How to Bypass Amazon CAPTCHA When Scraping: Step-by-Step Guide

Amazon employs CAPTCHA to prevent automated bots from scraping its data. This is a significant challenge for developers who rely on data extraction for various purposes. In this article, we will explore effective techniques to bypass Amazon CAPTCHA, specifically focusing on solutions that cater to mid-senior company developers.

What is CAPTCHA and Why is Amazon Using It?

CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) is a security measure used to differentiate between human users and automated scripts. Amazon uses CAPTCHA to protect its website from automated bots that can overload the server, affect user experience, and extract sensitive data without permission.

Types of CAPTCHA Used by Amazon

Amazon uses several types of CAPTCHA, including:

• Text-based CAPTCHA: Requires users to type letters or numbers from a distorted image.
• Image-based CAPTCHA: Involves selecting images that match a certain criterion.
• Interactive CAPTCHA: Requires users to solve a puzzle or click on specific areas.
• Checkbox CAPTCHA (“I am not a robot”): A simpler form that usually involves ticking a checkbox.

Understanding these types can help developers design better strategies to bypass them.

Techniques to Bypass Amazon CAPTCHA

Using Oxylabs Web Unblocker

One of the most effective solutions is using Oxylabs’ Web Unblocker. This tool uses AI to bypass CAPTCHA by simulating human behavior and using a large pool of rotating IPs.

Code Example

import requests

proxies = {
    "http": "http://USERNAME:[email protected]:60000",
    "https": "http://USERNAME:[email protected]:60000"
}headers = {
    "User-Agent": "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/91.0.4472.124 Safari/537.36",
    "X-Oxylabs-Render": "html"
}response = requests.get("https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096N2MV3H", headers=headers, proxies=proxies, verify=False)
print(response.text)

This script uses Oxylabs Web Unblocker to bypass Amazon CAPTCHA and scrape data from a product page without triggering CAPTCHA.

Using Puppeteer

Puppeteer is a Node library that provides a high-level API to control headless Chrome browsers. It can be used to bypass CAPTCHA by simulating human interactions.

Code Example

const puppeteer = require('puppeteer-extra');
const StealthPlugin = require('puppeteer-extra-plugin-stealth');

puppeteer.use(StealthPlugin());(async () => {
  const browser = await puppeteer.launch({ headless: true });
  const page = await browser.newPage();
  await page.setUserAgent('Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/91.0.4472.124 Safari/537.36');
  await page.goto('https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096N2MV3H');
  await page.screenshot({ path: 'example.png' });
  await browser.close();
})();

This script sets up Puppeteer with a stealth plugin to mimic human behavior and avoid detection by Amazon’s CAPTCHA system.

Using Playwright

Playwright is another powerful tool that supports multiple browsers and can be used to bypass CAPTCHA.

Code Example

from playwright.sync_api import sync_playwright

def run(playwright):
    browser = playwright.chromium.launch()
    context = browser.new_context()
    page = context.new_page()
    page.goto("https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096N2MV3H")
    page.screenshot(path="screenshot.png")
    browser.close()with sync_playwright() as playwright:
    run(playwright)

This Playwright script navigates to an Amazon product page and takes a screenshot, effectively bypassing CAPTCHA by simulating a human visit.

Other Tools and Techniques

• CapSolver: A dedicated CAPTCHA-solving service that can be integrated into scraping scripts.
• Proxy Rotation: Regularly changing IP addresses to avoid detection.
• User-Agent Spoofing: Randomizing the User-Agent header to simulate different browsers and devices.

Best Practices for CAPTCHA Bypass

• Use Proxies: Utilize a pool of rotating proxies to avoid IP bans.
• Simulate Human Behavior: Implement delays, random mouse movements, and varied interaction patterns.
• Stay Updated: Regularly update scripts to adapt to new CAPTCHA types and anti-scraping measures.

For more information and tools to bypass Amazon CAPTCHA, I recommend checking Oxylabs’ Amazon Product Page.

By following these techniques and best practices, you can effectively bypass Amazon CAPTCHA and scrape the data you need for your projects.