[GTM glossary](/glossary.md) Lead scrape Sales Development & Prospecting # Lead scrape In short A lead scrape is the use of software to pull public contact and company information from web sources into a list of prospects. Typical sources are company websites, business directories, event pages, and professional profiles. Scraping is fast but raw. Scraped data usually needs verification and enrichment, and its use is limited by site terms and privacy law. This is general information, not legal advice. ## How a lead scrape works ### Source and target You choose where to look, such as a directory of companies in a category, and which fields to extract: company name, domain, location, and sometimes contact details. ### Extraction A script or tool reads page content and writes it into a spreadsheet or database. Pages with changing layouts break scrapers and need maintenance. ### Cleanup Remove duplicates, standardize company names, and drop records that do not fit your target profile. --- ## What to check before you scrape * **Site terms:** Many sites prohibit automated collection. Read them first. * **Privacy law:** Personal data about individuals may fall under rules such as GDPR. Get qualified advice for your situation. * **Opt-outs:** Check suppression lists before contacting anyone. * **Purpose:** Collect only what you need for a defined use. --- ## Example Say a team sells to dental clinics in one country. It scrapes a public directory for clinic names, websites, and cities, then matches each website domain against its CRM to remove existing customers. It verifies the remaining contacts before any outreach is sent. --- ## Common mistakes * **Sending without verification:** Scraped emails often bounce, which hurts sender reputation. * **No fit filter:** A large list of poor-fit companies wastes sequences. * **Stale data:** Scraped records age quickly. Date them. * **Ignoring compliance:** Treat personal data carefully and honor opt-outs. --- ## Lead scrape vs. web scraping Web scraping is the general technique of extracting data from pages. A lead scrape applies it specifically to build a prospect list. --- ## Lead scrape FAQs **What is a lead scrape?** A lead scrape is the automated extraction of contact and company information from websites, directories, or social platforms to create a list of potential prospects. The raw output normally needs cleaning, verification, and enrichment before use. **Is lead scraping legal?** It depends on the source, the data collected, and where you and your prospects are located. Site terms and privacy laws such as GDPR can apply, especially to personal data. This is not legal advice, so consult a qualified professional. **How do you scrape leads from a website?** Pick a source and the fields you need, use a scraping tool or script to extract them, then remove duplicates, filter for fit, and verify contact details. Check the site terms and applicable privacy rules before you start. **What are the risks of lead scraping?** Risks include inaccurate or outdated data, bounced emails that harm sender reputation, breaching site terms, and privacy compliance issues. Verifying data, filtering for fit, and honoring opt-outs reduce these risks. Share term --- ## More related phrases * [Inbound lead generation](/glossary/inbound-lead-generation.md) * [Inbound lead qualification](/glossary/inbound-lead-qualification.md) * [Lead assignment](/glossary/lead-assignment.md) ## Similar phrases * [Web scraping](/glossary/web-scraping.md) Web scraping is the automated extraction of information from websites, used by GTM teams to collect company details, job postings, pricing, and other public signals at scale. * [Lead enrichment](/glossary/lead-enrichment.md) Lead enrichment adds missing company and contact details to a lead record, such as industry, company size, and job title, so teams can qualify, score, and route leads faster. * [Lead database](/glossary/lead-database.md) A lead database is a searchable collection of contact and company records that sales and marketing teams use to find, filter, and reach potential buyers. * [Lead list](/glossary/lead-list.md) A lead list is a defined set of contacts or companies selected for a campaign or sales effort, built from filters like industry, size, region, and role. * [List building](/glossary/list-building.md) List building is the process of assembling a targeted set of accounts and contacts that match your ideal customer profile for outreach.