In plain language
Instead of copying data from a website by hand, a script or tool collects it for you.
Example
A workflow checks a supplier’s public price page each morning and records changes in a spreadsheet.
Related terms
Parsing · API · Rate Limit · Extract, Transform, Load (ETL)
Common misconception
Being able to load a page does not mean scraping it is allowed; terms of service, robots.txt, and privacy laws still apply.
Implementation guidance
Prefer an official API when one exists, respect robots.txt and terms of service, limit request rates, and expect scrapers to break when page layouts change.