Web Scraping vs API: When to Scrape and When to Use the Official API

The biggest mistake in web scraping is scraping when an API exists. Decision Tree Does the site have an official API? ├── YES → Is it free or affordable? │ ├── YES → USE THE API (always) │ └── NO → Can you afford it? │ ├── YES → USE THE API │ └── NO → Is there a hidden JSON API? │ ├── YES → Use it (see list below) │ └── NO → Scrape HTML as last resort └── NO → Is there a hidden JSON endpoint? ├── YES → Use it └── NO → Scrape with Cheerio/Playwright Sites With Hidden JSON APIs Site Endpoint Auth Reddit .json suffix None YouTube Innertube None Shopify /products.json None HN Algolia API None Bluesky AT Protocol None Full list: 7 Sites That Return JSON The API-First Rule After building 77 scrapers : 70% use JSON APIs (never break) 25% use Cheerio HTML parsing 5% need Playwright browser automation Resources 9 Free APIs 5 Patterns Complete Index Not sure whether to scrape or use an API? I will assess your target and build the optimal solution. $20. Email: Spinov001@gmail.com | Hire me