Simulating Zhihu Login with Python Using urllib and Fiddler

The tutorial begins by outlining the development environment (Windows 7, Python 2.7.5) and tools (Chrome, Fiddler) used to capture the HTTP requests made during a Zhihu login.

It then describes the three‑step simulation process: (1) monitor client‑server communication with Chrome’s Network panel or Fiddler, (2) extract the login URL and required parameters (_xsrf, email/phone_num, password, captcha, remember_me), and (3) programmatically send a POST request using Python.

Key request details such as the POST URL ( https://www.zhihu.com/login/email or /login/phone_num ), hidden fields, and headers (Accept, Content‑Type, X‑Requested‑With, Referer, User‑Agent, etc.) are identified from the captured traffic.

The provided Python source defines a WSpider class that initializes a cookie jar, builds an opener, and offers methods like setRequestData , getHtmlText , saveCaptcha , and output . An example script creates a logger, fetches the homepage to obtain the _xsrf token, prompts the user for credentials and captcha, constructs the POST data, sends the request, parses the JSON response, and saves the resulting page HTML.

Running the script (e.g., python zhiHuLogin.py ) yields three possible outcomes illustrated with screenshots: password error, captcha error, or successful login, after which the authenticated homepage HTML is saved for further crawling.