#PowerPlatformTip 96 – ‘Scraping Web Data with Standard Connectors’

💡 Challenge

Fetching data from specific websites and storing it in Power Automate without premium connectors can be challenging. How to do this cost-effectively?

✅ Solution

Use the “Upload from URL” action in the OneDrive connector in Power Automate to fetch and store website content, eliminating the need for premium connectors.

🔧 How It’s Done

Here’s how to do it:

1. Fetch the Web Data
   🔸 Employ the “Upload from URL” action in the OneDrive connector.
   🔸 Input the URL of the website from which data is to be fetched.
2. Store as HTML
   🔸 Save the fetched content as an HTML file in OneDrive to keep the webpage’s full content, including its structure and text.
3. Retrieve the Stored Data
   🔸 Use the “Get file content” action in the OneDrive connector to access the HTML file.
   🔸 This enables the retrieval of the entire webpage content as text for further processing or analysis.

🎉 Result

Achieve web data fetching, storing, and accessing using standard connectors in Power Automate. This method is cost-effective and bypasses the need for premium connectors.

🌟 Key Advantages

🔸 Cost-Efficient: Saves on costs by avoiding premium connectors.
🔸 Versatile: Suitable for various websites.
🔸 Integrated: Leverages OneDrive for easy data storage and access.

---

🎥 Video Tutorial

---

🛠️ FAQ

1. How can I fetch website data in Power Automate without premium connectors?
Use the OneDrive connector’s “Upload from URL” action to download the website content as a file, then retrieve it with “Get file content.”

2. Can I fetch data from any website using this method?
Generally yes, but ensure you have permission and comply with the website’s terms of service to avoid being blocked or rate-limited.

3. What file format will the web data be stored in?
The web data is stored as an HTML file in OneDrive, preserving the webpage’s structure and content for further analysis.

---