Cost Control

ScraperAPI helps you control and manage your costs efficiently. By using the max_cost parameter with your requests, you instruct the API to set a limit on the maximum API credits you'd like to spend per each individual scrape. This helps prevent overspending, ensuring you stay within your individual project's budget.

• API REQUEST

try {
String apiKey = "API_KEY";
String url = "https://api.scraperapi.com?api_key=" + apiKey + "&premium=true&max_cost=5&url=https://example.com/";
URL urlForGetRequest = new URL(url);
String readLine = null;
HttpURLConnection connection = (HttpURLConnection) urlForGetRequest.openConnection();
connection.setRequestMethod("GET");
int responseCode = connection.getResponseCode();
System.out.println("HTTP Response Code: " + responseCode);
if (responseCode == HttpURLConnection.HTTP_OK) {
BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(connection.getInputStream()));
StringBuffer response = new StringBuffer();
while ((readLine = in.readLine()) != null) {
response.append(readLine);
}
in.close();
} else {
throw new Exception("Error in API Call");
}
} catch (Exception ex) {
ex.printStackTrace();
}
}
}

• ASYNC REQUEST

try {
URL asyncApiUrl = new URL("https://async.scraperapi.com/jobs");
HttpURLConnection connection = (HttpURLConnection) asyncApiUrl.openConnection();
connection.setRequestMethod("POST");
connection.setRequestProperty("Content-Type", "application/json");
connection.setDoOutput(true);
String jsonPayload = "{"
+ "\"apiKey\": \"API_KEY\","
+ "\"url\": \"https://example.com\","
+ "\"apiParams\": {"
+ "\"premium\": \"true\","
+ "\"max_cost\": 5"
+ "}"
+ "}";
try (OutputStream outputStream = connection.getOutputStream()) {
outputStream.write(jsonPayload.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
outputStream.flush();
}
int responseCode = connection.getResponseCode();
System.out.println("HTTP Response Code: " + responseCode);
if (responseCode == HttpURLConnection.HTTP_OK) {
try (BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(connection.getInputStream()))) {
String readLine = null;
StringBuilder response = new StringBuilder();
while ((readLine = in.readLine()) != null) {
response.append(readLine);
}
System.out.println("Response from server: " + response.toString());
}
} else {
System.out.println("HTTP Error Code: " + responseCode);
throw new Exception("Error in API Call");
}
} catch (Exception ex) {
ex.printStackTrace();
}
}
}

• PROXY MODE - COMING SOON!

If the scrape cost exceeds your limit, a 403 status code will be returned for the request, with the following error message:

"This request would cost more than your max_cost. You can see the cost per request in your response header or in API Playground in the dashboard."