctly with the new layout. Make sure you are extracting all the required data accurately.
4. Implement Error Handling
Implement robust error handling to manage situations when the layout changes. This could include:
- Retrying the request if it fails.
- Logging errors and sending alerts when your code can no longer find specific elements.
- Gracefully handling missing data.
5. Monitor the Target Website
Regularly monitor the target website for changes. You can automate this by:
- Writing a script that periodically checks for changes in the page structure and notifies you.
- Using a web service that monitors web pages and alerts you when changes are detected.
6. Be Mindful of Legal and Ethical Considerations
Always ensure that your web scraping activities comply with the website's terms of service and relevant laws. If the website prohibits scraping, you should respect their rules.
7. Use Official APIs
If available, consider using the official Yellow Pages API or other website APIs to obtain the data you need. This is usually a more stable and legal approach to data extraction.
Final Thoughts
When a website changes its layout, it underscores the importance of writing flexible and maintainable web scraping code. By using clear and consistent coding practices, you can make it easier to update your scripts when necessary. Additionally, always respect the website's terms of service and data usage policies when scraping content.
