XPath Contains Text: Expressions for Accurately Positioning Web Elements

Hands-on with XPath text positioning to grab data

engage in data crawling old iron should have encountered this situation: obviously the structure of the web page changes every day, using traditional methods to write the crawler does not move on strike. This is the time to move out of theXPath's contains() functionThis artifact, especially against those elements where the textual content is not fixed, is a catch.

For example, the login button you are trying to capture may be called "Login" one day, "User Login" the next, and "Sign in" the day after that. Use the//button[contains(text(),'Login')]This expression, no matter how it changes the name can be pulled out. But there is a pitfall here - many sites will detect the behavior of the crawler, which will have to work with theDynamic IP services from ipipgoto take cover.

The Golden Combination of Proxy IP and XPath

When you repeatedly traverse between different IPs, the site's anti-crawling mechanism is like a blindfolded security guard. ipipgo'sMega IP PoolIt allows you to change the "face" of each request, and with XPath's fuzzy localization, it's a golden partner for data collection.

A practical guide to avoiding the pit

A common mistake newbies make isOver-reliance on text matchingFor example, if you see a button that says "Buy Now". Let's say you're looking at a button that says "Buy Now", but there's a hidden element with the same name on the page. It's safer to add a parent://div[@id='main']//a[contains(text(),'Buy Now')]The

Remember to add wait time for the crawler when you encounter slow loading elements. ipipgo'sIntelligent retry mechanismIt can handle such issues automatically to avoid IP blocking due to timeout.

Frequently Asked Questions QA

Q: What should I do if I write the right XPath but can't capture the data?
A: 80% is being anti-climbing, first check whether it is a fixed IP. change to ipipgo's dynamic proxy, the request interval into 2-5 seconds randomly, pro-test effective.

Q: What should I do if the text on the web page has special symbols?
A: Handle spaces with the normalize-space() function, e.g.//p[contains(normalize-space(),'2023 Annual Report')]

Q: How often is ipipgo's IP updated?
A: Our IP poolAutomatically refreshes every 5 minutesIt supports customized survival time on demand, and those who need long-term stable IP can choose the exclusive channel.

Make reptiles wear invisibility cloaks

One last trick - take XPath's fuzzy matching and ipipgo'sHigh Stash AgentsUsed in combination. For example, if you want to crawl the entire web for a certain keyword, you can do so:

1. Use contains() to locate all nodes containing the keyword
2. Set up automatic IP switching for every 50 captures
3. Enable request header masquerading for ipipgo

With a combo like that, the site is basically indistinguishable from a real person visiting or a robot doing the work. Remember.Dynamic IPs are like camouflage clothing for crawlersThe XPath is your scope, and you can't point and shoot until you have both.