This tutorial shows how to scrape Foursquare reviews from known venue URLs into CSV with the Foursquare Reviews Scraper by URL template for UScraper. You will import the workflow, replace sample venue links, use an authenticated browser session when required, set the export path, and validate the rows before scaling.
Before you start
Prerequisites for a Foursquare reviews scraper
You need UScraper installed as a local desktop app, the Foursquare Reviews Scraper by URL template, a folder for CSV exports, and a clean list of Foursquare venue URLs you are allowed to process. This tutorial is built for a controlled list of businesses: restaurants, cafes, hotels, retail locations, attractions, or competitors already selected for review analysis.
This is not a keyword discovery crawler. It does not search Foursquare, bypass CAPTCHA, defeat sign-in gates, or collect private account data. The workflow opens the exact URLs you provide and extracts visible review or tip content when the page is accessible in the browser profile UScraper is using.
Review Foursquare's current consumer terms and developer terms before automation. If your use case needs approved access to place data, production contracts, or redistribution rights, start with the official Foursquare developer documentation instead of a browser workflow.
Technical access is not the same as permission. Keep the first run small, avoid bypassing access controls, and document why each venue URL belongs in your dataset.
Workflow anatomy
What the Foursquare scraper by URL does
The JSON export is the authoritative workflow definition. In plain English, the graph is:
Navigate -> Wait for Page Load -> Sleep -> Text Contains
-> Inject JavaScript -> Wait for Element -> Structured Export -> Loop Continue
The Navigate block holds sample venue URLs. The wait blocks give Foursquare time to render dynamic page content. The Text Contains block detects a login wall. Accessible pages continue into Inject JavaScript, where the workflow scrolls, clicks show-more style controls, creates hidden export rows, and normalizes review fields for Structured Export.
| Block | Purpose | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Navigate | Stores the Foursquare venue URL list | Replace samples with approved venue URLs. |
| Wait for Page Load and Sleep | Gives dynamic modules time to render | Increase waits only after watching a slow page. |
| Text Contains | Detects the login wall | If true, the loop skips that URL. |
| Inject JavaScript | Expands and prepares visible review rows | Recheck selectors if review text disappears. |
| Structured Export | Writes the CSV fields | Confirm filename, folder, headers, and append mode. |
| Loop Continue | Moves to the next URL | Keep it at the end of the loop body. |
Runbook
How to scrape Foursquare reviews by URL
Import the template
Open Foursquare Reviews Scraper by URL, download the JSON, and import it into UScraper.
Replace venue URLs
Open Navigate and paste one approved Foursquare venue URL per input. Keep the list short for the first run so you can watch the browser and CSV together.
Prepare the session
If Foursquare redirects venue pages to login, sign in through the browser profile used by UScraper before running the batch.
Set the CSV destination
In Structured Export, confirm foursquare-reviews-scraper-by-url.csv, headers enabled, append mode, and a project-specific save folder.
Run and validate
Run three to five URLs, inspect the exported rows, compare them against the live pages, then expand the Navigate list only after the sample is clean.
Because file mode is append, reruns add rows to the same CSV. For repeatable research, use a dated filename or clear the file before running the same URL list again.
Output
Foursquare reviews to CSV: export columns
The workflow writes one row per detected review or tip. Venue-level fields repeat on each row so you can filter by business, group reviews by rating, or join the export with another local business dataset.
foursquare-reviews-scraper-by-url.csvColumn
Business_URL
The source Foursquare venue URL currently being processed.
Column
Business_name
Venue name detected from the page heading, metadata, or visible text.
Column
Price_range
Dollar-sign price range when visible on the venue page.
Column
Rating
Aggregate venue rating when Foursquare exposes it on the page.
Column
Rating_count
Visible count for ratings, reviews, or tips.
Column
Telephone
Public venue phone number when present.
Column
Username
Reviewer or tip author detected near the text.
Column
Date
Visible review or tip date.
Column
Review
Cleaned review or tip text.
Column
Upvote
Visible upvote or like count when present.
| QA signal | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No rows for a URL | Login wall, invalid venue URL, or no visible review content | Open that URL manually in the same browser profile. |
| Business fields only | Venue page loaded but no review rows were detected | Confirm the page has visible tips or reviews, then rerun one URL. |
| Missing usernames or dates | Foursquare layout or locale text changed | Inspect one page and adjust extraction logic if needed. |
| Duplicate rows | Same venue URL was supplied twice or the run was restarted | Dedupe by Business_URL, Username, Date, and Review. |
| Empty telephone or price | Foursquare did not expose those fields on that venue | Treat them as optional context fields. |
Alternatives
Foursquare API reviews alternative, hosted scraper, or local workflow?
UScraper is strongest when you need a supervised local CSV from a known list of venue URLs and you want to inspect the browser while the scraper runs. It is a practical fit for local SEO audits, competitor review checks, market research, and one-off spreadsheet enrichment.
The official Foursquare APIs are the better starting point when your product needs approved access, contractual terms, documented schemas, uptime expectations, or integration into a production application. Cloud tools and managed data providers can be useful when you need scheduling, proxy infrastructure, or larger hosted runs, but pricing, data custody, and vendor dependency become part of the decision.
| Option | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| UScraper local desktop app | Known venue URL lists, visible QA, CSV handoff | You supervise access, sessions, and pacing. |
| Official Foursquare API | Approved app integrations and durable place data access | Requires keys, contracts, limits, and API fit review. |
| Hosted scraping tools | Managed infrastructure or scheduled cloud jobs | Data runs through a vendor and pricing can scale with usage. |
| Custom Python scraper | Engineering teams that need full control | You own maintenance, parsing, retries, and compliance checks. |
If you are comparing the best Foursquare scraping tool for a small research export, decide on custody first. For a local file you can inspect immediately, use the UScraper template. For a production location intelligence product, use official or partner routes where possible.
FAQ
Foursquare reviews scraper FAQ
Foursquare venue pages may be visible in a browser, but automated collection can still be restricted by Foursquare terms, privacy law, copyright, robots directives, and local rules. Review the current rules, avoid bypassing access controls, keep runs modest, and get legal review before commercial use.
Next step
Download the Foursquare scraper by URL template
When you are ready to run the workflow, download the JSON from Foursquare Reviews Scraper by URL and keep this tutorial open for validation. For neighboring workflows, browse the UScraper template library or the UScraper blog for more CSV export tutorials.