Using Sequentum Cloud Editor to build Online Agents

What is an agent?

• When we talk about an “agent” at Sequentum, we mean a semi-autonomous application that you write using the Sequentum Cloud Agent Editor. The purpose of an agent is to extract data from a website. It does this by navigating to a site and following the paths that you have instructed it to follow to find specific data, such as product and price information, and then collecting that data into a file. At the end of the process the agent aggregates the data and delivers it to you in a structured format, such as .csv or JSON. Using the Control Center, you can schedule an agent to run periodically to gather new data.

How do I build my first agent?

• Please use our walkthrough of how to build your first agent.

What can I do if a website is blocked?

• Sometimes when you set up an agent to gather data from a site, you find that your agent is blocked by the site. Blocking is a complex subject with many possible causes. The Sequentum Cloud Agent Editor offers tools for overcoming some types of blocking. Also, using our Residential Proxy Service, as opposed to our standard Data Center Proxies, can help get around certain types of blocking. A good place to learn more about overcoming blocking is in the Sequentum Cloud Manual page on Agent Configuration.