Custom Parser Feature | Simplified HTML Parsing

Set custom parsing instructions

According to your written custom parsing instructions, the parser picks out the necessary information from the HTML and converts it into a readable format. With the custom parsing functionality, you’ll be able to set those instructions and get only the specific data you need in JSON format.

Structured data in JSON
Reusable Parser Presets

Get parsed data from any website

No more limitations when it comes to data parsing. Custom Parser tackles the frequent limitation of some tools not being able to parse data from specific targets. From now on, you can parse data from any website you like.

Define custom parsing logic for chosen targets
Get data from 195 countries

Forget parser maintenance

With Oxylabs’ Custom Parser free feature, you won’t have to worry about hosting and maintaining your own infrastructure for parsing – we’ll do it on our end, ensuring Custom Parser operates properly no matter how big the data volume is.

Save time and resources
Enjoy parsing with no additional costs

What is Custom Parser?

Custom Parser is a free Web Scraper API feature. It lets you define your own parsing and data transformation logic that is executed on a raw HTML scraping result.

Step 1

The user submits the job instructions (target URL and parsing instructions) to our API.

Step 2

The job description is forwarded to Web Scraper API. An HTTPS request is initiated between the website and API.

Step 3

The API forwards the HTML data along with the parsing instructions to Custom Parser.

Step 4

Custom Parser converts data from HTML to JSON format. The information is then forwarded to the user’s database.

Visit documentation

Web Scraper API with Custom Parser

Get a one-week free trial of Web Scraper API, which includes access to Custom Parser. Web Scraper API collects real-time public data from search engines, e-commerce sites, and much more.

Localized results without IP blocks
Structured JSON data
Customizable request parameters
Convenient delivery
JavaScript rendering

Start free trial

Jorūnė Skridailaitė

Senior Account Manager @ Oxylabs

Custom Parser is a great companion to Web Scraper API. By utilizing this extra feature, you get an exceptionally convenient scraping experience from start to finish.

Vincent Patrizio

Enterprise Account Manager @ Oxylabs

Using Custom Parser is a super efficient way to work with data. Not only does it deliver parsed data, but it also allows you to retrieve just the specific data needed – no more, no less.

A word from your Dedicated Account Manager

Get personal assistance from your Dedicated Account Manager on any data scraping or parsing matter.

Useful resources

Docs

Step-By-Step Guide

Find everything you need to get started with Web Scraper API and Custom Parser.

Video

Parsing Tutorial

Hear one of our experts explain how Custom Parser operates.

Github

Writing Parsing Instructions

See our in-depth Custom Parser Github article on how to write parsing instructions.

Frequently asked questions

How do I create my own parser?

There are three main steps to building your own parser:

Create multiple functions and ensure they are concise. Each function should have a single purpose and excel at it.
Avoid utilizing regular expressions for parsing tasks, as they tend to be ineffective. Refrain from making assumptions.
If uncertain about how to parse something, raise an error and include the error location (line/column) in the error message.

What does Custom Parser do?

Oxylabs’ Custom Parser is a tool that transforms data from raw to structured. According to the pre-written code and rules, the parser will select the necessary information and convert it into a readable JSON format.

Check parsing instruction examples in our documentation.

How hard is it to build a parser?

Building custom parsers is considered a moderately-difficult task, depending on the volume of the data you want to extract. A general rule of thumb is building your own custom parser if you have a small-scale web scraping task and vice versa – if you’re scraping large volumes of data, you may consider buying a third-party tool instead.

We’ve discussed the topic of building a custom parser vs. buying one in our blog post: What Is Parsing of Data?

What is the difference between parser and parsing?

Parser is the tool of transforming raw data into a readable format, while parsing is the process of it.

Do I need to be a Web Scraper API client to use Custom Parser?

Custom Parser is a free additional feature to our Web Scraper API. Hence, you should be an active customer of either of them to use the custom parsing functionality.

What are dedicated parsers?

Dedicated parsers are parsing tools built and managed by Oxylabs’ Scraper API specialists. They’re specifically designed for extracting data from certain targets and organizing data according to our set instructions.

According to their needs, Web Scraper API customers are welcome to choose between the Custom and dedicated parsers. However, they cannot use both of them at the same time, because their parsing instructions will override ours.

What is the difference between XPath and CSS selectors?

XPath and CSS selectors are two different methods for selecting specific elements within HTML or XML documents.. CSS selectors are generally easier to use, while XPath expressions are more powerful but rather difficult to use.

Learn more:

XPath vs CSS Selectors

Can I save my Custom Parsers?

Yes, you can save your Custom Parsers by creating Parser Presets. Instead of writing new rules for every job, you can save your parser once and apply it across multiple tasks, update it as needed, and track its performance.