How to Access Web Data

The explosion in Web-based data has led to a dilemma for many users: What are the most efficient tools for downloading data so you can analyze the numbers on your own? A large number of websites that contain data either don't have their data arranged in a format that's compatible with your software, or restrict access to the data either through query-only pages or other formats that make it impossible for users to download the entire data set.

• 1

  Try copy-and-paste. This usually works for single-page tables of data, or data that extend over only a few web pages. Use your mouse to define the data you want to download. Right-click and select "Copy" from the menu. Open a spreadsheet or word-processing program and click "Paste."

• 2

  Save the table or tables as a Web page. Navigate to the website with the data. Right-click and select "Save Page As." Save the page. Try opening it using a spreadsheet or word-processing software. You likely will have to delete extraneous information before you can start analyzing the data.

• 3

  Import the data using a program like Microsoft Excel. Open Excel. Click on the "Data" tab near the top of the page. Select the "From Web" icon near the left-hand top of the page. A browser window will open. Enter the website address containing the data. Select the tables using the yellow arrows. Click "Import," select the range of data you want to download, and click "OK." Save your spreadsheet.

• 4

  Try a Web scraper program. There are dozens, and most offer free trials. Try several to determine which ones meet your needs and are easiest to use before you commit to buying a product. Test them on websites to make sure that they'll work; many companies have implemented anti-scraping technologies to protect their data.