Terminology
Zones
Zones are the foundation for how you configure and manage Bright Data products. Each zone represents a specific product or setup, such as Residential, Mobile, Datacenter, or Unlocker. Access your zones here.
What is a zone?
A zone is a logical container that defines how a Bright Data product behaves. When you enable a product, a corresponding zone is created. Each zone includes its own configuration settings, such as:
- Targeting rules (e.g., country, city, ASN)
- Output format
- Headers and request behavior
- Access permissions
Using zones in your workflow
You can create multiple zones for the same product to support different use cases, targets, or operational needs. This gives you more control and flexibility when managing traffic.
Example use cases:
zone_1for targeting example.comzone_2for targeting anotherexample.com
By separating traffic into different zones, you can:
- Apply unique settings per target or workflow
- Monitor usage and performance independently
- Simplify debugging and optimization
- Maintain cleaner, more organized configurations
You can rename your zones at any time to better reflect their purpose or target.
Snapshots
Snapshots in Bright Data represent saved states of data collections at the time they were triggered. They are used to track, manage, and retrieve the exact data that was collected during a specific run of a dataset.
What are Snapshots?
A snapshot is a record of a single data collection event. Each time a dataset is triggered—whether manually or via API—a snapshot is created to store the results and the inputs used for that specific run.
Snapshots are especially useful when:
- You need to retrieve historical data from previous runs
- You want to verify what inputs were used to trigger a collection
- You are delivering data in batches and need to track how many parts were generated
Example Scenarios
- You’ve triggered a dataset to collect product listings from an e-commerce site. A snapshot is automatically created, capturing the results and the inputs (e.g., URL, filters, headers).
- You’ve requested the data to be delivered in batches. You can use the snapshot to check how many parts were generated and ensure the delivery settings match your request.