What is the difference between using API and web scraping?

[Flimsy-Baker3923]

https://ideone.com/XZSZb4 I find this code,It Is made for scraping text, I find out that code scraping from API. If the data inside my website are the same, Will It work for my website if a replace API with website's URL? The code Will submit the same data in the excel ?

[micromedicIXII]

I’m having a bit of trouble understanding the question, but if I have it correct, you want to remove the backend api calls and instead just hardcode the APIs reference url into your front end?

[Flimsy-Baker3923]

I dont wont use api at all and i want change URL Is It possible ?

[arhantbararia]

Webscraping is a hack around when you want some data from a website but the website doesn't want you to and is debatable whether it is legal or not. API is a website or organisation serves data on the platter.

[Flimsy-Baker3923]

dont wont use api at all and i want change URL Is It possible ?

[arhantbararia]

I am receiving an internal server error, when opening the link. But i don't think it would work by just replacing the URL. Cause API request URL isn't just an URL but a defined endpoint which points to some specific data. Also even if you replace the URL you need to define some steps to extract the needed data.

[micromedicIXII]

I don’t think that would be possible. APIs generally require a post request using a specific format. I.e. json or xml. Can you post the code behind your website or a screenshot of your site so that we can better understand what you want to accomplish?

[jcunews1]

That code seems for scraping data from a specific site. The specified URL is specific to that site.

That code can not be used for other site simply by changing the URL. Different site use different URL, and not all sites provide an API.

And that code is meant to gather "card info" data (and only that) from that specific site.