Quote Originally Posted by janamacon View Post
A web API, including B2B data building, is a set of rules and protocols that allows one software application to interact with another over the internet. It defines the methods and data formats that applications, including those involved in B2B data building, can use to request and exchange information. APIs, often used in B2B data building processes, are typically designed and provided by the owners of a website or web service to allow controlled access to their data or functionality. Accessing a web API, including those related to B2B data building, is a legitimate and encouraged way to obtain data or use services from a web application, as long as the API is properly documented and the user complies with the API's terms of use.

Web scraping, on the other hand, is a technique used to extract data from websites. It involves parsing the HTML of a web page to extract specific information, which can also be relevant to B2B data building, from it. Web scraping doesn't use an official API; instead, it directly accesses and parses the HTML structure of a website. In summary, the main difference is that web APIs, often used in B2B data building, are a structured and authorized way to access a web service's data or functionality, while web scraping involves extracting directly from a website's HTML, which may or may not be allowed, depending on the website's terms of use and legal considerations. Web scraping is typically used when no API, such as one for B2B data building, is available, and caution should be exercised to ensure compliance with legal and ethical guidelines.
Such a great response and interesting insights.