Stop scraping the "paint" (HTML) and start intercepting the "data packages" (API responses). This guide introduces the Network Interception strategy using Python and Playwright.
Learn how to bypass BeautifulSoup entirely, listen to background network traffic, and capture raw, structured JSON data directly from the serverโeven for complex infinite-scroll sites.
We treat websites like books we have to read, but modern websites are actually apps. They fetch data from a backend server via hidden API calls (XHR/Fetch) and then paint it on the screen.
When you scrape the HTML (via selectors OR topology), you are scraping the "paint." ๐จ
When you intercept the Network Traffic, you are capturing the raw "data packages." ๐ฆ
Instead of fighting with divs and spans:
Launch a Headless Browser: Let the site load normally.
Listen to the Network: Monitor all background requests.
Snatch the Payload: When the site asks its server for "product-list," you grab that JSON response directly.
โ 100% Accuracy: You get the exact data structure the database sent.
โ No HTML Parsing: No BeautifulSoup, no broken classes, no Regex.
โ Hidden Data: You often get data that isn't even shown on the UI (like exact inventory counts, internal IDs, or timestamps).
** Code below! ** ๐
This script intercepts multiple different API streams (e.g., Products, Reviews, and Pricing) simultaneously using a WATCH_LIST.