Scraping Landing Pages (14)
This is my first time working on/editing LPs or working with any sort of code for that matter. Anyways, I'm scraping LPs using WinHTTrack and the LPs usually give me an html file, css file, and a js file. So my question was, do I only need to edit html as far as looking for redirection/tracking software links that might lead to the original owners offer? Or can they also be located in the Css and Js files? Sorry for the stupid question, I'm a newbie at coding.
For their tracking code, typically HTML, sometimes JS, never CSS.
Unfortunately, you do actually need to check the CSS too. They're obscure, but there are several ways to execute code from a CSS file. Check ANY URL call in the CSS, in particular.
IMO, it's usually easier to recreate a landing page from scratch than it is to thoroughly audit the code for exploits.
Got it, thanks a lot guys!
You can check for "exploits" with Live HTTP Headers. After you've saved the page, open Live HTTP Headers (or http monitor of your choice), load the page, and go through all the http requests, looking for calls to 3rd party servers (not your own).
If you're not loving HTTrack, give the Scrapbook plugin for Firefox a shot. It recodes the page to valid HTML, and does a much better job at pulling down all 3rd party resources to your computer to avoid hidden bugs. It's not fool-proof, but it's a nicer tool than HTTrack in many areas.
I'm also always worried about having my traffic/conversions being sent to another affiliate because of this. I know a decent amount of HTML/CSS but I'm worried about a snippet of coding in JS files that I completely look over out of ignorance.
Wouldn't the real cure simply be clicking on my LP a bunch of times and following the links to ensure they all go to my offers and not some other? Or can the previous affiliate (since I ripped the LP) still receive my traffic even from my offer?
Sweet! I'll check-em out.
Check those pesky javascript files, I've seen code hidden in obfuscated jquery files.
However, I second what caurmen said. Use the pages you find for inspiration and research, but develop your own LPs for your creatives and angles.
Take a screenshot of the LP, send it to a PSD to HTML guy, pay him $5 extra and he'll happily convert it for you into HTML. Obviously blank the URLs in the screen to make sure he doesn't just go for c&p of the original page. Saves time and makes sure there's no hidden code you waste your own traffic with.
All of this detection stuff depends on how clever the person doing the code obfuscation was.
Just off the top of my head I can think of several ways to write obfuscated code that wouldn't be spotted by watching headers or clicking through links a bunch of times, but would invisibly siphon clicks off.
And there's nasty things you could do other than siphon clicks, too. I'm not 100% sure, but I suspect you could make a good stab at writing an LP that gave you root access to the servers of anyone who ripped it. (Of course, that would be extremely illegal and generally not a great idea, but...)
Sweet tips fellas, thanks!
Sorry for asking peskily newbie questions guys, but when editing a scraped LP. Do I just need to replace/delete "links" or are there other code/scripts that I should be looking out for?
Yes, you usually simply need to change out the links. Rarely you will find some odd JavaScript that calls to a 3rd party sever that you don't understand... It's best to just take that out and make sure the page still works 
Protip: Ripping landers is not a viable business practice. You need to make your own creatives. You're not to be able to shit on the competition w their own LPs. Don't kid yourself. </opinion>
Got it, thanks a lot! 
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