What’s the best way to handle date-based scraping for historical data?

[Mhairi Virginie]

For sites with date filters, I automate date selection in the form or URL parameters to scrape data for specific periods.

[Augustus Thais]

Some websites offer date-range APIs, which are far more efficient for historical data than scraping HTML. I always check for these before starting.

[Tahvo Eulalia]

I use a database to track which dates have been scraped, so I don’t duplicate efforts or miss any dates.

[Phaenna Izan]

Automating navigation of pagination and date filters is helpful, especially on news or financial sites where archives are extensive.

[Thurstan Radovan]

For sites with complex date filtering, I set up a schedule to scrape in batches. This approach reduces load on both my system and the target site.

[Vieno Amenemhat]

Using Selenium’s calendar selector works well when scraping sites with graphical date pickers. I simulate clicks to pull data by day, month, or year.

[Jordan Gerasim]

When scraping extensive archives, it’s important to respect rate limits to avoid IP bans. Slowing down the scraper reduces the chance of getting blocked.