Web scraping - what is HTTP 503 status code?

Response status code 503 generally means the service is unavailable.

This could mean that the server can't handle the requests because of technical issues. In which case web scrapers should be paused to prevent being IP blocked for too many invalid repeated connections.

Alternatively, 503 status code is also used to block web scrapers if they are identified and undesired.

To avoid status code 503 when web scraping we should ensure that the server cannot identify the web scraper connections. For that refer to our how to scrape without being blocked guide which covers all of the ways to prevent web scrapers from being identified.

Question tagged: Scraper Blocking

Related Posts

How to Bypass Imperva Incapsula when Web Scraping in 2023

In this article we'll take a look at a popular anti bot service Imperva Incapsula anti bot WAF. How does it detect web scrapers and bots and what can we do to prevent our scrapers from being detected?

How to Bypass Datadome Anti Scraping in 2023

In this article we'll take a look at a popular anti bot service Datadome Anti Bot firewall. How does it detect web scrapers and bots and what can we do to prevent our scrapers from being detected?

How to Bypass Akamai when Web Scraping in 2023

In this article we'll take a look at a popular anti bot service Akamai Bot Manager. How does it detect web scrapers and bots and what can we do to prevent our scrapers from being detected?