Scrape Facebook Group

index.js

const allContent = []

function createCSV(data, fileName) {
  const headers = [
    'id',
    'email',
    'firstName',
    'lastName',
    'postId',
    'postText',
    'postAuthor',
    'postAuthorId',
    'postAuthorUrl',
    'commentId',
    'commentText',
    'commentAuthorName',
    'commentAuthorId',
    'commentAuthorUrl',
    'timestamp',
    'commentUrl',
  ]

  const csvContent = [
    headers.join(','),
    ...data.map((row) =>
      headers
        .map((header) => {
          const value = row[header]
          if (value === null) return 'null'
          if (typeof value === 'string') {
            // Wrap all fields, including those without commas, in double quotes
            return `"${value.replace(/"/g, '""')}"`
          }
          return value
        })
        .join(','),
    ),
  ].join('\n')

  const blob = new Blob([csvContent], { type: 'text/csv;charset=utf-8;' })
  const link = document.createElement('a')

  if (navigator.msSaveBlob) {
    // IE 10+
    navigator.msSaveBlob(blob, fileName)
  } else {
    const url = URL.createObjectURL(blob)

    link.setAttribute('href', url)
    link.setAttribute('download', fileName || 'data.csv')
    document.body.appendChild(link)

    link.click()

    document.body.removeChild(link)
    URL.revokeObjectURL(url)
  }
}

async function scrollDown() {
  // const wrapper = document.querySelector("#search-page-list-container");
  const wrapper = window
  await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
    var totalHeight = 0
    var distance = 800

    var timer = setInterval(async () => {
      var scrollHeightBefore = wrapper.scrollHeight
      wrapper.scrollBy(0, distance)
      totalHeight += distance

      clearInterval(timer)
      resolve()
    }, 400)
  })
  await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 1000))
}

function getEmailFromText(text) {
  const emailRegex = /[a-zA-Z0-9._%+-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+\.[a-zA-Z]{2,}/g
  const email = text?.match(emailRegex)?.[0]
  return email || ''
}

function clickOnComments(post) {
  // Get all divs on the page
  var allDivs = post.getElementsByTagName('div')

  // Create an array to store matching divs
  var matchingDivs = []

  // Loop through each div
  for (var i = 0; i < allDivs.length; i++) {
    // Check if the div has the attribute data-visualcompletion set to "ignore-dynamic"
    if (allDivs[i].getAttribute('data-visualcompletion') === 'ignore-dynamic') {
      // Add the matching div to the array
      matchingDivs.push(allDivs[i])
      const thingToClickToOpenComments =
        allDivs?.[i]?.children?.[0]?.children?.[0]?.children?.[0]?.children?.[0]
          ?.children?.[0]?.children?.[1]?.children?.[1]?.children?.[0]
          ?.children?.[0]
      if (thingToClickToOpenComments) {
        thingToClickToOpenComments.click()
      }
    }
  }
}

// Function to recursively traverse HTML elements and return text in an array
function traverseElementsToGetText(element) {
  var textArray = []

  // Check if the element has child nodes
  if (element.childNodes.length > 0) {
    // Loop through each child node
    for (var i = 0; i < element.childNodes.length; i++) {
      // Recursively call the function for each child node
      textArray = textArray.concat(
        traverseElementsToGetText(element.childNodes[i]),
      )
    }
  } else {
    // If the element is a text node and contains non-whitespace text
    if (
      element.nodeType === Node.TEXT_NODE &&
      element.nodeValue.trim() !== ''
    ) {
      // Push the text into the text array
      textArray.push(element.nodeValue.trim())
    }
  }

  return textArray
}

function getAllPosts() {
  const posts = document.querySelectorAll('div[role=feed] > div')
  return [...posts].filter((post) => {
    const posterName = post?.querySelector('h2')?.textContent
    if (posterName) {
      return true
    }
    return false
  })
}

const sleep = (ms) => new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, ms))

function closeDialog() {
  const closeButton = document?.querySelector('div[aria-label="Close"]')
  if (!closeButton) {
    return
  }
  closeButton.click()
}

function formatTopLevelComments(postId, topLevelComments = []) {
  return topLevelComments.map((c) => {
    const text = c?.comment.body.text
    const commentId = c?.comment.id
    const authorName = c?.comment.author.name
    const authorId = c?.comment.author.id
    return {
      id: commentId,
      commentId,
      postId,
      commentText: text || '',
      commentAuthorName: authorName,
      commentAuthorId: authorId,
      email: getEmailFromText(text),
      firstName: authorName?.split(' ')?.[0],
      lastName: authorName?.split(' ')?.[1],
    }
  })
}

function parseFirstLevelJson(json) {
  const actor =
    json?.data?.node?.group_feed?.edges?.[0]?.node?.comet_sections?.content
      ?.story?.comet_sections?.context_layout?.story?.comet_sections
      ?.actor_photo?.story?.actors?.[0]

  const postText =
    json?.data?.node?.group_feed?.edges?.[0]?.node?.comet_sections?.content
      ?.story?.comet_sections?.message_container?.story?.message?.text
  const postId =
    json?.data?.node?.group_feed?.edges?.[0]?.node?.comet_sections?.feedback
      ?.story?.post_id

  const post = {
    id: postId,
    postId,
    postText: postText || '',
    postAuthor: actor?.name,
    postAuthorId: actor?.id,
    postAuthorUrl: actor?.url,
    email: getEmailFromText(postText),
    firstName: actor?.name?.split(' ')?.[0],
    lastName: actor?.name?.split(' ')?.[1],
  }

  const topLevelComments = formatTopLevelComments(
    postId,
    json?.data?.node?.group_feed?.edges?.[0]?.node?.comet_sections?.feedback
      ?.story?.feedback_context?.interesting_top_level_comments,
  )
  return {
    post,
    topLevelComments,
  }
}

function parseSecondLevelJson(json) {
  const data2 = json
  const actor =
    data2?.data?.node?.comet_sections?.content?.story?.comet_sections
      ?.context_layout?.story?.comet_sections?.actor_photo?.story?.actors?.[0]

  const posterName = actor?.name
  const postText =
    data2?.data?.node?.comet_sections?.content?.story?.comet_sections
      ?.message_container?.story?.message?.text
  const id = actor?.id
  const postId = data2?.data?.node?.comet_sections?.feedback?.story?.post_id
  const url = actor?.url

  const post = {
    id: postId,
    postId,
    postText: postText || '',
    postAuthor: posterName,
    postAuthorId: id,
    postAuthorUrl: url,
    email: getEmailFromText(postText),
    firstName: posterName?.split(' ')?.[0],
    lastName: posterName?.split(' ')?.[1],
  }

  const topLevelComments = formatTopLevelComments(
    postId,
    data2?.data?.node?.comet_sections?.feedback?.story?.feedback_context
      ?.interesting_top_level_comments,
  )

  return {
    post,
    topLevelComments,
  }
}

function parseThirdLevelJson(json) {
  const data3 = json
  const actor3 =
    data3?.data?.node?.comet_sections?.content?.story?.comet_sections
      ?.context_layout?.story?.comet_sections?.actor_photo?.story?.actors?.[0]
  const posterName = actor3?.name
  const postText =
    data3?.data?.node?.comet_sections?.content?.story?.comet_sections
      ?.message_container?.story?.message?.text
  const posterId = actor3?.id
  const postId = data3?.data?.node?.comet_sections?.feedback?.story?.post_id
  const url = actor3?.url
  const post = {
    id: postId,
    postId,
    postText: postText || '',
    postAuthor: posterName,
    postAuthorId: posterId,
    postAuthorUrl: url,
    email: getEmailFromText(postText),
    firstName: posterName?.split(' ')?.[0],
    lastName: posterName?.split(' ')?.[1],
  }

  const topLevelComments = formatTopLevelComments(
    postId,
    data3?.data?.node?.comet_sections?.feedback?.story?.feedback_context
      ?.interesting_top_level_comments,
  )

  return {
    post,
    topLevelComments,
  }
}

function addCommentsToAllContent(comments = []) {
  comments.forEach((c) => {
    if (allContent?.find((f) => f.commentId === c.commentId)) {
    } else {
      allContent.push(c)
    }
  })
}

function interceptRequests() {
  let oldXHROpen = window.XMLHttpRequest.prototype.open
  window.XMLHttpRequest.prototype.open = function (method, url, async) {
    if (!url.includes('graphql')) {
      return oldXHROpen.apply(this, arguments)
    }
    // Capture the request body
    let requestBody = null

    // Override the send method to capture the request body
    let oldXHRSend = this.send
    this.send = function (data) {
      requestBody = data
      oldXHRSend.apply(this, arguments)
    }

    // Listen for the 'load' event to capture the response
    this.addEventListener('load', function () {
      if (
        requestBody?.includes('GroupsCometFeedRegularStoriesPaginationQuery')
      ) {
        console.log('getting posts')
        // we're getting posts....
        const payload = this.responseText
        const lines = payload.split('\n')

        const data1 = JSON.parse(lines[0])
        const firstPost = parseFirstLevelJson(data1)
        console.log('firstPost', firstPost)

        const data2 = JSON.parse(lines[1])
        const secondPost = parseSecondLevelJson(data2)
        console.log('secondPost', secondPost)

        const data3 = JSON.parse(lines[2])
        const thirdPost = parseThirdLevelJson(data3)
        console.log('thirdPost', thirdPost)

        allContent.push(firstPost.post)
        addCommentsToAllContent(firstPost.topLevelComments)
        allContent.push(secondPost.post)
        addCommentsToAllContent(secondPost.topLevelComments)
        allContent.push(thirdPost.post)
        addCommentsToAllContent(thirdPost.topLevelComments)
        //
      } else if (requestBody?.includes('CometFocusedStoryViewUFIQuery')) {
        console.log('getting comments')
        // we're getting comments
        let data = null
        try {
          data = JSON.parse(this.responseText)
        } catch (e) {}
        const postId = data?.data?.story_card?.post_id
        const comments =
          data?.data?.feedback?.ufi_renderer?.feedback?.comment_list_renderer?.feedback?.comment_rendering_instance_for_feed_location?.comments?.edges?.map(
            (blah) => {
              const comment = blah?.node
              const commentId = comment?.id
              const commentText = comment?.body?.text
              const authorName = comment?.author?.name
              const authorId = comment?.author?.id
              const authorUrl = comment?.author?.url
              const timeStuff = comment?.comment_action_links?.find(
                (f) => f?.__typename === 'XFBCommentTimeStampActionLink',
              )?.comment
              const timestamp = timeStuff?.created_time
              const commentUrl = timeStuff?.url
              const email = getEmailFromText(commentText)

              return {
                id: commentId,
                commentId,
                postId,
                commentText,
                commentAuthorName: authorName,
                commentAuthorId: authorId,
                commentAuthorUrl: authorUrl,
                timestamp,
                commentUrl,
                email,
                firstName: authorName?.split(' ')?.[0],
                lastName: authorName?.split(' ')?.[1],
              }
            },
          )
        addCommentsToAllContent(comments)
        console.log('comments', comments)
      } else {
        return
      }
    })

    // Call the original open method
    return oldXHROpen.apply(this, arguments)
  }
}

async function run() {
  interceptRequests()
  console.log('starting...')
  let posts = getAllPosts()
  console.log('posts.length', posts.length)
  let i = 0

  while (i < posts.length) {
    const post = posts[i]
    console.log(
      `while you're waiting, why not check out https://thewebscrapingguy.com/? 😅`,
    )
    clickOnComments(post)
    await sleep(1000)
    closeDialog()

    i++
    if (scrolls > 0) {
      await scrollDown()
      scrolls--
      console.log('scrolls left', scrolls)
      console.log('old posts', posts.length)
      const currentPosts = getAllPosts()
      console.log('currentPosts', currentPosts.length)
      posts = currentPosts
    }
  }

  createCSV(allContent, 'facebookGroupPostsAndComments.csv')
  console.log('allContent', allContent)
  console.log('done!')
  console.log(
    `Congrats! 🎉 You scraped a sh*t ton of posts! If you need any custom scrapers built, email me: [email protected]`,
  )
}

let scrolls = 50
// NOTE: Only gets the first level comments
await run()

This sort of works, but doesn't capture any of the post text that i can see... I don't see any code to click the 'see more' to expand the content, however I'm not even getting the unexpanded content

I was able to fix it by changing line 139 from const posterName = post?.querySelector("h3")?.textContent to const posterName = post?.querySelector("h2")?.textContent || post?.querySelector("h3")?.textContent;

It appears Facebook groups now use h2 tags as the header. You'll also have to adjust the "parseTopLevelJson" function, since the APIs now return data in a different format (At least, it does for me in a private page). Here's my changes to that function:

const actor =
    json?.data?.node?.group_feed?.edges?.[0]?.node?.comet_sections
      ?.context_layout?.story?.comet_sections?.actor_photo?.story?.actors?.[0];

  const postText =
    json?.data?.node?.group_feed?.edges?.[0]?.node?.comet_sections?.content
      ?.story?.comet_sections?.message_container?.story?.message?.text;

  const postId =
    json?.data?.node?.group_feed?.edges?.[0]?.node?.comet_sections?.feedback
      ?.story?.id;

@natereprogle Thanks! Just updated the gist!

@adrianhorning08 your code is working but I need to tweak it a lil bit to meet specific columns. Is there anyway to get the comments to the nth level?

@jaycruz17 not sure

Hi, thank you for the code. I am wondering whether it scrapes replies to the comments or not?

@RevazRevazashvili It only scrapes 1st level comments. It cannot scrapes sublevels comment.

@RevazRevazashvili It only scrapes 1st level comments. It cannot scrapes sublevels comment.

Is it not possible to add that feature?

@RevazRevazashvili I was able to improve this code to get the comments even the sublevels comments.

@RevazRevazashvili I was able to improve this code to get the comments even the sublevels comments.

Could you send me the code? and also does it have limitation? I mean if I run it for large group shall facebook block me?

Perhaps you could share your changes with Adrian and he could update the gist? Or you could put it in this thread to help others, including myself. -= Tim

…

On Mon, Dec 16, 2024 at 8:31 AM jaycruz17 ***@***.***> wrote: ***@***.**** commented on this gist. ------------------------------ @RevazRevazashvili <https://github.com/RevazRevazashvili> I was able to improve this code to get the comments even the sublevels comments. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <https://gist.github.com/adrianhorning08/42d4e4c0826c2a11a084cd1513b130b0#gistcomment-5344121> or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ADAM5EH452JMMZCET3Y7WYL2F357NBFKMF2HI4TJMJ2XIZLTSKBKK5TBNR2WLJDUOJ2WLJDOMFWWLO3UNBZGKYLEL5YGC4TUNFRWS4DBNZ2F6YLDORUXM2LUPGBKK5TBNR2WLJDHNFZXJJDOMFWWLK3UNBZGKYLEL52HS4DFVRZXKYTKMVRXIX3UPFYGLK2HNFZXIQ3PNVWWK3TUUZ2G64DJMNZZDAVEOR4XAZNEM5UXG5FFOZQWY5LFVEYTGMRXHEZTMOJZU52HE2LHM5SXFJTDOJSWC5DF> . You are receiving this email because you commented on the thread. Triage notifications on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS <https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1477376905?ct=notification-email&mt=8&pt=524675> or Android <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.android&referrer=utm_campaign%3Dnotification-email%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dgithub> .

it's partly working, is there a chance for a fix? :)

Code not working :(

very usefull but, is therr any way to scrape the data without login to facebook?

No

…

On Sun, Mar 23, 2025 at 4:37 PM alarhby ***@***.***> wrote: ***@***.**** commented on this gist. ------------------------------ very usefull but, is therr any way to scrape the data without login to facebook? — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <https://gist.github.com/adrianhorning08/42d4e4c0826c2a11a084cd1513b130b0#gistcomment-5508732> or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AF2PMDC2NIARMOGWVMGVS7D2V4SS3BFKMF2HI4TJMJ2XIZLTSKBKK5TBNR2WLJDUOJ2WLJDOMFWWLO3UNBZGKYLEL5YGC4TUNFRWS4DBNZ2F6YLDORUXM2LUPGBKK5TBNR2WLJDHNFZXJJDOMFWWLK3UNBZGKYLEL52HS4DFVRZXKYTKMVRXIX3UPFYGLK2HNFZXIQ3PNVWWK3TUUZ2G64DJMNZZDAVEOR4XAZNEM5UXG5FFOZQWY5LFVEYTGMRXHEZTMOJZU52HE2LHM5SXFJTDOJSWC5DF> . You are receiving this email because you authored the thread. Triage notifications on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS <https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1477376905?ct=notification-email&mt=8&pt=524675> or Android <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.android&referrer=utm_campaign%3Dnotification-email%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Dgithub> .

The script only appears to create a csv file with the correct column names, not actually scrape anything, I pasted into the console as per your video, can you confirm it is working as expected?

I don’t think it works correctly anymore, joking the discord and ask on there.

not working anymore