What is the difference between ImportFromWeb and ImportXML?

ImportFromWeb is a user-friendly alternative to Google Sheets’ native IMPORTXML function, offering enhanced functionality and resources for web scraping.

  1. Web scraping efficiency: ImportFromWeb works seamlessly with hundreds of formulas per sheet, while IMPORTXML may become slow and buggy with multiple formulas.
  2. Website compatibility: ImportFromWeb allows you to scrape any website, including those rendered in JavaScript, whereas IMPORTXML doesn’t support JavaScript-rendered sites.
  3. Single formula for multiple URLs: ImportFromWeb enables you to use one formula to extract data from multiple URLs, while with IMPORTXML, you need a separate formula for each URL.
  4. CSS Selectors and xPath Queries: ImportFromWeb supports both CSS selectors and xPath queries, providing flexibility in data extraction. IMPORTXML only accepts xPath queries.
  5. Ready-made solutions: ImportFromWeb offers ready-made solutions for popular websites like Amazon, Google, and Yahoo Finance, simplifying the scraping process. IMPORTXML requires users to find the xPath queries themselves.
  6. Automation and monitoring: ImportFromWeb allows you to schedule updates and monitor data automatically, ensuring timely and accurate scraping results.

Overall, ImportFromWeb provides a more powerful and user-friendly experience for web scraping, making it an excellent alternative to IMPORTXML.