Web scraping and web crawling are two techniques that are often used interchangeably, but they are actually quite different.

Web scraping refers to the process of extracting data from a website. This is typically done using a specialized piece of software that is able to interact with a website in the same way that a human user would. The software can then extract specific pieces of information from the website and save them for later use.

Web crawling, on the other hand, is the process of automatically visiting websites and following links from one page to another. This is typically done using a piece of software called a web crawler, which is able to navigate the web in a systematic way. The goal of a web crawler is to index the content of the websites it visits so that it can be searched later on.

While web scraping and web crawling may sound similar, they are actually used for different purposes. Web scraping is typically used to extract specific information from websites, while web crawling is used to index the content of the web.

One of the key differences between web scraping and web crawling is the level of interaction that is required with the website. Web scraping typically involves interacting with a website in the same way that a human user would, by clicking on links and filling out forms. This allows the web scraper to extract specific pieces of information from the website.

Web crawling, on the other hand, is a more passive process. The web crawler simply follows links from one page to another, without actually interacting with the website in the same way that a human user would. This means that web crawling is typically less intrusive than web scraping, and is therefore less likely to be detected or blocked by website owners.

Overall, both web scraping and web crawling are useful tools for anyone looking to extract information from the web. Whether you need to extract specific pieces of data from a website, or simply want to index the content of the web, these techniques can help you achieve your goals.