> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.decodo.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Introduction

**Web Scraping API** is a managed web data extraction solution built for scalable scraping workflows. It handles proxy rotation, browser rendering, and anti-bot protection automatically, so you can focus on collecting and processing data instead of maintaining scraping infrastructure.

Send a target URL or query together with your scraping parameters, and the API returns extracted content in formats like HTML, JSON, CSV, screenshots, Markdown, etc.

## Pricing

Web Scraping API pricing depends on two main factors:

* **The selected proxy pool**. You can choose between *Standard* and *Premium* proxy pools. *Standard* proxies are best suited for simpler targets and cost-efficient extraction. *Premium* proxies are designed for more demanding websites with stronger anti-bot protections. Unlike the universal Web template, other target templates use *Premium* proxies by default.
* **The JavaScript rendering mode**. For most target templates, you can choose whether JavaScript rendering should be enabled for the request. Rendering is useful for dynamic websites that load content through JavaScript, but it also increases request cost because it requires additional browser resources.

The total request cost depends on the combination of proxy pool and rendering mode used.

## Proxy pools

Different proxy pools are optimized for different types of targets:

| **Proxy pool** | **Best for**                                             |
| :------------- | :------------------------------------------------------- |
| Standard       | Lightweight extraction from simpler websites             |
| Premium        | More demanding targets with stronger anti-bot protection |

## JavaScript rendering modes

Rendering mode determines how the target page is processed:

| **Rendering mode** | **Description**                                                |
| :----------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Disabled           | Fastest option for static pages that do not require JavaScript |
| Enabled            | Loads and renders JavaScript-heavy websites before extraction  |

## Quick start

Getting started with Web Scraping API only requires a few steps:

1. Choose a [target template](https://help.decodo.com/docs/web-scraping-api-targets#/) or keep the target set to Web for universal extraction
2. Enter a target URL or search query
3. Configure request [parameters](https://help.decodo.com/docs/web-scraping-api-parameters#/), including the proxy pool, rendering mode, output format, etc.
4. Send the request directly from the dashboard or copy ready-to-use cURL, Python, or Node.js request examples for integration
5. Receive extracted data in your preferred format

The API handles:

* Browser rendering
* Proxy rotation
* Location targeting
* Anti-bot bypassing
* Request retries and stability

You can monitor your API usage in the dashboard's [Statistics](https://help.decodo.com/docs/web-scraping-api-statistics#/) section, including traffic breakdowns by domain, success rates, and hourly, daily, and monthly insights.

<br />

## Choosing the right setup

Recommended configurations depend on the complexity of the target website:

| **Target type**                | **Recommended setup**                    |
| :----------------------------- | :--------------------------------------- |
| Static websites                | Standard proxies with rendering disabled |
| JavaScript-heavy websites      | Rendering enabled                        |
| Protected or difficult targets | Premium proxies with rendering enabled   |

In case extraction quality is inconsistent, try enabling rendering or switching to the *Premium* proxy pool.

If you're unsure which setup to choose, start with the [free plan](https://dashboard.decodo.com/register?planId=922406) to test different target templates, rendering modes, and proxy configurations before scaling your usage.

<br />

<Note>
  ## Usage policy

  Web Scraping API is intended for collecting publicly accessible web data.

  We don't support scraping:

  * Post-login or authenticated content
  * Private user information
  * Restricted or non-public data

  Users are responsible for ensuring their use of the service complies with applicable website terms and internal policies.
</Note>

***

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