Hey everyone, I'm pretty new to programming, but I managed to create a script with Python and Selenium that scrapes data from businesses on Google Maps for free. I have a couple of questions: 1) Is this a good achievement, and can I turn it into a business by selling listings? 2) What advice do you have for me?
2 Answers
Scraping Google Maps is a tricky business. While it's cool that you got it to work, keep in mind that your script might break if Google changes its UI even a little. Plus, if they detect that you're using a bot, they could block you. I suggest looking into APIs instead; they usually come with costs, but places like Rapid API have various options. Sometimes you can get a few free requests through Google Cloud too. Oh, and regardless of whether you're using Selenium or APIs, make sure to store your results to save on future scraping efforts!
Just a heads up, scraping Google Maps might actually be against the rules. It could lead to legal problems down the line, so it's something to consider seriously — especially if you're thinking about selling that data. Plus, do you really need an API to get the data legally?
I’ve been using a Python script as well, and I find that using multiple VPNs helps avoid detection from Google without any issues. Is that okay legally?