Boost Predictability and Cut Costs with Browserless Driver Selection

Boost Predictability and Cut Costs with Browserless Driver Selection

Nimble’s Web API has always been known for its AI optimization: a smart engine that automatically selects the best browser engine (“driver”) for every request, balancing stealth, JavaScript execution, and cost. But we heard you loud and clear — sometimes you need to take the wheel yourself.

Today, we’re excited to introduce Browserless Driver Selection, giving you the power to explicitly choose the execution driver behind your requests.

Why We Built It

Our customers asked for more predictability, more control, and more transparency over what happens under the hood.

Some wanted to optimize costs by sticking to lightweight drivers for simple tasks.

Others needed consistent test conditions across large-scale integrations or benchmarks.

And many advanced teams wanted to compare driver-level success rates or debug issues with specific setups.

With Browserless Driver Selection, you get the flexibility to tailor execution strategies to your unique needs.

How to Use It

Selecting a driver is simple: just add the driver parameter to your API request.

curl -X POST 'https://api.webit.live/api/v1/realtime/web' \
--header 'Authorization: Basic <credential string>' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data-raw '{
    "url": "https://www.example.com",
    "driver": "vx6"
}'

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Available drivers: vx6, vx8, vx8-pro, vx10, vx10-pro

See driver details →

When to Use It

• Running cost-sensitive scraping tasks
• Benchmarking or A/B testing performance
• Debugging site-specific issues
• Tuning requests for success on hard-to-access sites

Unlock precision scraping

Start optimizing your Web API requests today with full control over cost, performance, and behavior.

Read the full guide →

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Real-World Example: Optimizing Cost vs. Power

Example 1: Price Monitoring on Simple E-commerce Sites

A pricing intelligence team scrapes product listings from microcenter.com, collecting details like prices, stock levels, and product specs.

By using "driver": "vx6", they lock in the lightest, most cost-efficient driver, minimizing resource use and cutting costs across thousands of daily requests.

Example 2: Scraping Travel Aggregators

A travel tech company gathers hotel and flight data from expedia.com.

These platforms rely heavily on JavaScript rendering and dynamic content loading.

By using "driver": "vx8", they ensure maximum JavaScript execution and advanced page rendering — capturing live pricing and availability accurately.

When to Use It

• Cost-sensitive scraping workloads
• Predictable benchmarking or A/B testing
• Debugging tricky site failures
• Fine-tuning scraping strategies for hard-to-access targets

Best Practices

• Start light: Use vx6 where possible, and only step up drivers when needed.
• Monitor success rates: Track which drivers perform best for your key targets.
• Balance cost and stealth: For high-value sites, prioritize success over minimal cost.

Start Controlling Your Own Results Today

With Browserless Driver Selection, you’re not just making API calls. You’re steering the balance between cost, speed, and success. Whether you want to cut spend on simple jobs or push through the toughest websites, you decide how Nimble runs under the hood.

No upgrades, no setup, no waiting.

Just plug in the driver parameter and take control.

Explore the docs and get started →

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