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Choosing the Right Task Type

FourA offers three task types, each optimized for different scenarios. Choosing the right one saves time, reduces costs, and improves success rates.

Quick Decision Guide

Use single when:

  • The target page is server-rendered (no JavaScript required)
  • You need maximum speed (typically under 1 second)
  • You're collecting data from APIs or static HTML pages

Use browser when:

  • The page relies on JavaScript to render content
  • You need to interact with the page (scroll, click, wait for elements)
  • Content loads dynamically after the initial page load

Use proxy when:

  • The target site actively blocks requests
  • You need to rotate through multiple IP addresses
  • Geographic targeting is important (e.g., region-specific pricing)

Task Type Comparison

Single

The fastest option. FourA sends an HTTP request using curl-impersonate, which mimics real browser TLS fingerprints without actually running a browser.

curl -X POST https://eu.api.foura.ai/api/v1/tasks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"url": "https://example.com/api/products", "type": "single"}'

Typical response time: 200ms–2s Best for: APIs, news sites, blogs, static product pages

Browser

Runs a full headless Chrome instance via Puppeteer. The page loads completely, JavaScript executes, and you get the final rendered HTML.

curl -X POST https://eu.api.foura.ai/api/v1/tasks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://example.com/spa-app",
    "type": "browser",
    "options": {"waitFor": ".data-table", "timeout": 15000}
  }'

Typical response time: 2s–10s Best for: Single-page apps (SPAs), sites with lazy loading, pages requiring interaction

Proxy

Combines HTTP requests with intelligent proxy rotation. If the first attempt fails or gets blocked, FourA automatically retries through different proxies and regions.

curl -X POST https://eu.api.foura.ai/api/v1/tasks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://example.com/pricing",
    "type": "proxy",
    "options": {"proxyCountry": "US"}
  }'

Typical response time: 1s–5s Best for: E-commerce price monitoring, travel aggregation, geo-restricted content

When to Combine Approaches

Some workflows benefit from using multiple task types:

  1. Start with single: test if the page returns useful data without a browser.
  2. Fall back to browser: if the response is empty or missing content, switch to browser rendering.
  3. Add proxy: if you're getting blocked (403/captcha), enable proxy rotation.

This progressive approach keeps costs low while maximizing success rates.

Performance Tips

  • Use single by default and only upgrade when needed
  • Set waitFor selectors in browser tasks to avoid waiting for the full page load
  • Use proxyCountry only when geo-targeting matters: unrestricted routing is faster
  • Keep timeout values reasonable (10–15s for most pages)

Next Steps

Last updated: April 8, 2026
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