Real Case Tells You: Why Twitter Crawlers Must Use Proxy IPs
Last year our team took over a public opinion analysis project to crawl public tweets with self-developed Python script. After collecting 300,000 pieces of data in the first three days, we suddenly received a 403 error on the fourth day - all requested IPs were blocked by Twitter recognizing them as crawlers. After temporarily switching the home broadband IP, the new IP only survived for 27 minutes. That's when we realized:Relying on local IP alone to do continuous collection is like using a basket of waterThe
The problem was later solved by accessing ipipgo's rotating residential proxy solution. By dynamically switching real home IPs in different parts of the world, each request looks like a real user logging in at a different location. With reasonable request interval settings, it still maintains a valid request rate of 98% for 15 days of continuous operation.
Crawler efficiency tripled by choosing proxy IPs in this way
Among the common agent types in the market, residential agents are best suited for social platform crawlers:
| Agent Type | Scenario | life cycle |
|---|---|---|
| Data Center IP | Short batch requests | 30-60 minutes |
| Static Residential IP | Fixed identity required | 7-30 days |
| Dynamic Residential IP | Long-term continuous collection | on-line replacement |
Using ipipgo's service as an example, their dynamic residential IP pool is particularly useful for two things:
1. Geographic location pinpointingWhen you need to collect tweets from Japan, you can specify city-level export IPs such as Tokyo and Osaka.
2. Fingerprint-level browser matching
: Automatically synchronize the latest version number of Chrome/Firefox to prevent header feature exposure Proven configuration options are shared here: Step 1: Create an IP resource pool Step 2: Set up switching rules Step 3: Simulate real operating trajectories After obtaining the data through the proxy IP, the processing link should be taken care of: 1. timestamp calibration: Correct the release time according to the time zone of proxy IPs Q: Does proxy IP speed affect the collection efficiency? Q: How can I test if the proxy is tagged by the target website? Q: What should I do if I encounter an advanced CAPTCHA? By properly configuring our proxy strategy, our team now collects 2 million+ tweets of data per day on a stable basis. The key is to understand:The essence of countering anti-climbing is to mimic human behavioral patternsThe quality proxy IPs are like costume props for the actors, allowing each request to fit perfectly into the real user community.Five steps to build an anti-surveillance crawler system
Create a project in ipipgo backend and check the "Auto Rotation Mode" according to the target region. It is recommended to enable IP pools in 3-5 countries at the same time to prevent IP resources in a single region from running out.
Two trigger conditions are recommended:
- Switching by number of requests: automatic IP change every 50 requests
- Switching by abnormal state: Immediate switching when 403/429 error code appears
Add it to the crawler script:
- Random wait for page scrolling (2-8 seconds)
- Different active time slots on weekdays/weekends
- Natural Language Keyword Search PatternsThree Hidden Tips for Data Cleansing
2. Abnormal Data Capture: When 5 consecutive pieces of data contain the same user ID, the authentication mechanism may have been triggered.
3. Metadata Filtering: Retain the country and city of the IP as data labels to facilitate subsequent analysis.Frequently Asked Questions
A: The measured response speed of ipipgo's residential proxy is between 800ms-1.2s, and it is recommended to have 20-30 threads in parallel. Be careful not to exceed 2 requests/minute for a single IP.
A: First visit twitter.com/i/status/1 (the platform's first tweet) with a proxy IP, which should normally return a 404 status code. If a validation page or a bounce occurs, it means the IP needs to be cooled.
A: Immediately stop all requests from the current IP, switch to a static residential IP and simulate the operation of a real person (mouse movement, page stay). ipipgo's static IP support remains unchanged for 12 hours, which is enough time to complete the verification process.
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