what’s a web crawler and how does it work?
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It’s a program that traverses web pages by repeatedly enumerating and then following all of the links on a given webpage. They’re mainly used in the context of search engines where they load and then index each page they encounter but they can also be used for other purposes, like collecting contact information (emails, phone numbers etc) or finding malicious file links, or links to copyrighted materials for the purpose of DMCA enforcement
Imagine you have a magic bug that can explore the whole internet. This magic bug is called a “web crawler.”
So, this magic bug starts at a special place on the internet called a “website.” It looks at all the words, pictures, and links on that website. Then, it follows those links to other websites, just like following a treasure map.
As the magic bug goes from one website to another, it collects all the cool stuff it finds, like words, pictures, and even videos. It keeps doing this over and over again, visiting lots and lots of websites.
Then, when you search for something on the internet, like “funny cat videos,” the magic bug helps find all the websites that have funny cat videos. It gives the list to your computer, and you can click on the websites to watch the funny cat videos.
That’s how a web crawler works, just like a super explorer bug that helps you find things on the big internet playground!
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