Glossary

Data terms made simple.

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Anonymous proxy

An anonymous proxy is a server that acts as an intermediary between a user's device and the internet, masking the user's IP address to enhance privacy. It allows users to browse the web without revealing their identity, helping to bypass restrictions and maintain anonymity while accessing online content.

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Alternative data

Alternative data refers to non-traditional data sources used to gain insights and inform decision-making. This can include social media activity, satellite imagery, web scraping, and transaction data, among others. Businesses leverage alternative data to enhance analytics, improve forecasting, and gain a competitive edge in various industries, particularly finance and marketing.

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AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines designed to think and learn like humans. It encompasses various technologies, including machine learning, natural language processing, and robotics, enabling systems to perform tasks such as problem-solving, decision-making, and language understanding, often improving over time through experience.

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AI agents

AI agents are software programs that use artificial intelligence to perform tasks autonomously or assist users. They can analyze data, make decisions, and interact with users through natural language processing. Common examples include virtual assistants, chatbots, and recommendation systems, which enhance user experience and streamline processes across various applications.

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Antidetect browser

An antidetect browser is a specialized web browser that masks or randomizes identifying attributes (such as user‑agent strings, canvas/WebGL fingerprints, and IP addresses) so each session appears as a distinct, generic user.

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API

An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of rules and specifications that allows one application to access the features or data of another application. This enables different software systems to communicate and interact with each other

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Botnet

A botnet is a network of compromised computers or devices, controlled remotely by a cybercriminal. These infected machines, often called 'bots' or 'zombies,' can be used to perform malicious activities, such as launching distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, sending spam, or stealing data, without the owners' knowledge.

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BeautifulSoup

Beautiful Soup is a Python library used for parsing HTML and XML documents. It creates parse trees from page source code, making it easier to navigate, search, and modify the parse tree. Ideal for web scraping, it helps developers extract data from websites efficiently and handle poorly formatted markup.

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Bandwidth sharing

Bandwidth sharing refers to the practice of distributing available network bandwidth among multiple users or devices. This allows for efficient use of internet resources, enabling simultaneous connections and data transfer. While it enhances accessibility, excessive sharing can lead to reduced speeds and performance for individual users, especially during peak usage times.

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Bandwidth

Bandwidth refers to the maximum rate of data transfer across a network or internet connection, measured in bits per second (bps). It determines how much information can be transmitted simultaneously, affecting the speed and quality of online activities such as streaming, gaming, and downloading. Higher bandwidth allows for faster and more efficient data communication.

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Backconnect proxy

A backconnect proxy is a type of proxy server that automatically rotates IP addresses for each request, allowing users to maintain anonymity and avoid detection while web scraping or accessing restricted content. This technology enhances security and reduces the risk of IP bans by distributing traffic across multiple IPs.

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Browser fingerprinting

Browser fingerprinting is the process web services use to collect browser data from their users to generate unique digital fingerprints for tracking purposes.

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Bot traffic

Bot traffic is any traffic to a website or app that is generated by automated software programs (known as bots) rather than humans. Bots can simulate human behavior by performing tasks like browsing web pages, clicking links, filling out forms, or even making purchases.

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Bots

A bot (short for "robot") is a software program that performs automated tasks over a network. Bots follow instructions to carry out actions, often mimicking human behavior, but at a much faster pace.

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Bot detection

Bot detection is the method by which a website identifies bot traffic. There are a number of processes that websites can use to distinguish bot traffic from traffic generated by real people.

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WebRTC

WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) is an open-source technology that enables real-time audio, video, and data sharing directly between web browsers without the need for plugins. It facilitates peer-to-peer connections, enhancing communication applications like video conferencing, online gaming, and file sharing, while ensuring low latency and high-quality interactions.

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Web data

Web data refers to information collected from websites, including text, images, videos, and user interactions. It encompasses structured data (like databases) and unstructured data (like social media posts). This data is crucial for analytics, marketing strategies, and improving user experiences by providing insights into online behavior and trends.

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Web Application Firewall

A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is a security solution designed to monitor, filter, and protect web applications from malicious traffic and attacks, such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting. By analyzing HTTP requests and responses, a WAF helps safeguard sensitive data and ensures the integrity and availability of web applications.

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Web crawler

A web crawler, also known as a spider or bot, is an automated program that systematically browses the internet to index content from websites. It collects data for search engines, helping them understand and rank web pages based on relevance and quality, ultimately improving search results for users.

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wget

wget is a free command-line utility that you can use to download files from the internet. It’s a robust tool that’s able to handle unstable network connections and supports various protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP.

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Web scraping

Web scraping is the process of collecting data from the web and aggregating it into one place. Although this can be a manual process (i.e. copy and pasting from websites yourself), “web scraping” generally refers to automating that process.

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Web scraper

A web scraper is a tool that automatically extracts data from websites. It finds the information you want from web pages and puts it into a format you can use, such as a spreadsheet.

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