A web scraper is a tool or software designed to extract data from websites. It works by sending requests to a web page, retrieving the HTML content, and then parsing that content to find specific information. This process allows users to gather data from various sources quickly and efficiently. Web scrapers are commonly used for tasks like price comparison, market research, and data analysis. They can collect information from multiple websites, making it easier to compile large datasets. However, it's important to use web scrapers responsibly, as some websites have terms of service that restrict automated data extraction.