Bulk export with screaming frog

Screaming Frog SEO Spider is a powerful tool for website analysis, but its true potential lies in the ability to extract and export large volumes of data efficiently. Mastering bulk export techniques can significantly enhance your SEO workflow, allowing for more comprehensive analysis and faster decision-making. This guide delves into advanced configuration, optimisation strategies, and automation techniques to help you harness the full power of Screaming Frog’s export capabilities.

Configuration avancée de screaming frog pour l’export en masse

To fully leverage Screaming Frog’s bulk export features, it’s crucial to configure the tool correctly. This involves fine-tuning various settings to ensure optimal performance during large-scale data extraction. By adjusting these parameters, you can significantly reduce processing time and improve the overall efficiency of your exports.

One of the primary considerations is the scope of your crawl. For bulk exports, you’ll often want to focus on specific areas of a website or particular types of data. Screaming Frog offers several configuration options to help you target your crawl more precisely, ensuring that you’re only extracting the data you need.

Another important aspect is managing the tool’s resource usage. Screaming Frog can be quite demanding on your system, especially when dealing with large websites or complex crawl configurations. Proper resource management is essential to prevent crashes and ensure smooth operation during lengthy export processes.

Optimisation des paramètres d’extraction pour exports volumineux

When preparing for bulk exports, optimising Screaming Frog’s extraction parameters is crucial. These adjustments can dramatically improve performance and ensure that your exports complete successfully, even when dealing with massive datasets.

Ajustement de la mémoire RAM allouée

One of the most critical optimisations for bulk exports is adjusting the RAM allocation. Screaming Frog allows you to control how much memory the application can use, which directly impacts its ability to handle large crawls. To modify this setting:

1. Go to “Configuration” > “System” > “Memory Allocation”
2. Increase the allocated memory based on your system’s capabilities
3. Restart Screaming Frog for the changes to take effect

It’s generally recommended to allocate at least 4GB of RAM for larger crawls, but systems with more available memory can benefit from even higher allocations. Remember that allocating too much RAM can negatively impact overall system performance , so find a balance that works for your setup.

Configuration du multithreading

Screaming Frog utilises multithreading to crawl websites more efficiently. For bulk exports, optimising thread usage can significantly speed up the process. To adjust threading settings:

1. Navigate to “Configuration” > “Spider” > “Speed”
2. Adjust the “Max Threads” setting based on your CPU’s capabilities
3. Consider the website’s server limitations to avoid overloading it

While increasing thread count can speed up crawls, it’s important to find the right balance. Too many threads can overwhelm some servers, potentially leading to incomplete or inaccurate data . Start with a moderate increase and monitor the results before making further adjustments.

Utilisation du mode liste pour cibler l’extraction

For highly targeted bulk exports, Screaming Frog’s list mode is invaluable. This feature allows you to crawl a specific set of URLs rather than an entire website. To use list mode effectively:

1. Switch to “List” mode in the top menu
2. Prepare a list of URLs you want to crawl
3. Upload your list or paste the URLs directly into the interface
4. Configure any additional settings specific to your export needs

List mode is particularly useful when you need to extract data from a large number of pages across different websites or when focusing on specific sections of a site. It helps reduce unnecessary crawling and speeds up the export process for your target URLs.

Paramétrage des filtres d’inclusion/exclusion

Effective use of inclusion and exclusion filters can significantly streamline your bulk exports. These filters allow you to focus on relevant data while ignoring unnecessary information. To set up these filters:

• Use the “Include” feature to specify URL patterns you want to crawl
• Utilise the “Exclude” option to skip irrelevant sections or file types
• Combine both for precise control over your crawl scope

For example, you might include product/* to focus on product pages while excluding *.pdf to skip PDF files. Careful use of these filters can dramatically reduce crawl time and improve the relevance of your exported data .

Formats d’export disponibles dans screaming frog

Screaming Frog offers a variety of export formats to suit different analysis needs and workflow preferences. Understanding these options is crucial for maximising the utility of your bulk exports.

Export CSV structuré par type de données

CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is one of the most versatile and widely supported export formats. Screaming Frog organises its CSV exports by data type, making it easy to focus on specific aspects of your crawl. Some key CSV exports include:

• Internal_All.csv: Contains all internal URLs and their associated data
• External_All.csv: Lists all external links found during the crawl
• Response_Codes.csv: Provides HTTP status codes for all crawled URLs

These structured CSV files are ideal for detailed analysis in spreadsheet applications or for importing into database systems for further processing. The separation by data type allows for more focused analysis and easier data management , especially when dealing with large exports.

Génération de rapports XML personnalisés

XML exports from Screaming Frog are particularly useful for creating custom sitemaps or for integrating crawl data with systems that prefer XML input. To generate XML reports:

1. Complete your crawl or load a saved crawl
2. Go to “Reports” > “Create XML Sitemap”
3. Configure options such as priority and change frequency
4. Choose the export location and generate the sitemap

XML sitemaps can be crucial for improving search engine indexation of your website. Screaming Frog’s XML export feature allows you to create comprehensive sitemaps based on your crawl data , ensuring that search engines have the most up-to-date information about your site structure.

Export au format excel avec onglets automatisés

For users who prefer working in Excel, Screaming Frog offers direct exports to .xlsx format. These exports come with pre-formatted tabs that organise data logically, making it easier to navigate and analyse large datasets. Key features of Excel exports include:

• Automatic formatting and data organisation
• Multiple sheets for different data types (similar to CSV exports)
• Ready-to-use pivot tables for quick data analysis

Excel exports are particularly useful for creating visual representations of your data or for sharing results with team members who are more comfortable with spreadsheet interfaces. The pre-formatted nature of these exports can save significant time in post-crawl data organisation .

Création de visualisations via l’API screaming frog

For advanced users, Screaming Frog’s API capabilities open up possibilities for custom visualisations and integrations. While not a direct export format, the API allows you to:

• Extract specific data points programmatically
• Create custom dashboards or reports
• Integrate Screaming Frog data with other tools in your workflow

Utilising the API requires programming knowledge, typically in languages like Python or R. However, the flexibility it offers can be invaluable for creating tailored visualisations or for automating complex analysis tasks based on your crawl data.

Automatisation des exports massifs avec l’interface en ligne de commande

For SEO professionals dealing with regular, large-scale exports, Screaming Frog’s Command Line Interface (CLI) is a game-changer. The CLI allows for complete automation of crawls and exports, enabling unattended operation and integration with other tools and scripts.

Syntaxe des commandes CLI pour l’export

Understanding the CLI syntax is crucial for effective automation. Here’s a basic structure for a Screaming Frog CLI command:

screamingfrogseospider --crawl https://www.example.com --headless --save-crawl --output-folder /path/to/output --export-tabs "Internal:All"

This command initiates a headless crawl of the specified URL, saves the crawl, and exports the “Internal:All” tab to the designated output folder. Mastering these commands allows for highly customised and efficient bulk exports .

Planification des tâches d’export avec cron

For recurring exports, integrating Screaming Frog CLI commands with cron jobs (on Unix-based systems) or Task Scheduler (on Windows) can fully automate the process. A typical cron setup might look like this:

0 2 * * 1 /path/to/screamingfrogseospider --crawl https://www.example.com --headless --save-crawl --output-folder /path/to/output --export-tabs "Internal:All,Response Codes:All"

This cron job would run the specified crawl and export every Monday at 2 AM. Regular automated crawls can help track changes over time and maintain up-to-date SEO data .

Intégration dans des workflows d’analyse SEO

The real power of CLI automation comes from integrating Screaming Frog exports into broader SEO workflows. This might involve:

• Chaining Screaming Frog exports with data processing scripts
• Automatically updating dashboards or reports with fresh crawl data
• Triggering alerts based on changes detected in regular crawls

By combining Screaming Frog’s CLI capabilities with other tools and scripts, you can create powerful, automated SEO analysis pipelines that save time and provide consistent, up-to-date insights.

Traitement et analyse post-export des données screaming frog

Once you’ve successfully exported bulk data from Screaming Frog, the next crucial step is effective post-processing and analysis. This phase is where you transform raw crawl data into actionable insights for your SEO strategy.

Nettoyage et structuration des exports bruts

Raw exports often require cleaning and restructuring before they can be effectively analysed. Common tasks include:

• Removing duplicate entries
• Standardising URL formats (e.g., removing or adding trailing slashes)
• Splitting complex data fields into more manageable columns

Tools like Python with pandas or R can be incredibly useful for these tasks, allowing for scripted, repeatable data cleaning processes. Consistent data cleaning practices ensure that your analyses are based on accurate, well-structured data .

Croisement des données avec google analytics et search console

To gain deeper insights, it’s often valuable to combine Screaming Frog data with metrics from other sources. Integrating with Google Analytics and Search Console can provide a more comprehensive view of your website’s performance. Key steps in this process include:

1. Exporting relevant data from Google Analytics and Search Console
2. Matching URLs across different data sources
3. Creating a unified dataset that combines technical SEO data with performance metrics

This integrated approach allows you to identify correlations between technical SEO factors and actual website performance. For instance, you might discover that pages with specific technical issues consistently underperform in terms of organic traffic or conversions .

Création de tableaux de bord dynamiques power BI

For ongoing analysis and reporting, creating dynamic dashboards in tools like Power BI can be incredibly valuable. These dashboards can:

• Automatically update with fresh Screaming Frog export data
• Provide interactive visualisations of key SEO metrics
• Allow for drill-down analysis into specific issues or page types

Setting up such dashboards requires an initial investment of time but can dramatically streamline regular reporting and analysis tasks. With a well-designed Power BI dashboard, you can quickly identify trends, spot issues, and communicate SEO insights effectively to stakeholders .

By mastering these advanced techniques for bulk export and analysis with Screaming Frog, SEO professionals can handle large-scale website audits more efficiently and extract deeper, more actionable insights from their crawl data. The combination of optimised exports, automated processes, and sophisticated analysis tools opens up new possibilities for comprehensive, data-driven SEO strategies.