Content Hashing (SHA-256)
A cryptographic method used to detect whether the content of a web page has changed since the last time it was observed.
Definition
When a scraper fetches a page, the raw text is passed through a hashing algorithm, typically SHA-256, generating a unique, fixed-size alphanumeric string.
During the next observation, if the exact same hash is generated, the system mathematically guarantees the content has not changed, skipping unnecessary processing.
Key Concepts
Determinstic Fingerprint
Any given identical input will always produce the exact same hashed output.
Efficiency Optimization
Used to prevent duplicated database entries and save expensive AI processing limits.
Why it Matters for Watchflare
Watchflare assigns a SHA-256 hash to every scraped payload, leveraging a unique index in PostgreSQL to strictly enforce deduplication and minimize API costs.
Related Terms
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