ELI5 mode
Web crawling is the automated process of programs systematically navigating the internet by following hyperlinks to discover and collect data from web pages. It's essential for building search engine indexes and powering data-driven applications, but it must navigate legal boundaries like robots.txt files to respect website owners' preferences. In modern usage, it's a double-edged sword, enabling innovation while raising ethical questions about privacy and data overload.
AI-generated·