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What data can you scrape from VRBO.com rental listings using Ruby?
Scraping rental listings from VRBO.com using Ruby allows you to collect information like property names, prices, and amenities. Ruby’s open-uri library for making HTTP requests and nokogiri for HTML parsing provides an easy and efficient way to extract structured data. Below is an example script for scraping property data from VRBO.
require 'open-uri' require 'nokogiri' # Target URL url = "https://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/" html = URI.open(url).read # Parse HTML doc = Nokogiri::HTML(html) # Extract rental property details doc.css('.property-card').each do |property| name = property.css('.property-name').text.strip rescue 'Name not available' price = property.css('.price').text.strip rescue 'Price not available' amenities = property.css('.amenities').text.strip rescue 'Amenities not available' puts "Name: #{name}, Price: #{price}, Amenities: #{amenities}" endThis script fetches the VRBO vacation rental listings page and extracts property names, prices, and amenities. Pagination can be handled by identifying the “Next” button and programmatically scraping subsequent pages. Adding delays between requests helps avoid detection and ensures the scraper operates smoothly.
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2 Replies
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Adding pagination to the VRBO scraper is essential for gathering a complete dataset. Properties are often distributed across multiple pages, so automating navigation through the “Next” button allows the scraper to collect all available listings. Random delays between requests mimic human behavior, reducing the likelihood of being flagged as a bot. Proper pagination handling ensures that no relevant data is missed, making the scraper more effective.
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To make the scraper more robust, adding error handling ensures smooth operation even if some elements are missing. For example, if a property doesn’t display a price or amenities, the scraper should skip it without crashing. Conditional checks for missing data prevent runtime errors and maintain efficiency. Logging skipped properties can help refine the script and identify patterns. Regular updates to the scraper keep it functional despite changes to VRBO’s layout.
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