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

Web Scraping Without Blocking With Undetected ChromeDriver

In this tutorial we'll be taking a look at a new popular web scraping tool Undetected ChromeDriver which is a Selenium extension that allows to bypass many scraper blocking techniques.

How to Avoid Scraper Blocking when Scraping Images

Introduction to scraper blocking when it comes to image scraping. What are some popular scraper blocking techniques and how to avoid them.

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?