Bertram Xiao
Bertram Xiao is a Tech Lead at Octoparse, where he builds the tools that make web data extraction effortless. When he's not deep in code, he's probably geeking out over new ways to automate the boring stuff.
21 posts
Apify Alternatives: 9 Best Web Scraping Tools (2026)
Looking for an Apify alternative? Compare the 9 best web scraping tools of 2026 on real pricing, no-code and API access, and anti-bot reliability.
2026-09-30T11:52:46+00:00 · 17 min read
How to Find Rental Comps: 271 Zillow Listings, 5 Comparable Properties
How to find rental comps: we filtered 271 Zillow rental listings in ZIP 78704 down to 5 comparable houses. See the six-step method, filters, asking-rent limits, and evidence.
2026-09-29T17:01:05+00:00 · 9 min read
Zillow Listing Monitor Sending False Alerts? 7 Causes, 1 Fix
Why Zillow listing monitors send duplicate or missed price-drop alerts, and how to fix them with zpid-based matching, normalized fields, complete runs, and idempotent retries.
2026-09-29T12:22:41+00:00 · 10 min read
Does Zillow Have an API? Data Access Options
Zillow API access in 2026: compare official and third-party options, pricing, and a 574-row Octoparse test using no-code templates, Python, and MCP.
2026-09-10T17:22:29+00:00 · 12 min read
Does AliExpress Have an API? Access Options Explained
Does AliExpress have an API? Compare official access, approval requirements, and an authorized Octoparse AliExpress scraper workflow for product data.
2026-09-03T10:08:10+00:00 · 11 min read
Does Airbnb Have a Public API? Data Access Options Explained
Airbnb API access is program-based. Compare partner and third-party options, compliance limits, and Octoparse for authorized extraction in 2026.
2026-09-02T09:57:18+00:00 · 12 min read
How to Use a YouTube Scraper API with Python
Use a YouTube scraper API with Python to discover a template, run a cloud task, poll export status, and validate structured channel data before automation.
2026-08-31T16:44:21+00:00 · 14 min read
Best Google Scholar APIs in 2026
Google Scholar has no official API. Compare the best Google Scholar APIs in 2026 — free tiers, fields returned, and how to avoid getting blocked.
2026-08-11T17:35:09+00:00 · 5 min read
Is There a Google News API? The Complete 2026 Guide
Is there a Google News API? Not officially; it was deprecated in 2011. Here's how to get Google News data in 2026: RSS, a SERP API, or Octoparse.
2026-08-08T11:27:11+00:00 · 5 min read
TikTok API Alternative: Skip TikTok’s Approval Wait and Get Data Today
TikTok API access requires business approval and weeks of waiting. See what each product covers, plus a faster template-based alternative.
2026-08-07T19:05:26+00:00 · 10 min read
Free SERP APIs in 2026: Real Free Tiers Compared
Which SERP APIs are actually free? Compare real 2026 free tiers, SerpApi, Serper, Bright Data, Octoparse and more, and what each free plan leaves out.
2026-08-01T20:10:49+00:00 · 5 min read
Google’s Official Search API in 2026: Options + Alternatives
Does Google have a search API? The Custom Search JSON API is closing on Jan 1, 2027. Here are Google's official options in 2026 and what to use instead.
2026-08-01T20:10:14+00:00 · 5 min read