Automate Data Extraction with Our New Web Scraper REST API

At GrabzIt, we are always looking for ways to make data extraction faster, more reliable, and easier to integrate into your existing workflows. Today, we are thrilled to announce a massive overhaul to our Web Scraper API.

We’ve completely reimagined how developers interact with our scraper. We’ve moved away from requiring language-specific helper classes and embraced a fully standard, language-agnostic REST API. Whether you are coding in Node.js, Go, Python, PHP, or Rust, integrating GrabzIt is now as simple as making standard HTTP requests.

Here is a look at what’s new, why we made the change, and how you can use the new API to completely automate your scraping tasks.

What’s New in the API?

In the past, interacting with the Web Scraper API often meant installing specific SDKs to handle the complexities of parsing custom objects and webhooks. The new API strips away that friction:

• 100% Language Agnostic: Everything is now controlled via standard REST endpoints. You can start scrapes, check statuses, and update properties using curl, Postman, or your framework's native HTTP client.
• Standardized Webhooks: When a scrape finishes, your callback URL will receive a standard multipart/form-data HTTP POST request. We’ve included a simple Format field alongside the file, so your server instantly knows if it’s handling JSON, XML, CSV, or a binary file like a PDF or JPEG. No custom parsing libraries required!
• Dynamic Configurations: You can now update scrape properties on the fly. Need to change the target URL or inject a new variable into your scrape logic before running it? You can do it instantly with a single API call.

Example: Automating Website-to-PDF Conversions

To show off just how powerful this new REST architecture is, let’s look at a common use case: converting websites to PDF documents.

Imagine you have a system that needs to generate PDF archives of hundreds of different websites. Instead of manually creating a new scrape for every single website, you can use our templates and the new API to create a highly automated, reusable pipeline.

Step 1: Set up a generic scrape

First, log into your GrabzIt account and create a new scrape using our Website to PDF Scraper templates. Configure your preferred PDF settings (like page size or orientation). Once created, note your Scrape ID (e.g., 65f69ede923679902d12e103) found in the URL of the scrape.

Step 2: Dynamically change the target URL

Before triggering the scrape, you want to point it at the specific website you need to archive today. Using the new /property/target endpoint, you can programmatically update the target URL without ever touching the GrabzIt dashboard:

curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_APP_KEY" \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{"URL":"https://example.com/latest-news"}' \
     "https://api.grabz.it/services/scraper/65f69ede923679902d12e103/property/target"

Step 3: Start the scrape

Now that the target is set, simply trigger the scrape to start running:

curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_APP_KEY" \
     "https://api.grabz.it/services/scraper/65f69ede923679902d12e103/status/start"

Step 4: Receive the PDF via Webhook

Once GrabzIt has successfully converted the target website into a PDF, our servers will automatically fire a webhook to your configured callback endpoint.

Because we use standard multipart/form-data, your server will receive a request containing a Format field with the value pdf, alongside the raw binary PDF file. You simply grab the file stream and save it directly to your server or cloud storage—all while automatically returning a 200 OK status to let us know you received it.

Then, loop back to Step 2, update the URL to the next site, and fire again!

Ready to Start Building?

The transition to a pure REST API means less boilerplate code, faster integration times, and total freedom to use whatever tech stack you prefer.

To explore all the new endpoints—including how to retrieve scrape results, update dynamic variables, and securely handle webhook payloads—head over to our updated API Documentation.

Happy scraping!