Extracting data

Extraction has two user-facing resources:

• A Robot is the stable extraction resource for one host and country.
• A Run uses a completed Robot to crawl pages and produce Captures.

You create the Robot once, wait for its build to complete, then reuse it for manual and scheduled Runs.

Extraction workflow

1. Create or retrieve the Robot for the target host and country.
2. Monitor that Robot while Extralt generates and validates its crawler and scraper.
3. Start a Run after the Robot reaches completed.
4. Monitor the Run and inspect or export its Captures.

Create a Robot

Dashboard

Go to Extract > Robots > New. Enter a product URL from the target site and select the country where Extralt should access it.

After you select Create, the dashboard opens the Robot details page for the returned Robot ID. This happens whether the Robot was newly created or already existed for that host and country.

API

export EXTRALT_API_KEY="your-api-key"

curl -s -X POST "https://api.extralt.com/v0/extract/robots" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $EXTRALT_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://example-store.com/products/sample",
    "country_code": "US"
  }' | jq

The response contains the stable Robot ID and its current status:

{ "id": "<robot-id>", "status": "pending" }

• 202 Accepted means a new Robot was created and its build was queued.
• 200 OK means the Robot already existed for that host and country.

Both responses identify the same user-facing resource. There is no separate Robot Build resource.

Monitor the Robot build

The Robot exposes its build status throughout its lifecycle:

A failed build remains failed. Build retry is not currently exposed, and a Robot build cannot be stopped.

Dashboard

The Robot details page updates as the build moves from pending to building and then to a final status. Keep this page open to monitor the build, or return to it from the Robots list.

API

Read the Robot by the ID returned from creation:

curl -s "https://api.extralt.com/v0/extract/robots/$ROBOT_ID" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $EXTRALT_API_KEY" | jq

Poll until the status is completed or failed. Only completed Robots can start Runs or Schedules.

Robot identity and naming

Within an organization, a Robot is unique for a (host, country) pair. A leading www. is ignored for identity, so www.nike.com and nike.com in the same country resolve to the same Robot.

Robot names are derived and cannot be edited. Extralt removes a leading www., replaces dots with underscores, and appends the uppercase country code. For example, www.nike.com in the United States becomes nike_com_US.

The Robot's runCount records how many Runs have been created for it. Each new Run increments that counter and is named <robot_name>_<counter>, such as nike_com_US_1.

Manage Robots

Dashboard

The Robots list includes Robots in every build status. Its columns are Name, Host, Country, Language, Status, Reason, Runs, and Created.

Select a Robot to view its details or Runs. Start Run and Schedule Run are available only when the selected Robot is completed. Robots cannot be renamed.

API

List all Robots in the organization:

curl -s "https://api.extralt.com/v0/extract/robots" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $EXTRALT_API_KEY" | jq

GET /v0/extract/robots/{id} returns one Robot with its name, host, country, detected language when available, status, status reason, Run count, and timestamps.

DELETE /v0/extract/robots/{id} returns 204 No Content. An active build or Run must finish before its Robot can be deleted. Deleting a Robot also removes its Schedules.

Start a Run

Dashboard

Go to Extract > Runs > New, or select a completed Robot in the Robots list and choose Start Run. The selector contains only completed Robots.

Optionally provide start URLs, a crawl budget, and automatic enrichment. Start URLs must use the selected Robot's host. After you select Start, the dashboard opens the new Run's details page.

API

curl -s -X POST "https://api.extralt.com/v0/extract/runs" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $EXTRALT_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "robot_id": "'$ROBOT_ID'",
    "start_urls": ["https://example-store.com/collections/shoes"],
    "budget": 100,
    "auto_enrich": false
  }' | jq

The response is 202 Accepted with { "id": "<run-id>" }.

Monitor and manage Runs

Dashboard

The Runs list shows Name, Robot, Status, Reason, Budget, Extracted, Started, and Duration. Select a Run to view its details or Captures.

You can stop a pending, starting, restarting, or running Run. You can restart only a stopped or failed Run, optionally with a new budget. A restart keeps the same Run ID and name.

API

Read a Run until it reaches completed, failed, or stopped:

curl -s "https://api.extralt.com/v0/extract/runs/$RUN_ID" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $EXTRALT_API_KEY" | jq

Stop an active Run:

curl -s -X POST "https://api.extralt.com/v0/extract/runs/$RUN_ID/stop" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $EXTRALT_API_KEY"

Restart a stopped or failed Run with an optional replacement budget:

curl -s -X POST "https://api.extralt.com/v0/extract/runs/$RUN_ID/restart" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $EXTRALT_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "budget": 200 }' | jq

Stop returns 204 No Content. Restart returns 202 Accepted with the same Run ID.

Concurrency and credits

Each successful product-page Capture costs 2 credits. A new Run requires enough credits for at least one Capture.

Use the Captures

After the Run starts producing Captures, select View Captures in the dashboard. You can filter by Robot or Run and export the result as JSONL or Parquet.

See Working with Captures for browsing and export options, or Schedules to create recurring Runs.