Cloudflare Workers
Cloudflare Workers lets you run JavaScript and TypeScript at the edge with ultra-low latency for lightweight scrapers, proxies, and APIs.
Cloudflare Workers is an edge serverless platform that runs code across Cloudflare's global network.
Key Features:
- Edge Execution - Run code in 300+ data centers worldwide for ultra-low latency responses.
- Zero Cold Starts - Isolate-based architecture eliminates container startup delays entirely.
- KV Storage - Store and retrieve scraped data at the edge with built-in key-value storage.
- Cron Triggers - Schedule recurring scraping tasks directly on the platform.
- Generous Free Tier - Start with 100,000 requests per day at no cost.
Whether you're building lightweight scrapers, deploying proxy endpoints, or processing webhook data at the edge, Cloudflare Workers provides the speed and global distribution your applications demand.
Web scraping workflow
How to use Cloudflare Workers in a web scraping pipeline
Cloudflare Workers can make outbound HTTP requests through the Fetch API. A scraping-related Worker can coordinate a bounded fetch or call an extraction service, then pass its response into your own processing logic.
A practical workflow
- Accept an allowed source URL or a collection identifier through a controlled application endpoint.
- Use fetch to request the resource, inspect the response and apply your chosen parsing or service integration.
- Validate the resulting record and send data or a capture reference to an external storage or downstream processing component.
When it fits
Use this for small HTTP-oriented collection steps or an API layer around a larger pipeline. Keep the accepted targets and outputs explicit so the endpoint does not become an unrestricted proxy.
Boundaries
The Fetch API retrieves responses; it does not execute a target page's JavaScript like a browser. Rendering requires a separate component. Runtime and subrequest limits still apply, and access controls, redirect validation, response-size limits and pacing belong in your implementation before accepting user-supplied URLs.
Frequently asked questions
What are Cloudflare Workers?
Cloudflare Workers runs application code on Cloudflare’s infrastructure, including HTTP handlers, APIs and scheduled work. Your Worker connects to the services and storage configured for the application.
Sources (checked ): Workers documentation
Are Cloudflare Workers free?
Workers has Free and Paid plans. Request and CPU allowances differ by plan, and additional storage or platform services can have their own charges. Estimate the Worker’s requests and compute usage separately from connected services.
Sources (checked ): Workers pricing
What are the limitations of Cloudflare Workers?
A Worker isolate has a 128 MB memory limit. CPU budgets, request allowances and subrequest limits depend on the plan and invocation type. CPU time and time spent waiting for network I/O are different measurements; consult the limits for the trigger your Worker uses.
Sources (checked ): Workers limits
Similar to Cloudflare Workers
Sources
Verified against the official Cloudflare Workers website and documentation.