You are looking for collect data on FacebookBut you don't know how? Scraping is the solution!
In this article, we invite you to discover how to web scrap on Facebook in 2025.
The different methods for scraping on Facebook
the web scraping is an automated process that extracts data from websites.
For the web scraping on FacebookThere are two ways of doing this: you can use off-the-shelf tools, or develop your own solution using programming libraries.
1. Use web scraping tools
Scraping tools are designed for those who do not have no programming skills. These ready-to-use solutions enable you to scrape data in just a few clicks.
To scrape Facebook, we suggest these three particularly effective tools:
- 💡 Bright Data
- 🤖 Apify
- 🐙 Octoparse
Bright Data
Bright Data is a complete solution that combines proxies network, scraping browser and API.
It offers a feature specially designed for Facebook scraping: thanks to this dedicated tool, you can retrieve data from Facebook pages, groups or public publications in a very simple way. reliable and efficient.
💡 Discover our full review of Bright Data by clicking on the link.
Apify
Apify is a platform for developing scrapers that offers pre-built solutionscalled " Actors ".
It offers a specific tool: the Facebook Pages Scraperwhich collects data from public Facebook pages, such as page name, number of likes and posts.
🤖 You can consult our full review of Apify to find out more!
Octoparse
Octoparse allows you to scraping without code thanks to an intuitive interface.
The platform also has a dedicated Facebook feature which allows you to extract public data without writing a single line of code. Octoparse's Facebook scraper is the ideal solution if you have no technical skills.
🐙 We explain all the features in our full review of Octoparse.
2. Opt for a DIY solution with Python
Would you like a personalized approach? You can create your own Facebook scraper using Python. This is the ideal solution for technical profiles.
One of the most effective methods is to combine a headless browser and an HTML analysis library. As a reminder, a browser headless simulates a real userThis allows you to manage Facebook's dynamic interactions (such as scrolling to load more posts).
As for the DIY solution with Python, the Selenium + BeautifulSoup combo is perfect for opening Facebook pages as a user would, waiting for the content to load, then extracting the data (in the form of JSON files, for example).
- 👉 Selenium allows you to control the headless browser to interact with the web page (click, scroll...)
- 👉 Once the page is loaded, BeautifulSoup allows you to analyze HTML code and extract the desired information.
What can you scrape on Facebook?
These are the types of Facebook data which you can extract using web scraping:
- 📌 Public pages : Facebook page name, number of likes, posts, comments, shares and likes of comments
- 📌 Public groups : Facebook group name, description, number of members and publications
- 📌 Public profiles : profile information (biography, city), friend lists (if public), and public posts
⚠️ As you can see, only public Facebook data is accessible via web scraping. Private information (private messages, closed group posts) cannot be collected.
How do you web scrap on Facebook in 2025?
Here are the steps involved in a project to scraping Facebook if you use a web scraping tool:
- 🔍 Selecting the tool: Go to the page for the tool of your choice (e.g., Bright Data, Apify, etc.).
- ⚙️ Configure parameters : Enter the URL of the Facebook page or group you want to scrape, and set your extraction options (number of posts, dates, etc.).
- 🚀 Start scraping : Start collecting information and wait for the process to finish.
- 💾 Export data : Once the Facebook data has been collected, all you have to do is export it in the format of your choice (e.g., JSON, CSV, Excel) and you're done!
Why scrap on Facebook?
Facebook web scraping offers several interesting analysis possibilities for companies or even scientific researchers. There are many legitimate uses for Facebook scraping:
- 👉 Competitive analysis : Companies can monitor their competitors' Facebook pages to understand their content strategy, the level of engagement with their posts, and when they publish.
- 👉 Media monitoring and sentiment analysis : Collecting Facebook posts and comments can help to understand the general opinion on a brand, event, or topic.
- 👉 Academic and scientific research : researchers can use the data collected on Facebook for large-scale sociological, linguistic or marketing studies.
FAQs
Is it legal to web scrap on Facebook?
The legality of web scraping is a complex subject.
In general, scraping public data is not illegal. However, it is important to comply with the terms of use from Facebook. Failure to do so may result in legal action.
How to scrape Facebook without using the API?
You can create a custom Facebook scraper with Pythonbut this requires technical skills.
What's the best Python library for scrapping Facebook?
The duo Selenium (to simulate a browser) + BeautifulSoup (for parsing HTML) remains the best DIY option in 2025. The combo is really effective for managing the dynamic loading of Facebook pages.
Are there any free Facebook scraper tools?
Some scraping tools, such as Bright Data, Octoparse and Apify, offer free trials that enable test their functionalities before committing and taking out a subscription.
How do I extract data from Facebook groups?
Most scraping tools, as well as custom solutions using Python, allow you toextract data from public groups on Facebook.
With dedicated tools such as Facebook Scraper (Bright Data) or Facebook Pages Scraper (Apify), all you have to do is provide the URL of the Facebook group, then configure it according to your needs, and you're done!
Scraping on Facebook in 2025 is therefore entirely possible, provided you choose the right method and follow the rules.
Whether you are new to using no-code tools or an experienced Python developer, there are Facebook web scraping solutions to suit all profiles.
Have you tried another solution? Share your experiences or ask questions in the comments section!
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