Data scraping logical format

[amolsr]

Logical Format for Crawlers

Why a Logical Format Matters

• Consistency: All scrapers produce uniform data.
• Storage & Pipeline Ready: Easy to store in databases or data lakes; downstream processes rely on a consistent schema.
• Change Tracking: scrape_date + product_updated_at allow monitoring product updates over time.

Suggested Columns

Column Name	Type	Mandatory	Notes
product_url	STRING	✅	Primary key
scrape_date	DATE	✅	Date of scraping
product_created_at	DATE	✅	Published date
product_updated_at	DATE	✅	Last updated on site
product_name	STRING	✅	Product title
price	FLOAT	✅	Product price
availability	STRING	✅	Stock status
category	STRING	✅	Product category
product_id	STRING	❌	Optional SKU/ID
rating	FLOAT	❌	Optional
reviews_count	INT	❌	Optional
image_url	STRING	❌	Optional
brand	STRING	❌	Optional
description	STRING	❌	Optional

Usage in Crawlers

1. Scraper extracts fields according to the format.
2. Validate mandatory fields and date formats.
3. Store in DB/data lake; append new rows to track changes.