Web scraping could be very hard sometimes. This happens when you do not have access to the right tools. In this ScrapingBee user agent guide for safer web scraping, you will know how to perfectly deploy your data scroller. Avoid the mistakes that miss the pages with blockers. Reduce your budget and incur less cost with more data gathering.
There are videos, guides, and tutorials everywhere on the internet. But what is different in this guide is the clear differentiation, easy steps, and to-the-point information to successfully deploy your ScarpingBee user agent. Begin professionally, escape mistakes, reduce the cost, and execute your data scraping perfectly.
What a user agent is in web scraping
Each web request carries headers, and one of those headers has the name User-Agent. That header holds one long text line. The line usually tells the site which browser, which system, and which device sent the request.
A normal user agent line can say that the client is Chrome on Windows. From this one line, a site can guess simple things about the visitor. Many sites use this line to:
- Choose a layout for phone or for computer
- Turn some small features on or off
- Block strange or clearly fake clients
Poor user agent lines often make a scraper look like a simple bot. Realistic browser user agent lines make the scraper look closer to a normal visitor. Because of this, a good user agent choice is a key part of safe scraping.
How ScrapingBee uses the user agent
ScrapingBee stands between your code and the target website. Your program first talks to ScrapingBee. After that, ScrapingBee talks to the website with a second request that uses ScrapingBee servers and headers.
By default, each ScrapingBee Session sends a browser-style user agent line for that second request. Many open pages accept this line without any problem. The page loads in a normal way, and you receive the HTML content.
Some sites follow stricter rules. On those sites, filters may look at the user agent, cookies, JavaScript, IP address, and request speed at the same time. Under such rules, a small change in the user agent can help a lot. Placing a clear ScrapingBee custom user agent example inside your code makes it easy to see what the site reads from your request.
Times when you may change the user agent
Simple projects often work well with the default ScrapingBee user agent. Even so, some clear warning signs show that you may need to change it.
For example, you may notice that the site starts to send many 403 or 429 status codes. Another sign appears when the HTML from ScrapingBee looks very different from the HTML that you see in your own browser. A third sign comes when the phone layout looks easier to scrape than the full desktop layout. Some teams also want the scraper to match the main browser that their real users have.
Whenever you see these signs, you can set your own ScrapingBee user agent header settings. This simple move gives you more control for testing and for the extract rules you use when the site changes its behavior.
How to set a custom user agent with ScrapingBee
ScrapingBee allows custom headers in each API call. The user agent is just one of these headers, and its name is User-Agent. Most HTTP libraries let you send this header in almost the same way.
A basic idea looks like the pattern below:
headers = {
"User-Agent": "Your custom user agent string"
}
send_request_to_scrapingbee(url, headers)Quite a few developers do not want to send only a single user agent line. Instead, they build a short list of real browser user agent lines and store them in code. The program then picks one line from the list for each new request. With this setup, they create a simple ScrapingBee rotate user agent safely pattern that can lower the chance of blocks.
Simple ScrapingBee user agent in Python
Many Python projects use the requests library to send HTTP calls, and some developers share ScrapingBee open-source tools that wrap this simple pattern. The library makes header handling very clear and simple. You can pass a user agent line by adding it to the headers dictionary.
import requests
api_key = "YOUR_API_KEY"
target_url = "https://example.com"
headers = {
"User-Agent": (
"Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) "
"AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) "
"Chrome/122.0.0.0 Safari/537.36"
)
}
params = {
"api_key": api_key,
"url": target_url
}
response = requests.get("https://app.scrapingbee.com/api/v1", params=params, headers=headers)
html = response.textFrom this script, you gain one clear ScrapingBee Python user agent code block that you can copy into many projects. Later, you may change the user agent line, add more lines to a list, or choose a random line for each new call.
Simple ScrapingBee user agent in Node.js
Even though there is no official ScrapingBee Chrome extension, many Node.js projects still use Axios for HTTP requests to the API. Axios accepts headers in the options object that you pass with the call. The user agent header sits inside that same object.
const axios = require(“axios”);
const apiKey = “YOUR_API_KEY”;
const targetUrl = “https://example.com”;
const headers = {
“User-Agent”:
“Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_15_7) ” +
“AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) ” +
“Version/17.0 Safari/605.1.15”
};
axios
.get(“https://app.scrapingbee.com/api/v1”, {
params: {
api_key: apiKey,
url: targetUrl
},
headers: headers
})
.then((res) => {
console.log(res.data);
})
.catch((err) => {
console.error(err);
});
With this ScrapingBee Node.js user agent tutorial, you receive a complete pattern that works as a starting point. From this base, you can plug in new user agent lines, add retry logic, or rotate through a list of saved options. Some teams also check ScrapingBee alternatives, but they still use the same user agent tips to stay safe.
Easy rules for safe user agent use
Good user agent lines help, but they do not solve every scraping problem alone. Websites normally look at many signals in your traffic. Even so, a few simple rules about user agents can give strong support to your whole setup.
One helpful rule says that user agent lines should match real browsers and real systems. Another rule says that user agents should match other headers, such as Accept and Accept-Language. A third rule tells you to keep your ScrapingBee Concurrency at a gentle and steady level, not in a big, fast burst. A last rule asks you to read robots.txt and follow the rules listed there.
Simple checklists work well for this task. A short list of ScrapingBee user agent best practices can remind you of these points and keep your scraping closer to normal site use.
Working with Cloudflare and other shields
Large websites often sit behind tools such as Cloudflare. These tools look at user agents, IP addresses, JavaScript actions, and request patterns. Some teams think about ScrapingBee the Facebook pages they need, but they still must respect each site’s rules and local laws when they plan any scraping. Blocks from such tools may not come from a single cause, but the user agent often plays some role.
One helpful step uses a modern and common browser user agent line. Another helpful step turns on JavaScript rendering when the page depends on scripts. A third step adds small random pauses between each request to the same site. Together, these steps form a basic ScrapingBee user agent for the Cloudflare pattern that you can adjust for each new project.
Written notes help a lot here. When you write down which user agent lines and settings work for each Cloudflare site, you build a small playbook that saves time later.
Handling sites that use a lot of JavaScript
Modern pages often rely on JavaScript to build most of the visible content. Some pages change their layout when they see a phone user agent. Other pages change when they see a desktop user agent.
Testing both types gives you more choices. One set of tests can use phone user agent lines. Another set can use desktop user agent lines. After these tests, you compare the HTML that you receive. Many developers then choose the layout that is easiest to parse.
From these habits, you can build a simple ScrapingBee JS Scenario that controls the user agent for JavaScript sites. This routine helps you find the cleanest page shape for your data without large changes in your ScrapingBee setup.
When you change the default ScrapingBee user agent
The default ScrapingBee user agent works well for tests and for many small scraping tasks. Some clear patterns show that you should change it.
One pattern appears when the page looks normal in your own browser, but looks empty or broken through ScrapingBee. Another pattern appears when important parts of the page never show in the HTML from ScrapingBee. A third pattern appears when error codes rise quickly as soon as you send more requests each minute.
At such times, you can take a careful change of the default user agent step and also check your ScrapingBee Premium Proxy settings. After that change, your ScrapingBee calls look closer to real browser calls. If problems remain, you can then adjust cookies, extra headers, and timing in small and simple steps.
Simple steps to fix user agent problems
Troubleshooting scraping issues feels easier when you follow a short plan. When you suspect the user agent, a few direct questions can guide you.
First, you can ask which exact user agent line the request was sent. Next, you can check if that line is close to a real and modern browser line. Then, you can open the same page in a normal browser and compare the content with the HTML from ScrapingBee. Finally, you can look for signs of a block page, a captcha, or a simple error code.
Logs give strong help here. When you save examples of both good requests and bad requests across many pages and Pagination steps, you slowly build a list of user agent lines and settings that work well for each site. Over time, this list becomes a private ScrapingBee user agent troubleshooting guide that makes new projects much faster to set up.
ScrapinBee User Agent at a Glance
Some teams also test ScrapingBee alternatives, but the same user agent ideas still help them avoid blocks.
| Section of post | What it explains (short) | Key fact (true and clear) | How it helps you decide |
|---|---|---|---|
| What a user agent is | Meaning of a user agent | The user agent is a text line inside the request that tells the site which browser and device you use. | Shows that this small line is important for every ScrapingBee call. |
| ScrapingBee user agent basics | How ScrapingBee uses the user agent | ScrapingBee sends a browser-style user agent when it calls the site for you. | Tells you what happens by default if you do not change anything. |
| When to change it | Cases where the default is not enough | Many errors, strange HTML, or the need for a mobile or desktop view are signs to change the user agent. | Helps you see when you should try a new user agent line. |
| Custom header settings | How to set your own user agent | You set a User-Agent header and send it with your ScrapingBee request. |
Gives you simple, direct control over what the site will read. |
| Rotate user agents | Using more than one user agent | You can keep a small list and pick one user agent for each request. | Lowers the risk that one user agent gets blocked again and again. |
| Python example | How to set the user agent in Python | You add User-Agent to the headers dictionary and pass it to requests.get. |
Let’s Python users copy real code and change only the line they need. |
| Node.js example | How to set the user agent in Node.js | You add User-Agent inside the Axios headers object and send it with the request. |
Let’s Node.js users follow one simple pattern for their own scripts. |
| Best practices | Simple rules for safe user agent use | Real browser lines, headers that match, slow and steady requests, and respect for robots.txt are safer. |
Helps you choose habits that make blocking less likely over time. |
| Cloudflare and shields | Role of the user agent with Cloudflare | A real browser user agent, JavaScript rendering, and small waits can together reduce blocks on sites with protection. | Guides your settings when you scrape sites that use strong protection tools. |
| JavaScript-heavy sites | How the user agent works on pages with a lot of JavaScript | Different user agents can return different page views for phone or desktop. | Helps you choose the page view that is easier for your scraper to read. |
| Changing default user agent | When to replace the ScrapingBee default | Empty pages, broken layout, or missing parts in HTML are strong signs to change the default ScrapingBee user agent. | Tells you the point where you should stop using the default and switch to a custom line. |
| Troubleshooting | Steps to fix user agent problems | You check the exact user agent line, compare it with a real browser line, and look for block pages or error codes. | Gives you a clear way to debug and build your own simple guide for future sites. |
Conclusion
User agent lines look small on the screen, but they have a big effect on web scraping. ScrapingBee lets you choose the line that you send and change that choice whenever your target site changes. A more detailed technical explanation of user agent behavior in scraping traffic is available in this article on handling user agents in web scraping.
By treating the ScrapingBee user agent as one key part of your scraping setup, you can lower blocks, match real browsers more closely, and keep your scraping jobs stable for a long time. Simple choices, such as good user agent lines and calm request speed, make your scraping work smoother and safer.