HTML Extract consultants

Q: What does the HTML Extract node do in n8n?

It takes HTML content as input and extracts specific data from it using CSS selectors. You define what to extract (a product name, a price, a table of results, a link URL) by specifying the CSS selector that targets that element. The node returns the extracted values as structured JSON, which your workflow can then process, store, or send elsewhere.

Q: What are CSS selectors and how do I find the right ones?

CSS selectors are patterns that identify HTML elements. Common selectors include class names (.product-price), IDs (#main-content), tag names (h1, table, a), and attribute selectors ([data-id]). To find the right selector, open the source page in a browser, right-click the element you want, choose Inspect, and look at the element's class, ID, or position in the HTML structure.

Q: Can HTML Extract scrape data from live websites?

The HTML Extract node parses HTML that has already been fetched. To scrape a live website, you first use the HTTP Request node to download the page HTML, then pass that HTML to the HTML Extract node for parsing. This two-step approach gives you control over request headers, cookies, and authentication if the target site requires them.

Q: What types of data can I extract from HTML?

You can extract three types of values: text content (the visible text inside an element), HTML content (the raw HTML including child elements), and attribute values (like the href from a link, the src from an image, or any data attribute). You can configure multiple extraction rules in a single node to pull different data points from the same HTML.

Q: Is HTML Extract suitable for parsing HTML emails?

Yes. HTML emails are just HTML documents, so the same CSS selector approach works. Common use cases include extracting order details from confirmation emails, pulling tracking numbers from shipping notifications, and capturing alert details from monitoring system emails. You receive the email via an IMAP or email trigger node, then pass the HTML body to HTML Extract.

Q: Can Osher build web scraping or HTML parsing workflows?

We build these regularly. If you need to extract structured data from websites, emails, or HTML-formatted responses, we can design and build the entire workflow: fetching the content, parsing out the data, transforming it to your required format, and loading it into your target system. See our data processing services for more on how we handle these projects.

We can help you automate your business with HTML Extract and hundreds of other systems to improve efficiency and productivity. Get in touch if you’d like to discuss implementing HTML Extract.

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About HTML Extract

The HTML Extract node in n8n pulls specific data out of HTML content using CSS selectors. You point it at an HTML string (from a web page, email body, or API response) and define which elements to extract using selectors like class names, IDs, tag names, or attribute values. It returns the extracted content as structured JSON data your workflow can use.

This node solves a common problem in automation: getting usable data out of web pages and HTML-formatted content. Many systems do not offer a clean API but do have web pages with the data you need. HTML Extract lets you grab that data programmatically. It also works for parsing HTML emails, scraping structured content from web applications, and extracting data from HTML-formatted API responses.

At Osher, we use HTML Extract in data processing workflows where the source data is embedded in web content. Practical examples include extracting product prices and stock levels from supplier websites that lack APIs, pulling structured data from HTML email notifications (order confirmations, shipping updates, alert emails), and parsing web application pages to capture data for downstream processing.

The node supports extracting text content, HTML content, or attribute values (like href from links or src from images). You can define multiple extraction rules in a single node to pull several data points from the same HTML source. Our integration team can build web scraping and HTML parsing workflows for your specific data sources.

HTML Extract FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about how HTML Extract consultants can help with integration and implementation

What does the HTML Extract node do in n8n?

What are CSS selectors and how do I find the right ones?

Can HTML Extract scrape data from live websites?

What types of data can I extract from HTML?

Is HTML Extract suitable for parsing HTML emails?

Can Osher build web scraping or HTML parsing workflows?

How it works

We work hand-in-hand with you to implement HTML Extract

As HTML Extract consultants we work with you hand in hand build more efficient and effective operations. Here’s how we will work with you to automate your business and integrate HTML Extract with integrate and automate 800+ tools.

Step 1

Process Audit

We review your data sources that involve HTML content: websites you currently check manually, HTML emails you parse for information, API responses that return HTML instead of JSON. We document what data you need from each source and how you use that data downstream.

Step 2

Identify Automation Opportunities

We assess which HTML data sources are worth automating based on frequency, volume, and business value. Sources you check daily or receive in high volumes get priority. We also evaluate the structural stability of each source (how often the HTML layout changes) to determine maintenance requirements.

Step 3

Design Workflows

We design n8n workflows that fetch HTML content (via HTTP Request, email trigger, or webhook), extract the required data using CSS selectors configured in the HTML Extract node, validate the extracted data, and send it to the destination system (database, spreadsheet, API, or notification channel).

Step 4

Implementation

We build the workflows in n8n, configure the CSS selectors for each data extraction point, set up the content fetching mechanism, and connect to destination systems. We add fallback logic for cases where expected HTML elements are missing or the page structure changes.

Step 5

Quality Assurance Review

We test each extraction workflow against real HTML content, verifying that selectors capture the correct data across different page states (loaded, empty, error pages). We test with historical HTML samples to confirm the selectors are robust against minor layout variations.

Step 6

Support and Maintenance

HTML sources change over time (redesigns, class name updates, layout shifts). We monitor extraction success rates and update CSS selectors when source HTML structures change, keeping your data pipelines running accurately.

Transform your business with HTML Extract

Unlock hidden efficiencies, reduce errors, and position your business for scalable growth. Contact us to arrange a no-obligation HTML Extract consultation.

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