A spider (also called a web crawler or bot) is an automated program that browses the internet to index web pages. These programs are often used by search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo to discover and update content in their search index.

How a Spider Works:

1. Starting Point: The spider begins with a list of URLs to crawl.

2. Analysis: It fetches the HTML code of a webpage and analyzes its content, links, and metadata.

3. Following Links: It follows the links found on the page to discover new pages.

4. Storage: The collected data is sent to the search engine’s database for indexing.

5. Repetition: The process is repeated regularly to keep the index up to date.

Uses of Spiders:

• Search engine optimization (SEO)

• Price comparison websites

• Web archiving (e.g., Wayback Machine)

• Automated content analysis for AI models

Some websites use a robots.txt file to specify which areas can or cannot be crawled by a spider.

A crawler (also known as a web crawler, spider, or bot) is an automated program that browses the internet and analyzes web pages. It follows links from page to page and collects information.

Uses of Crawlers:

1. Search Engines (e.g., Google's Googlebot) – Index web pages so they appear in search engine results.

2. Price Comparison Websites – Scan online stores for the latest prices and products.

3. SEO Tools – Analyze websites for technical errors or optimization potential.

4. Data Analysis & Monitoring – Track website content for market research or competitor analysis.

5. Archiving – Save web pages for future reference (e.g., Internet Archive).

How a Crawler Works:

1. Starts with a list of URLs.

2. Fetches web pages and stores content (text, metadata, links).

3. Follows links on the page and repeats the process.

4. Saves or processes the collected data depending on its purpose.

Many websites use a robots.txt file to control which content crawlers can visit or ignore.