Google’s latest requirement that all search requests must be rendered with JavaScript has sent shockwaves through the web scraping community. The change, which was implemented on January 15, 2025, aims to “better protect” users against malicious activity and improve the overall experience on Google Search.
However, the impact of this change goes much deeper. Many legacy tools stumbled under the new requirement, resulting in data lags, outages, and skyrocketing error rates. But forward-thinking platforms have swiftly adapted to the new requirements, and some have even reported significant improvements in accuracy and performance.
The shift has also accelerated the adoption of robust proxy and web data collection solutions. High-quality residential and ISP proxies have become critical components in any scalable scraping operation, as they help avoid detection and maintain a steady data flow.
While the change may affect only a fraction of human traffic, its impact on automated scraping scripts and SEO tools is significant. SemRush data reveals that many SEO tracking tools are struggling to provide accurate results, with SERP volatility reaching unprecedented levels in the past month.
As the industry rethinks its infrastructure, finding the right web data collection solution might become even harder. However, some providers have emerged as leaders, offering fully integrated, headless browser-based scraping solutions and resilient proxy infrastructure.
The future of the web scraping landscape holds promise for innovation and growth. Unified APIs, growing proxy adoption, and advanced scraping techniques are expected to shape the industry in the months to come.
Source: https://www.techradar.com/pro/surviving-googles-javascript-rendering-shift-one-month-later