Guide · Open source
How to use spider-flow: build a crawler without code
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
spider-flow is an open-source web scraping platform where you define a crawler as a flowchart in a graphical editor instead of writing code. This guide explains what it does, what you need to build it from source, and how its main features fit together. By the end you will know whether it suits your project and how to get started.
Spider-Flowssssssss-team/spider-flow · ★ 11.4k · MIT Install options & downloads Quick start
- 1Install a JDK. Install JDK 1.8 or newer, which the README lists as the prerequisite.
- 2Clone the repository. Run the git clone command for the spider-flow GitHub repository.
- 3Build the project. Follow the build steps in the project files to compile spider-flow from the cloned source.
- 4Open the editor. Start the application and open the web UI to see the crawler list.
- 5Draw the flow. Create a crawler and add steps in the graphical flowchart editor.
- 6Test and debug. Use the test and debug views to check extraction results before scheduling.
- 7Save and monitor. Configure output to a database or file and review task logs for each run.
What spider-flow does
spider-flow describes itself as a new generation crawler platform that lets you define crawl logic graphically. The README says it is a highly flexible and configurable crawler platform that defines crawlers as flowcharts.
- Extracts data with XPath, JsonPath, CSS selectors, regex, or a mix of these
- Handles JSON, XML and binary response formats
- Supports crawling pages rendered by JavaScript or AJAX
- Supports proxies and automatic cookie management
- Saves results to a database or to files
- Provides task monitoring and per-task logs
- Offers an HTTP interface and plugin extension points
Check the prerequisites before you install
The project is written in Java. The README's badge indicates JDK 1.8 or newer is required, so install a compatible JDK before you start.
- A JDK version 1.8 or newer
- Git, to clone the repository
Install spider-flow by cloning and building it
The README's install method is clone-and-build. Start by cloning the repository from GitHub with the command below. After cloning, follow the build instructions in the project files, since the README excerpt provided here does not list further build commands.
git clone https://github.com/ssssssss-team/spider-flow.gitBuild your first flowchart crawler
The core workflow is to draw a crawl as a flowchart in the editor. The README screenshots show the crawler list, a crawler test view, a debug view, and a log view, which together cover creating, testing, debugging and monitoring a crawler.
Use the test and debug views to check each step's output before you schedule the task. The task logs help you find where a run failed.
- Create a new crawler in the crawler list
- Add the steps of the flow and configure your extraction selectors
- Run a test and use debug to inspect results
- Configure where the output should be saved, such as a database or file
- Review task logs after each run
Extend spider-flow with plugins
Plugins add capabilities. The README lists plugins for Selenium, Redis, OSS, MongoDB, an IP proxy pool, OCR recognition, and email. Plugins are a good route if you are a Java developer who wants to add custom executors or methods.
- Selenium plugin for browser automation
- Redis plugin
- OSS plugin
- MongoDB plugin
- IP proxy pool plugin
- OCR recognition plugin
- Email plugin
Know the limits before you commit
spider-flow runs as a server-side application with a UI, a database and plugins. That makes it a platform, not a lightweight script. The README disclaimer prohibits using it for illegal purposes and asks users to respect site crawling rules. The project page shows a last push in June 2023 and a latest release v0.5.0 with no binaries attached, so plan to build from source and check the activity yourself.
What people use it for
- Collecting product or listing data from websites without writing code
- Pulling JSON or XML data from web APIs into a database
- Running scheduled crawls and checking per-task logs for failures
- Extending a Java-based system with custom crawler plugins
Frequently asked questions
Is spider-flow free to use?
spider-flow is released under the MIT license, according to the README and project metadata. The MIT license is permissive, but read the LICENSE file in the repository for the exact terms.
What do I need to install spider-flow?
You need JDK 1.8 or newer and Git to clone the repository. The install method described in the README is clone-and-build.
Can spider-flow scrape JavaScript-rendered pages?
Yes. The README says it supports crawling pages rendered by JavaScript or AJAX. The Selenium plugin is listed for browser-based automation.
Does spider-flow need coding skills?
No code is needed to define a crawler, since crawlers are built as flowcharts in the graphical editor. Some Java knowledge helps if you plan to write plugins or custom functions.
What are the alternatives to spider-flow?
Comparable projects mentioned in this context include Scrapy, Crawlee, Apache Nutch and Heritrix. Scrapy and Crawlee are code-based frameworks, while spider-flow is a visual platform with a UI.
Is spider-flow still maintained?
The project page shows a last push in June 2023 and a latest release with no binaries attached. Check the repository activity and issues before relying on it for a long-term project.
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Our verdict
spider-flow suits non-programmers who want visual flowchart crawlers and Java developers who want an extensible platform with a database and logs. It is a poor fit if you need a lightweight script or a project with active, recent maintenance, in which case Scrapy or Crawlee may be better choices.
Install options & downloads