How often can I monitor prices with AlterLab?

As frequently as you need — there are no rate limits on scheduling. For real-time monitoring, use our batch endpoint to check thousands of product pages in parallel. Most users schedule jobs every 15 minutes to 4 hours depending on how fast competitors update prices.

Can AlterLab extract prices from JavaScript-rendered pages?

Yes. AlterLab automatically detects whether a page requires JavaScript rendering and escalates to the appropriate tier. EU price comparison sites like geizhals.at and idealo render product listings with JavaScript — AlterLab handles this with full browser rendering (Tier 2-3). Amazon and Shopify stores also render prices client-side. Prices are typically available in Tier 1 ($0.0002) for static pages or Tier 2-4 for JS-rendered pages.

How do I extract structured price data instead of HTML?

Request JSON format in your API call: `"formats": ["json"]`. AlterLab will attempt to extract structured data from JSON-LD, microdata, and Open Graph tags. For custom extraction logic, request HTML or markdown and parse with your preferred library.

Can I monitor European price comparison sites like geizhals and idealo?

Yes. AlterLab supports EU price comparison aggregators including geizhals.at (Austria/Germany), idealo (Germany/EU-wide), and prisjakt.nu (Scandinavia). These sites use JavaScript rendering — AlterLab handles them automatically with full browser rendering at Tier 2-3. Our users achieve 96%+ success rates on these platforms.

Can I monitor prices on Amazon, Walmart, and eBay?

Yes. AlterLab has optimized playbooks for major e-commerce platforms including Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Best Buy, and Shopify. These sites use website protection — AlterLab automatically handles compatibility. Amazon product pages use Tier 4 (headless browser) at $0.004/request.

What about marketplace sites like willhaben, Etsy, and classified platforms?

AlterLab works with marketplace and classified platforms across regions. willhaben.at (Austrian classifieds), Etsy, eBay Kleinanzeigen, and similar platforms are fully supported. Classified sites are typically Tier 1-2, making large-scale marketplace monitoring cost-effective at $0.0002-$0.001/request.

How do I get notified when a price changes?

Combine AlterLab with your application logic: schedule batch scrapes, compare extracted prices to your database, and trigger webhooks or alerts when thresholds are crossed. AlterLab focuses on reliable data extraction — notifications are handled by your application layer.

What does price monitoring at scale cost?

At $0.0002/request for static pages, monitoring 10,000 products hourly costs $2/hour or $48/day. For JavaScript-rendered sites (EU price comparison aggregators, Amazon) at $0.001-$0.004/request, the same volume costs $10-$40/hour. Most teams mix tiers — light scraping for static classified sites, browser rendering for comparison aggregators — keeping costs well under $100/day for enterprise-scale monitoring.

EU price comparisonmarketplace intelligencecompetitor price tracking

Price Monitoring API

Track prices across EU comparison sites, global marketplaces, and retail platforms — all from one API. AlterLab extracts structured pricing data from geizhals, idealo, prisjakt, willhaben, Etsy, Amazon, and thousands more. From $0.0002/request.

Documentation

No credit card

SOC 2 aligned

99.9% uptime

Simple Pricing

One dollar

5,000

Requests

Pay as you go

No subscriptions

Never expires

2,847,653+

Requests processed this week

Extract Price Data in One API Call

Send a URL, get structured price data. AlterLab handles website compatibility automatically — from EU aggregators to global retailers.

eu_price_comparison.py

import requests

# Compare prices across EU aggregators
sites = [
    "https://geizhals.at/product/123",
    "https://idealo.at/product/456",
    "https://prisjakt.nu/product/789",
]

for url in sites:
    resp = requests.post(
        "https://api.alterlab.io/v1/scrape",
        headers={"X-API-Key": key},
        json={"url": url, "formats": ["json"]}
    )

batch_marketplace.py

# Batch monitor across marketplaces
urls = [
    "https://willhaben.at/iad/123",
    "https://www.etsy.com/listing/456",
    "https://amazon.com/dp/B09XYZ",
    "# ... up to 1000 URLs"
]

response = requests.post(
    "https://api.alterlab.io/v1/batch",
    headers={"X-API-Key": api_key},
    json={
        "urls": urls,
        "formats": ["json"],
    }
)

EU Price Comparison Monitoring

European price comparison aggregators like geizhals, idealo, and prisjakt require JavaScript rendering to load product listings. AlterLab handles this automatically with full browser rendering.

geizhals.at

Austria / Germany

The leading price comparison engine for consumer electronics in the DACH region. Track product prices across hundreds of retailers with full browser rendering at Tier 2-3.

96.6% success rate

idealo

Germany / EU-wide

One of Europe's largest price comparison platforms, covering electronics, fashion, and home goods. AlterLab renders the JavaScript-heavy product pages and extracts structured price data.

Full JS rendering

prisjakt.nu

Scandinavia

Scandinavian price comparison platform popular in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Monitor Nordic pricing trends across consumer electronics and household products.

Nordic coverage

Why EU comparison sites need browser rendering: Sites like geizhals and idealo load product prices and retailer listings via JavaScript after the initial page load. Simple HTTP requests return empty price tables. AlterLab automatically detects this and escalates to Tier 2-3 (full browser rendering), extracting complete price data including retailer names, shipping costs, and availability — no configuration needed.

Marketplace & Classified Intelligence

Monitor pricing across marketplaces and classified platforms — from willhaben.at to Etsy to eBay — and build real-time market intelligence feeds.

willhaben.at

Austrian Classifieds

Austria's largest classified marketplace. Track listing prices for real estate, vehicles, electronics, and consumer goods. 100% success rate with Tier 1-2 extraction — ideal for high-volume market analysis.

Etsy

Global Marketplace

Monitor handmade, vintage, and specialty product pricing across global sellers. Track competitor listings, pricing trends, and seasonal patterns across millions of Etsy shops.

eBay

Global Auction & Fixed Price

Extract both auction and fixed-price listings. Monitor sold prices, active listings, and seller competition for market research and repricing intelligence.

Regional Classifieds

Localized Platforms

Support for regional classified platforms across Europe. Whether it's used goods, rental listings, or local seller marketplaces, AlterLab handles the varying page structures automatically.

How Price Monitoring Works with AlterLab

A complete price intelligence pipeline in four steps.

Submit Product URLs

Send your product URLs to AlterLab's scrape or batch endpoint. Include EU price comparison pages (geizhals.at, idealo), marketplace listings (willhaben, Etsy, eBay), and any retailer sites you need to monitor. No per-domain configuration required — AlterLab automatically applies the right rendering strategy for each site.

Automatic Website Compatibility

Different sites require different rendering strategies. EU price comparison aggregators load prices via JavaScript and need full browser rendering (Tier 2-3). Amazon and major retailers use website protection that AlterLab handles automatically. Static classified sites like willhaben work at Tier 1. You pay only for the tier used — no overpaying for simple pages.

Extract Structured Price Data

Request JSON output to get structured data extracted from JSON-LD schema, microdata, and Open Graph tags. For custom extraction, use HTML or markdown output with your own parser. Price, currency, availability, and seller information are typically available in the response metadata.

Store, Compare, and Alert

Store extracted prices in your database with timestamps. Run scheduled batch jobs every 15 to 60 minutes to maintain a fresh price feed. Compare against your floor prices, MAP thresholds, or historical data to trigger repricing rules or compliance alerts. Cross-reference prices across EU aggregators to find the best deals automatically.

Price Monitoring Use Cases

What teams build with AlterLab's price extraction API.

EU Price Comparison Intelligence

Monitor prices across European aggregators like geizhals.at, idealo, and prisjakt.nu. Track which retailers offer the best prices in the DACH region, Scandinavia, and EU-wide — with full JavaScript rendering handled automatically.

Multi-Marketplace Price Tracking

Compare prices across willhaben.at, Etsy, eBay, and regional classified platforms. Build market intelligence feeds that track pricing trends across multiple marketplace verticals simultaneously.

Competitive Pricing Intelligence

Track competitor prices across Amazon, Shopify stores, and brand websites. Identify pricing gaps, promotion patterns, and seasonal trends across global retail.

MAP Compliance Monitoring

Automatically detect when resellers violate Minimum Advertised Price agreements. Monitor dozens of retailer sites daily and flag violations immediately.

Dynamic Repricing Engines

Feed real-time competitor prices into repricing algorithms. Cross-reference EU aggregator prices with marketplace listings to optimize pricing across channels.

Price History & Trend Analysis

Build long-term price trend databases across regions and platforms. Daily snapshots from geizhals, idealo, Amazon, and marketplace sites for consumer apps, procurement, or investment research.