How to Scrape Social Data Using Rapid API and N8N Without Coding

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How to Scrape Social Data Using Rapid API and N8N Without Coding

Data scraping has become an essential skill for lead generation, market research, and many other business applications. While traditional scraping methods often require coding knowledge, there are now powerful no-code solutions available that make this process accessible to everyone.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore how to scrape social data from platforms like LinkedIn using two powerful tools: N8N and Rapid API – all without writing a single line of code.

Understanding the Process

The workflow for our data scraping process consists of three main components:

  1. Creating a form in N8N to collect input data
  2. Using Rapid API to scrape LinkedIn profile information
  3. Outputting the results to a Google Sheet

Setting Up N8N

N8N is a powerful workflow automation platform that can connect various services together. To get started:

  1. Create an account on N8N.io
  2. Click on “Start from scratch” to begin a new workflow
  3. Click the plus button and search for “form”
  4. Create a form with a field named “scrape linkedin profile” with the event type set to “text”
  5. Name your form (e.g., “N8N scraper for YouTube”)

Creating a Rapid API Account

Rapid API hosts thousands of APIs that you can easily integrate into your projects:

  1. Sign up for a Rapid API account
  2. Browse the available APIs by category (data, finance, etc.)
  3. Search for “LinkedIn” to find LinkedIn scraping APIs
  4. Choose an API that meets your needs (e.g., “Real-time LinkedIn Scraper”)
  5. Subscribe to the free tier, which allows 2 tests per API and 2,000 test calls per month

Connecting Rapid API to N8N

Since N8N doesn’t have an official integration with Rapid API, we’ll use the HTTP request node:

  1. In your N8N workflow, add an HTTP request node
  2. From the Rapid API interface, select the “Get Profile Data” endpoint
  3. Copy the cURL command from the API documentation
  4. In N8N, click “Import cURL” and paste the code
  5. Connect the form node to the HTTP request node
  6. Configure the username parameter to use the input from your form

Setting Up Google Sheets Integration

To output the scraped data:

  1. Create a new Google Sheet with columns for the data you want to capture (Username, First Name, Last Name, Country, Company Name, etc.)
  2. In N8N, add a Google Sheets node and select “Append or Update Row in Sheet”
  3. Connect your Google account
  4. Select your spreadsheet and worksheet
  5. Map the data from the HTTP response to the appropriate columns in your spreadsheet

Testing the Workflow

Now it’s time to test your workflow:

  1. Click “Test Workflow”
  2. Enter a LinkedIn username in your form
  3. Submit the form
  4. N8N will send the request to Rapid API, which will scrape the profile data
  5. The data will be automatically populated in your Google Sheet

Expanding Your Data Scraping Capabilities

The method described above isn’t limited to LinkedIn. Rapid API offers thousands of APIs for scraping various data sources, including:

  • Instagram statistics
  • Twitter data
  • Google search results
  • Local business information
  • And much more

Applications for Scraped Data

Once you have your data, there are numerous ways to utilize it:

  • Lead generation for sales teams
  • Market research and competitor analysis
  • Training custom AI models
  • Building targeted marketing campaigns
  • Enriching your CRM with additional contact information

Conclusion

Data scraping doesn’t have to be a complex, code-heavy process. With tools like N8N and Rapid API, even beginners can implement powerful data collection workflows without programming knowledge. Whether you need to generate leads, conduct research, or feed data into your applications, this approach provides a flexible and accessible solution.

Remember to always use scraped data ethically and in compliance with the terms of service of the platforms you’re scraping from.

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