Your guide to the language of data

Software that websites use to detect and block automated traffic. It checks signals such as IP reputation, request rate and browser fingerprints, and can answer suspicious requests with a CAPTCHA or a block page.

A defined interface that lets one software system request data or actions from another. A data API returns structured records, usually in JSON, that your systems can process without manual steps.

Choosing proxy IPs by network using the autonomous system number (ASN), which identifies the network operator, such as an internet service provider or a mobile carrier. It shows a website the way users of that network see it.

The full set of products a retailer or platform offers at a given time. Assortment analysis compares product ranges across competitors to find gaps and overlaps.

A challenge, such as picking images or ticking a box, that a website shows to tell people from bots. Scrapers meet CAPTCHAs when a site's anti-bot system flags their traffic.

Comma-separated values: a plain-text file format in which each line is a record and commas separate the fields. Spreadsheets and most analytics tools open CSV files directly, which is why datasets are often delivered in this format.

A warehouse closed to walk-in shoppers that fulfills online orders, often for quick commerce. Dark stores sit close to customers so that orders can be delivered fast.

A professional who collects, processes, and analyzes data to help organizations make informed business decisions. They use statistical methods, programming tools (like SQL or Python), and data visualization techniques.

Adding missing or extra attributes, such as categories, contact details or locations, to existing records from other sources. AI data enrichment automates this step for large datasets.

A proxy whose IP address belongs to a hosting provider or data center rather than a household or mobile network. Datacenter proxies are fast and low cost, but websites recognize them more easily.

A structured collection of records on one subject, such as restaurants on a delivery platform, organized in rows and fields. Datasets can be bought as one-off files or as feeds that are refreshed on a schedule.

A proxy IP assigned to a single user, so no one else's traffic affects its reputation or speed. Dedicated proxies suit long-running sessions and targets that track IP history.

Finding and removing records that describe the same thing more than once, for example a restaurant listed twice under slightly different names. It is a standard step in data quality checks.

The amount a customer pays a delivery platform to bring an order, separate from the menu price and any service fee. Platforms can vary it by distance, basket size or time of day, so tracking delivery fees across platforms shows how competitors price convenience.

The area around a restaurant or store that a delivery platform serves. Delivery zone data shows which customers can order from a venue.

Linking records that refer to the same real-world thing, such as a product, restaurant or company, across sources where names and details differ. Data matching, as it is also called, makes cross-platform price and assortment comparisons possible.

The delivery time a platform shows a customer before or after an order is placed. ETA benchmarking compares quoted delivery times across platforms and areas.

Routing requests through proxy IPs in a chosen country, region or city so that a website returns the content, prices and ads shown to local users.

A delivery-only kitchen with no dining room that cooks for one or more brands sold on delivery apps. Ghost kitchens are also called dark kitchens or cloud kitchens.

A web browser that runs without a visible window and is controlled by code. Scrapers use headless browsers to load pages that need JavaScript to show their content.

A proxy hosted in a data center but using an IP address registered to an internet service provider. ISP proxies combine datacenter speed with the trust websites give to consumer IP ranges.

JavaScript Object Notation: a text format that stores data as nested keys and values. Most web APIs send and receive JSON, and it loads easily into databases and code.

A product whose price shoppers know well and use to judge whether a store is cheap, such as milk or bread. Retailers watch competitors' KVI prices closely.

Structured information from a restaurant's menu: dishes, descriptions, prices, options and availability. Menu data from delivery apps shows how venues price their offer and change it over time.

Collecting public data from mobile apps instead of websites, usually by reading the data an app exchanges with its servers. Some platforms show prices or offers only in their apps.

A proxy that routes traffic through IP addresses that mobile carriers assign to 3G, 4G or 5G devices. Many users share these IPs, so websites are cautious about blocking mobile proxies.

The smallest basket value a customer must reach before a platform or restaurant accepts an order. Some platforms charge a small-order fee below it instead of refusing the order.

Whether a product or dish costs the same on a delivery platform as in the store or on the brand's own channels. Price parity checks show where online prices carry a markup.

A server that forwards your requests to a website under its own IP address, so the website sees the proxy instead of your system. Proxies are used for web scraping, ad verification and testing localized content.

Quick commerce: delivery of groceries and everyday goods within minutes, usually from dark stores. Q-commerce platforms compete on speed, assortment and price.

A cap that a website or API sets on how many requests one client can send in a given time. Requests over the limit are slowed down, refused or answered with an HTTP 429 error.

A proxy that uses an IP address an internet service provider assigned to a home connection. Websites treat this traffic like that of ordinary visitors, so residential proxies are harder to block.

A proxy setup that assigns a new IP address for each request or after a set interval. Rotation spreads traffic across many IPs, which lowers the chance of blocks.

A code a retailer gives to each distinct product variant, such as one size or flavor of a drink. SKU-level data lets you compare exact products across stores.

A proxy setting that keeps the same IP address for a series of requests, for example for a set number of minutes. Sticky sessions are needed for logins, carts and other multi-step flows.

A restaurant brand that exists only on delivery apps and is cooked in an existing kitchen or a ghost kitchen. One kitchen can run several virtual brands at once.

Collecting public information from websites automatically and turning it into structured data. A web scraping setup loads pages, extracts the fields you need and saves them in a format such as CSV or JSON.

A service that gets a page past anti-bot checks by managing proxies, browser fingerprints, CAPTCHAs and retries for you. With a web unblocker, you send a URL and get the page content back.

An automatic HTTP request that one system sends to another when an event happens, such as a new data delivery being ready. The receiving system can act on it at once instead of checking for changes.