Can I remove script tags with BeautifulSoup?

Understanding script poke-her-face

Play poker with script tags? Sure, but remember: removing <script> tags is like pulling pins from a grenade - handle with caution. If those scripts are pylons for interactive features or style, removing them might turn your page into ruins. Consider doing a thorough sweep after any major changes.

Disposal Unit: decompose()

Meet decompose(): the garbage disposal unit for HTML elements. It destroys unwanted elements and scraps their existence:

for script in soup('script'):
    script.decompose()  # Got rid of that little monster
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Decompose() does the job, but it doesn't give second chances. No extract() magic here!

Advanced BeautifulSoup: case studies

When script tags mingle with non-script content or you aim high with targeted script tags removal, the going gets tough:

Pinpoint removal: Mission Impossible

Want to eliminate only specific script tags with a certain type or source? Decipher the HTML script with the right stylesheet:

for script in soup('script'):
    if "risky-business.js" in script.get('src', ''):
        script.decompose()  # Feeling lucky, punk?
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Preserving inline JavaScript hacks

Keeping inline JavaScript like onclick events intact while booting out the others:

for script in soup('script'):
    if not script.has_attr('type') or script['type'].lower() == 'text/javascript':
        continue  # Not the droids you're looking for 
    script.decompose()
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Foreseeing consequences & exercising caution

Removing some scripts might break certain aspects of your page. Perform a quick risk analysis and be the judge of what can be eliminated safely.

Additional tips and tricks

BeautifulSoup tinkers on the original parsed HTML object. Deleted tags are gone in the process.

Backup for safety

When in doubt, make a copy of your BeautifulSoup object and go wild:

import copy
soup_copy = copy.deepcopy(soup)
# Do testing on the cloned soup
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