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What Instant Data Scraper is, and what it costs
Instant Data Scraper is a free Chrome extension that copies tables and lists from web pages into a spreadsheet. Its store listing says it uses AI to guess which data on a page matters, and saves it as an Excel or CSV file.
It isn't made for Maps: it works the same way on any site, from shops to directories. Its listing names Flavr Technology, LP as the developer, and Web Robots, which first made it, says on its page about the extension that it no longer owns or supports it.
Its listing says the extension is completely free and that the scraped data doesn't leave your browser.
Running Instant Data Scraper on a Maps search, step by step
These steps follow its makers' own guide, with what to watch for on Maps. The labels are the extension's own, and they can differ a little in the version you have.
Step 1: Open a Maps search
Search Maps for a kind of business in a place, such as "restaurants in Austin, TX", in a wide Chrome window. Wait until the list of results shows.
Step 2: Start Instant Data Scraper
Click its icon in Chrome's toolbar. It looks at the page, guesses where the data is, and shows a preview of the rows it found.
Step 3: Check it picked the results list
If the preview shows the wrong part of the page, click Try another table and it guesses again. Repeat until the preview shows one row per business.
Step 4: Load the whole list
Maps adds businesses to its list as you scroll it, so the first preview holds only the ones already loaded. Turn on Infinite Scroll, which scrolls pages that load more as you go, and watch the row count grow.
- If the count stops growing early, scroll the Maps list to its end yourself, then check the count again.
- Crawl delay, 1 second by default, is how long it waits for more to load. Raise it if rows arrive slowly.
Step 5: Download the file
Click CSV or XLSX. Its guide says to expect extra columns from the page and column names you'll want to change, so clean the file before you use it.
What it collects from Maps, and what it leaves out
A page-copying tool gets what the results list itself shows, and nothing it would have to open. On Maps, that matters, because the list holds only part of each business's details.
Maps Scraper Pro reads the name, category, rating, review count and Maps link from each entry in the list. It then opens each business for its address, phone, website and opening hours, which the list doesn't always show, and reads its website for emails.
| Columns | Maps Scraper Pro reads them from |
|---|---|
| Business Name, Category, Rating, Review Count, Map URL | Each entry in the results list |
| Address, Phone, Website, Operating Hours | Each business's own details on Maps, opened one by one |
| Emails, Website phones, Faxes, social links | The business's website and one contact page |
What a copy of the list includes varies from search to search, so check your Instant Data Scraper file for each of these columns. If a column you need is missing or half empty, it was in the details the list didn't show.
Emails aren't on Maps at all, so no tool that copies a Maps page can find them: they come from each business's own website. How the emails are found explains which pages are read.
Why Instant Data Scraper isn't working on Maps
Most problems on Maps come from how its results list loads. The fixes below come from the extension's own guide and from how Maps lists a search.
| What happens | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| It picks the wrong part of the page | It guesses which part of the page is the data | Click Try another table until the preview shows one row per business |
| It stops after the first few businesses | Maps adds businesses to its list only as you scroll it | Turn on Infinite Scroll, or scroll the Maps list to its end before you download |
| The file has odd column names and extra fields | Its guide says files often have unwanted fields and names to change | Rename and delete columns in the file, or use its column renaming before you download |
| Nothing useful comes from one business's page | A single business isn't a list | Go back to the search results and start it there |
| It never gets past about 120 businesses | One Maps search lists about 120 businesses at most | Run more searches, one per area, as the next section explains |
| Rows arrive slowly or not at all | Maps loads its list after the page itself | Raise Crawl delay, then start again |
Multiple pages, and more than about 120 businesses
A Maps search has no pages: it's one list that grows as you scroll. Instant Data Scraper's Locate "Next" button and Start crawling are for sites with a Next link, so on Maps, scroll instead.
However far you scroll, one search lists about 120 businesses at most. More businesses means more searches, one per neighborhood, zip code or nearby town.
In Instant Data Scraper, that's one run and one file per search, joined by hand. In Maps Scraper Pro, Bulk runs a list of searches in one go, and chat takes a number up to 1,000 and searches the area around the place itself. Getting every business in a city compares the two.
The same search in Maps Scraper Pro
Maps Scraper Pro is made for Maps alone. It opens each business, reads its website, and saves everything as one list in your browser, free.
Step 1: Add Maps Scraper Pro to Chrome
Install it from the Chrome Web Store, then click its icon to open the side panel.
Step 2: Open the same Maps search
With the search on screen, choose the Maps tab in the side panel. It says how many places are ready to collect.
Step 3: Collect the list
Leave Also collect contact details from each business's website ticked and click Collect list. It scrolls the search to the end of its list, opening each business as it goes.
- Places found counts the businesses as they arrive. Click Stop at any time, and what it found is kept.
Step 4: Download it
Open the list from the History tab, check it on the results page, then click Export as and choose Microsoft Excel, CSV or JSON.
Or skip the search: in the Chat tab, type "Find 100 restaurants in Austin, TX", and chat runs the search and collects it for you. Free ways to collect local business leads covers what you get for each business.
Which one fits your job
The two do different jobs. Instant Data Scraper copies lists from almost any site, and Maps Scraper Pro does only Maps, but goes further there.
| You want | Use |
|---|---|
| A table from almost any website | Instant Data Scraper |
| Names and ratings from one Maps search | Either one |
| Phones, websites and opening hours for every business | Maps Scraper Pro |
| The emails on each business's website | Maps Scraper Pro |
| Many searches, or a whole city, in one run | Maps Scraper Pro's Bulk or chat |
Is it safe, and is it allowed?
Instant Data Scraper's store listing says the scraped data doesn't leave your browser, and its first makers' page says the same. The listing's privacy section also says the extension handles web history, so read it before you install.
Maps Scraper Pro collects in your browser too and keeps your lists there; our privacy policy says what it sends to our servers.
Whether you may collect from Maps and contact the businesses depends on the rules where you are. Is it legal? explains what to check.
Questions people ask
Is Instant Data Scraper free?
Yes. Its Chrome Web Store listing says the extension is completely free.
Can Instant Data Scraper get emails from Maps?
No. Maps doesn't show emails, so no tool that copies a Maps page can find them. Maps Scraper Pro reads each business's own website for its emails, in the same run.
Why is Instant Data Scraper not working on Maps?
Usually it picked the wrong part of the page, or the Maps list hadn't loaded all its businesses. Click Try another table, then turn on Infinite Scroll or scroll the list to its end before you download.
How do I use Instant Data Scraper for multiple pages?
On sites with pages, click Locate "Next" button, mark the site's Next link, then click Start crawling. A Maps search has no pages, so scroll its list instead, and run another search for more businesses.
Is Instant Data Scraper safe to use?
Its listing says the scraped data doesn't leave your browser, and that the extension handles web history. Read the privacy section of its listing and decide for yourself.
What's a free alternative to Instant Data Scraper for Maps?
Maps Scraper Pro is free and made for Maps: it collects each business's details and the emails on its website. Free Maps scrapers compared covers others.