Walmart Product API Data Extraction: A Comprehensive Guide for Businesses

Do you want to learn how scraping Walmart's product API might benefit your company? You have come to the correct place because we'll explain how API data works, why it is essential to organizations, and how to extract the data in this blog article.

We'll also offer a step-by-step tutorial for eCommerce Web Scraping the API data. Finally, we will discuss some examples of what you can do with the API data that has been extracted.

So, let's get started.

What is API data? How does it relate to business?

API data stands for Application Programming Interface data, which is a technical term. It provides information on the variables and parameters used by a specific program. Here, we are talking about an online e-commerce service (like Walmart) that enables you to browse the things it sells, its pricing range, product categories, etc. Understanding how this e-commerce website functions and operates requires knowledge of API Data. This material is helpful because it offers advice on making the most of your company's website.

How does API data work?

The data is kept in a variety of formats. Tables are used to organize the information. A particular area of the website is associated with each table. For instance, a table contains details about the products (whose details are shown below for your convenience). You can then view different website pages in a separate table. An API call can be used to inspect each type of page's internal format, unique to that type of page (like the product page).

Scraping Walmart Data using Web Scraping

Although there are various programs (such as Walmart Data Extractor) that you can use to scrape the data from the website, most of them require additional steps. Web scraping is a much easier method of gathering data in that situation. Here is how it works:

The first step is finding a website with a layout resembling the one you want to scrape. For instance, you should go to Walmart's product page if the website you want to scrape is similar to Walmart's. Two factors are crucial when visiting a website:

The reaction time comes first. The better, the faster the response time. You can hasten this process by executing API calls repeatedly. However, you won't need to do it since the data will automatically be sent directly from the website when you use web scraping.

A browser that supports web scraping, such as Google Chrome, is the second prerequisite for web scraping.

The next step is to create software to scrape the website. You must know how to code in Python, Perl, Ruby, or PHP. An online manual follows each language. Python is the language of choice for most online scrapers since it is cross-platform and straightforward to read.

The way this program works is that it sends requests to the specified website and extracts pieces of data from the website. It then saves them in a text file so you can review them later and create reports.

As a note, some Web scraping technologies will require you to install additional software to work correctly (such as Python) on your computer.

Scraping Walmart Data using Python

Python can be used in one of two methods to scrape data from the Walmart data:

The first is most frequently used. After installing Python on your PC, the Walmart API Data Extractor application can be downloaded here. You will then launch this program on your PC. Following a request for a login and password for a Walmart administrator account, the data collection process will begin (you may also check the available methods to choose from).

The second approach entails creating a program that directly scrapes the Web. Finding a precise match between your application and each site's data storage method is one of the obstacles you'll face. More details regarding this procedure are available here.

import requests
 
 # Replace with your Walmart API key
 api_key = "YOUR_API_KEY"
  
 # Replace with the base URL of the Walmart API
 base_url = "https://api.walmart.com/some_endpoint"
  
 # Define your parameters for the API request
 params = {
"param1": "value1",
"param2": "value2",
# ... add more parameters as needed
"apiKey": api_key
 }
  
 try:
# Make the API request
response = requests.get(base_url, params=params)
  
if response.status_code == 200:
# Parse and work with the response data here
data = response.json()
# Process and extract information from the data
         
# Example: Print the raw data
print(data)
         
else:
print(f"Request failed with status code: {response.status_code}")
  
except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
print(f"Request error: {e}")
 

For information on the precise endpoints, parameters, and required authentication techniques, keep in mind to consult the Walmart API documentation. When using APIs or Scraping Data from Websites, always abide by the terms of use and ethical standards.

Examples of what you can do with the extracted data

There are many examples of what you can do with the extracted API data. Here are some:

1. Find the pricing information of products

It entails calculating the cost for Walmart to sell a particular product using the data. To determine whether your markup or margin is appropriate, for instance, if you sell soap online, you must figure out how much it costs Walmart to sell soap.

2. View specific product information (including listing, related products, and items purchased together)

This example will show you how to examine a particular item's usage on Walmart's website and see if additional things are typically purchased to find out what it is used for. You can also utilize this method to discover new products by examining what they are frequently linked with. Consider whether or not people purchase tennis balls along with tennis rackets. It demonstrates that customers are buying both things when they visit Walmart.

3. Search for a particular product on Walmart's website

The gathered data can be used to identify the precise products that clients seek. This is perfect if you need clarification on what someone wants and help determine whether they can locate it on Walmart's website. For instance, this method can purchase a brand-new item for someone who has seen it at Walmart but has yet to remember what they want. Alternatively, email directly connecting to a specific item (Amazon links are handy).

4. Find specific products in the Walmart Express stores in your area

This can help you determine which stores carry specific goods and whether the item you're looking for is available in your neighborhood Walmart Express delivery area. If you're thinking of visiting Walmart, this is perfect. This method can be used if your neighborhood Walmart Express store still needs the item or if you want to buy anything online but first need to check out at a specific Walmart location. When searching for low-cost products, you can also use this approach to compare prices across other stores (when doing so, some price discrepancies will remain).

Conclusion

A robust tool that can help you save a significant amount of time is web scraping. This knowledge can help you enhance your online selling business, whether you are a Walmart employee wanting to extract data to better the firm or looking for new ways to push it. Our experts at Retailgator can help you get valuable data to help your business reach new goals.

Remember to take care of publicly available API keys and each site's terms of use when using web scraping. Be sure to follow these rules fairly and ethically at all times.

Lastly, we recommend starting with Python since many people worldwide use it, and it is easy to read and implement.