Question 1

What is Piloterr?

Accepted Answer

Piloterr is a web scraping API platform built for production data pipelines. Send a URL or call one of 400+ ready-made endpoints and get structured JSON, Markdown, or plain text back, with proxy rotation, hyper-stealth Chrome, anti-bot bypass, and CAPTCHA solving handled server-side. You integrate via REST or OpenAPI, monitor usage in the dashboard, and pay only for successful requests. No proxy lists, browser fleets, or CAPTCHA solver keys to maintain.

Question 2

What can I scrape with Piloterr?

Accepted Answer

Use dedicated library endpoints for SERP, e-commerce, social, finance, real estate, travel, and hundreds of other targets, or the universal scrape API for any public URL. Typical use cases include price monitoring, SERP tracking, lead enrichment, market intelligence, and LLM/RAG ingestion. Browse the API library to see schemas per endpoint, or start with featured collections like Amazon, Google, LinkedIn, and Walmart.

Question 3

Do I need to manage proxies or browsers?

Accepted Answer

No. Piloterr runs on its own private infrastructure, datacenter and mobile IP pools operated in-house, plus a patched Chromium stack. Every API call includes routing, IP rotation, health checks, geo-targeting, JavaScript rendering, and bypass logic, you send URLs and parameters, not proxy credentials or Selenium drivers.

Question 4

How does JavaScript rendering work?

Accepted Answer

Piloterr runs hyper-stealth Chromium, not stock headless Chrome, with 100+ engine-level patches (Navigator, WebGL, Canvas, CDP, TLS coherence). Dynamic sites (React, Vue, SPAs) are rendered before extraction. You can wait for selectors, run multi-step flows, capture screenshots, and persist cookies across requests. JavaScript rendering uses 2 credits per successful call; failed requests are not billed.

Question 5

What is AI Web Unblocker (WebUnlocker)?

Accepted Answer

Enable anti-bot bypass mode on any Piloterr API request and the platform handles vendor detection, TLS fingerprinting, stealth Chrome, challenge solving, and retries automatically, no proxy URLs or custom headers required. It supports Cloudflare, DataDome, Akamai, PerimeterX, Kasada, Imperva, and similar protections. WebUnlocker requests use 3 credits per successful call; failed bypass attempts are not billed.

Question 6

Which anti-bot and WAF systems do you bypass?

Accepted Answer

Enterprise protections including Cloudflare WAF, Turnstile, and Bot Fight Mode; DataDome; PerimeterX; Kasada; Shape Security; Akamai Bot Manager; Imperva Incapsula; and custom ModSecurity rules. Vendor-specific technical guides are available at /products/bypass. When a protection layer changes, Piloterr retries with alternate strategies, session rotation, fingerprint refresh, or browser escalation, without you writing retry logic.

Question 7

Do you solve CAPTCHAs automatically?

Accepted Answer

Yes. reCAPTCHA v2/v3, hCaptcha, FunCaptcha, Cloudflare Turnstile, GeeTest, and image CAPTCHAs are solved inside the scraping pipeline using stealth Chrome, no third-party solver keys or browser extensions. Valid tokens can be cached within a session to reduce latency on multi-page flows. Failed solves are retried automatically and are not billed if all attempts fail.

Question 8

What output formats do you support?

Accepted Answer

Structured JSON from dedicated endpoints with predictable schemas; LLM-ready Markdown and plain text for RAG pipelines; raw HTML when you need full page content; and validated field extraction via CSS/XPath selectors on the universal scrape API. Pagination traversal, deduplication, and schema validation are built in so downstream analytics and AI workflows stay reliable.

Question 9

When should I use Scraper APIs vs Headless Browser?

Accepted Answer

Use library endpoints or the universal scrape API when a dedicated schema already exists or when standard HTTP + optional JS rendering is enough, 1 credit for standard requests, 2 with JavaScript rendering. Use Headless Browser when you need full browser automation: multi-step authenticated flows, screenshots, session persistence, or sites that require human-like interaction patterns. Both products share the same proxy pools, bypass stack, and billing model.

Question 10

Do you only charge for successful requests?

Accepted Answer

Credits apply to successful requests: HTTP 200 for synchronous calls, 201 for async jobs, and 404 when the resource is not found. Some library endpoints do not bill 404, look for the badge on the endpoint page. Client errors (400, 401, 402, 403) and platform errors (5xx/6xx) are not billed. Failed bypass attempts after retries and unsuccessful CAPTCHA solves are not billed either. Standard API calls use 1 credit, JavaScript rendering uses 2, and WebUnlocker uses 3. See https://docs.piloterr.com for the full status-code and credit rules.

Question 11

How frequently are new APIs added? Can I suggest new ones?

Accepted Answer

We regularly ship new endpoints based on customer demand and emerging targets. Request a custom API from the dashboard or contact support@piloterr.com with the site, fields, and volume you need. Solution engineering can deliver library endpoints, schema-validated extraction, and target-specific routing for domains not yet in the 400+ catalog. We cannot build every website for legal, technical, or maintenance reasons, but we prioritize additions where demand and feasibility align.

Question 12

Can I request custom API endpoints?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Contact our data team at hello@piloterr.com or use the dashboard to describe your targets, data schema, and expected volume. We deliver custom library endpoints, validated JSON schemas, and routing tuned to your use case, from mid-market teams on self-serve plans through Enterprise deployments with dedicated account management.

Question 13

How do credits work?

Accepted Answer

Credits are consumed per successful API request based on the mode you use: 1 credit for a standard API call, 2 credits when JavaScript rendering is enabled, and 3 credits when WebUnlocker (advanced anti-bot bypass) is active. Each plan includes a monthly credit bundle and a requests-per-second rate limit. Display prices on /pricing show the equivalent cost per 1,000 successful requests. Full details and examples are in our documentation at https://docs.piloterr.com.

Question 14

How are API calls calculated?

Accepted Answer

Credits apply to successful requests: HTTP 200, 201, and 404 when the resource is not found. Some endpoints do not bill 404, indicated by a badge on the endpoint page in the API library. Client errors (400, 401, 402, 403) and platform errors (5xx/6xx) are not billed. Failed bypass attempts after retries and unsuccessful CAPTCHA solves are not billed either. Your dashboard shows credit consumption by endpoint, status codes, and latency. Full rules are in our documentation at https://docs.piloterr.com.

Question 15

Is there a free trial?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Sign up and receive +500 credits with no credit card required. Test library endpoints, JavaScript rendering, and WebUnlocker on your real targets before choosing a paid plan. When you subscribe, plan changes take effect immediately from the dashboard.

Question 16

Can I upgrade, downgrade, or cancel anytime?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Active plans can be upgraded, downgraded, or cancelled at any time from the dashboard. Changes are immediate. When changing plans, remaining unused credits from your current plan are applied from your next invoice amount according to your billing terms.

Question 17

What is your cancellation policy?

Accepted Answer

You may cancel your plan at any time from your dashboard or by contacting support@piloterr.com. Your subscription will not renew at the end of the current billing period, and access continues until then. Refund requests may be considered on a case-by-case basis at our sole discretion, as set out in our Terms of Service. Contact support@piloterr.com if you need help.

Question 18

Do unused credits roll over to the next month?

Accepted Answer

No. Your monthly subscription restarts with your plan's credit allowance on the first day of each billing cycle. Unused credits from the previous period do not roll over, plan your volume accordingly or upgrade mid-cycle if you need more capacity.

Question 19

What payment methods do you accept?

Accepted Answer

We accept major credit cards on self-serve plans. Enterprise and Custom customers can use invoicing, annual agreements, and procurement-friendly billing. Payment method logos are shown on the pricing page.

Question 20

How do I avoid wasting credits?

Accepted Answer

Cache results on your side when data will not change between calls (e.g. static product pages vs live auction listings). Use library endpoints instead of universal scrape when a dedicated schema exists, they are optimized for cost and reliability. Enable JavaScript rendering or WebUnlocker only when the target requires it. Monitor the dashboard to spot retry loops or redundant calls.

Question 21

My API calls return 402: what should I do?

Accepted Answer

A 402 response means your credits are exhausted, this response is not billed. Top up from the billing section in the dashboard, upgrade your plan, or enable Auto Top-Up if available, then retry the same request with your API key.

Question 22

I keep getting 500 errors. Should I retry?

Accepted Answer

Yes, retry with exponential backoff (e.g. wait 1s, 2s, 4s). Transient platform or target errors often resolve on retry. 5xx responses are not billed. If errors persist, check the status page, contact support@piloterr.com with request IDs from your dashboard logs, or open a ticket, we typically respond within one business day.

Question 23

How do I get started with the API?

Accepted Answer

Create an account at app.piloterr.com, copy your API key, and send it as the x-api-key header on each request. Store the key in an environment variable, never expose it in client-side code or public repositories. Use the OpenAPI reference at https://docs.piloterr.com for parameters, the API library for ready-made endpoints with copy-paste examples (Python, Node.js, curl), and the live playground to test calls before writing code.

Question 24

Where should I store my API key?

Accepted Answer

In a server-side environment variable or secrets manager, sent as x-api-key on each HTTP request. Never embed API keys in browser JavaScript, mobile apps distributed to users, or public Git repositories. Rotate keys from the dashboard if a key is ever exposed.

Question 25

Can I use n8n, Make, or Zapier?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Ready-made automation templates connect Piloterr to n8n, Make, and Zapier so you can trigger scrapes and route structured JSON into CRMs, spreadsheets, and alerting tools without writing glue code. Browse templates at /templates or start from the integrations page at /integrations.

Question 26

Can I use Piloterr with LangChain, LlamaIndex, or LLM pipelines?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Structured JSON and LLM-ready Markdown output are designed for RAG and agent workflows. Use library endpoints for predictable schemas or the universal scrape API with Markdown output for page-level ingestion. Combine with your vector store and orchestration layer of choice via standard REST calls.

Question 27

Do you offer SDKs or OpenAPI documentation?

Accepted Answer

Full REST API documentation with OpenAPI spec lives at https://docs.piloterr.com. Copy-paste examples are provided per endpoint in the API library. Because the API is standard HTTP + JSON, you can integrate from any language without a proprietary SDK.

Question 28

Do you offer technical support?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All plans include email support; higher tiers add chat and priority response. Enterprise and Custom plans include a dedicated account manager. Reach us at support@piloterr.com, via in-app chat, or on Discord, we aim to respond within one business day. For custom endpoints, volume planning, or procurement, contact hello@piloterr.com.

Question 29

Are Piloterr solutions secured and GDPR compliant?

Accepted Answer

We have implemented industry-standard security measures to ensure the safety of your data. Our platform uses SSL/TLS encryption to protect your API requests. We follow GDPR-conscious data handling practices and are aligned with CCPA compliance standards where applicable. Enterprise customers can request security questionnaires and discuss data retention, access controls, and routing isolation for regulated use cases.

Question 30

What uptime and SLAs do you offer?

Accepted Answer

The platform targets 99.9% uptime with proactive monitoring. Enterprise and Custom plans include a 99.9% platform uptime SLA. Deep Testing runs hourly and daily against Scraper APIs, proxy pools, and routing paths, we watch targets continuously and publish results on our public status page so issues surface before your pipelines do.

Question 31

Who is Piloterr Enterprise for?

Accepted Answer

Teams that need committed credit volume, invoicing, annual agreements, multi-user workspace access, custom endpoints, dedicated account management, or vendor security reviews. Many customers start on self-serve plans and move to Enterprise when volume, SLAs, or procurement requirements increase. See /enterprise and /pricing for plan details.

Question 32

Do I need to buy proxy bandwidth separately?

Accepted Answer

No. Routing over Piloterr's private infrastructure is included in API credits, you pay per successful request, not per GB transferred. Geo-targeting, rotation, and health checks are part of every call on Scraper APIs, Headless Browser, and Web Unblocker.

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