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HyTrack API

Hardened FastAPI microservice for courier status scraping with key management, rate limiting, and edge-ready deployment.

github.com
FastAPIPythonSQLiteBcrypt

Product Snapshot

HyTrack API is the service-layer evolution of the HyTrack ecosystem: a FastAPI microservice that exposes courier tracking through a single normalized contract. It is built for direct app/API consumption, rather than inbox-driven workflows.

Problem and Scope

Scraping courier portals directly from each client quickly becomes fragile and repetitive. HyTrack API centralizes that complexity behind one service boundary with:

  • authenticated API access
  • carrier-specific scraping adapters
  • consistent response shape for consumers
  • basic abuse protection and key lifecycle management

Service Architecture

The core architecture is intentionally compact:

  • HTTP API layer: FastAPI request/response surface
  • Auth layer: master key + generated client keys
  • Key storage: SQLite-backed issuance/revocation state
  • Scraper layer: courier adapters hidden behind shared output model
  • Guard rails: rate limits, validation, and concurrency controls

API Access Model

HyTrack API uses a two-tier key strategy:

  1. privileged/master credential for administrative operations
  2. generated client API keys for normal tracking requests

Generated keys are hashed before storage, enabling practical key management without storing client credentials in plaintext.

Courier Adapter Strategy

  • Blue Dart: direct endpoint and parse path for static content
  • Delhivery: Selenium headless route for dynamic rendered content

This split is the same deliberate performance/compatibility tradeoff used in the broader HyTrack stack.

Security Controls in Practice

  • bcrypt hashing for generated client keys
  • constant-time comparison for sensitive key checks
  • input validation on carrier + waybill parameters
  • rate limiting to constrain abuse and scraper load
  • reverse-proxy/WAF compatible deployment guidance

Reliability and Runtime Characteristics

The service is optimized for low-resource deployments while handling mixed scraper workloads. Static carrier requests remain lightweight, while Selenium execution paths are guarded to avoid uncontrolled resource spikes.

Deployment Profile

The project is designed for edge-friendly hosting (including Raspberry Pi class infrastructure) with straightforward reverse-proxy fronting.

Why It Matters

HyTrack API turns scraper-heavy logistics retrieval into an operational backend component with authentication, normalized output, and deployable controls, making it much easier to integrate tracking into apps, bots, and automation systems.

Background by Asif Aether Background by Andrey Soldatov