Cat & Mouse Game: Surviving Modern Anti-Scraping Measures
Ever stared at a 403 Forbidden error and wondered what gave you away?
Web scraping is no longer just about writing code; it's a strategic game of "Cat and Mouse." As websites get smarter with defenses like Cloudflare, PerimeterX, and Datadome, developers need to get smarter about how they blend in.
Join us for a 3-hour casual community meetup where we ditch the live-coding tutorials and focus on strategy, war stories, and exchanging knowledge.
🗣️ What we'll be discussing:
1. The Fingerprint Dilemma 🕵️♂️
It's not just about IP addresses anymore. We'll chat about browser fingerprinting (TLS, Canvas, AudioContext) and the techniques used to randomize—or consistentize—your bot's identity.
2. Apify "Stealth" & Evasion🥷
How effective are the specialized stealth features? We'll swap notes on configuring 'stealth-mode' in Puppeteer/Playwright and when to rely on Apify's specialized infrastructure.
3. The Great Proxy Debate: Cost vs. Success 💸
Datacenter Proxies:
Are they dead for serious scraping?
Residential Proxies:
When is the high cost actually justified?
ISP Proxies:
The middle ground? We will discuss real-world scenarios where one type triumphed over the others.
4. War Stories 🛑
Bring your best "I got blocked" story. We want to hear about the toughest sites you've scraped and the creative solutions (or funny failures) you encountered along the way.
👥 Who is this for?
Apify platform users and Actor developers. Data Engineers fighting anti-bots. Anyone interested in the mechanics of web automation. Note: This is a discussion event, no laptop required!
This event is lead by an local Apify Ambassador.