Filled fields go blank
Required values go blank after the supplier rearranges its page. Staff further down the line see incomplete product records without knowing whether the source removed the information or the scraper simply lost it.
Web scraping
Catch it when a supplier’s website change breaks your scraper
A supplier changes a page and your scraper returns blanks or wrong values. Publishing that can damage your product records. We check authorized source pages, repair the fault we verify and hold incomplete or suspect data back from catalog updates.
Discuss this problemHow We Help
We compare the affected pages with what the scraper assumed before the change. A value sitting in the expected spot does not prove it is the right value, so we check sample specs and amounts against the source. We also look at the point where data gets published, to see what happens when required data disappears. Corrections use permitted routes, and we retain only limited evidence that suits your arrangement with the source. After the repair, missing-field and wrong-value tests show that a later page change becomes an exception someone can review, not another catalog overwrite.
Signs This Is the Problem
Prices appear in the wrong field
The parser, the part of the scraper that reads each value, picks up unrelated text as a price or spec. A plausible value passes through because the rule assumes the old location still shows what the field means.
Empty output overwrites catalog data
A run that technically succeeds publishes empty fields over your maintained catalog values. A temporary source or parsing problem becomes a defect customers can see, not a single exception waiting for review.
What We Investigate
Compare changed pages with parsing rules
We compare samples of the current authorized pages with the parser's selectors and assumptions. That shows what changed and tells a missing field apart from information still present in a different spot.
Review field meaning and validation
We check extracted values against their intended meaning and your validation rules. A number can still come from the wrong section, so the source evidence matters along with format checks.
Trace what gets published
Next we trace incomplete output into the systems that publish it. The review shows whether missing required values stop the record, leave existing data in place or currently overwrite catalog information with no useful warning.
What We Repair
Repair verified source parsing
We repair verified parsing for the permitted source structure and test sample fields. Where appropriate, we keep limited sample evidence so later changes can be compared with the approved behavior.
Validate before publishing
Required and meaningful values get validated before the catalog is published. Suspect records become exceptions, so they do not replace known information with blanks or amounts read from unrelated page content.
Expose source-change exceptions
Failures caused by source changes show up with the affected references and the reason for each field. Staff can review the supplier dependency or consider an authorized structured feed, and they do not have to find the failure through damaged published products.
How We Verify the Fix
- A changed supplier sample yields the agreed fields, with values supported by page evidence.
- A missing required field stops that record before it updates catalog data downstream.
- An unrelated page value fails the relevant field validation and does not appear as a price.
- The failure report names the affected source references and the extraction rule that needs review.
Questions About This Work
Can changes be detected before every failure?
Not every time. Sample checks can catch many source changes, but page behavior can vary over time. We make failures visible and protect publishing from suspect output. A maintained parser may still need updates when the supplier has good reason to change how it presents its information.
Is a supplier feed preferable?
It can be, because a supported structured feed can reduce your dependence on page layout. Before it replaces your current route, we review its availability, authorization and field coverage. We assess those practical limits and do not assume the supplier offers an equal feed for every product detail you need.
Do you retain entire supplier websites?
No. We use the limited evidence needed for diagnosis and testing under the approved access arrangement. Retained examples should avoid unrelated or sensitive information. The purpose is to verify the extraction rule, not to collect a whole supplier website without a demonstrated need.
Tell Us What Is Happening
Name the extraction tool and your authorized supplier source. Share one safe page reference that's affected, showing the wrong or missing field with private details removed, so we can compare current source evidence with the parser output.
Ready to Get Started?
Tell us about your project and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.