If you already have access to Google’s Custom Search JSON API, you can retrieve search results with an HTTPS GET request using an API key, a Programmable Search Engine ID (cx), and a query (q). But Google says the API is closed to new customers. If you are starting a new project, assess alternatives such as Vertex AI Search or a commercial SERP API before building around it.
This guide shows how the supported Google API works, how to request and parse results, what its limits mean, and what to consider if you need Google results for a new application.
What Google’s search API does—and who can use it
Google’s supported API for programmatic search is the Custom Search JSON API. It queries a configured Programmable Search Engine and returns results as JSON. A search engine can be configured for a collection of sites or a supported web scope; it is not automatically a byte-for-byte replica of every result and feature shown on google.com.
Google currently describes the Custom Search JSON API as closed to new customers. Existing customers are told to transition to an alternative by January 1, 2027. That makes access status the first decision, not an implementation detail: an API key or engine ID alone does not establish that a new project can enroll.
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- Already enrolled: confirm that your Google account and project retain API access, then use the request format below.
- Starting now: evaluate Vertex AI Search, which Google names as an alternative, or compare commercial SERP API providers. Confirm each provider’s current coverage, pricing, terms, and result format directly before choosing.
- Need results specifically from google.com: verify that the selected product actually supports your desired scope and result types. Custom Search JSON API results should not be assumed to reproduce every live Google SERP feature.
Set up the API request
1. Configure a Programmable Search Engine
In the Programmable Search control panel, configure the engine for the sites or web scope your application needs, then copy its engine identifier. This identifier is sent as cx. The engine’s scope determines what the API searches; it is not a substitute for the query.
2. Create and protect an API key
Create an API key for the project that will make requests. Treat it as a credential: keep it on a server or in another appropriately protected environment rather than embedding it in browser code that visitors can inspect. Apply the restrictions available for your deployment and monitor usage.
3. Send a URL-encoded GET request
The endpoint is https://www.googleapis.com/customsearch/v1. The required parameters are key, cx, and q. Use a URL-encoding library instead of concatenating a raw query, because spaces, punctuation, and non-ASCII characters must be encoded correctly.
GET https://www.googleapis.com/customsearch/v1?key=API_KEY&cx=SEARCH_ENGINE_ID&q=how+to+scrape+google+search+resultsGoogle’s REST guide documents a maximum request length of 2,048 characters. Keep the complete URL within that limit, including the encoded query and parameters.
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Runnable examples
Replace the example credentials and query with your own. These examples make a single request and parse result items defensively: a successful response can omit items when there are no results.
cURL
curl --get 'https://www.googleapis.com/customsearch/v1'
--data-urlencode 'key=YOUR_API_KEY'
--data-urlencode 'cx=YOUR_SEARCH_ENGINE_ID'
--data-urlencode 'q=how to scrape google search results'Python
import os
import requests
endpoint = "https://www.googleapis.com/customsearch/v1"
params = {
"key": os.environ["GOOGLE_API_KEY"],
"cx": os.environ["GOOGLE_SEARCH_ENGINE_ID"],
"q": "how to scrape google search results",
}
response = requests.get(endpoint, params=params, timeout=30)
response.raise_for_status()
data = response.json()
for item in data.get("items", []):
print(item.get("title", ""))
print(item.get("link", ""))
print(item.get("snippet", ""))
print()Set GOOGLE_API_KEY and GOOGLE_SEARCH_ENGINE_ID in the process environment before running. A timeout prevents the client from waiting indefinitely; handle timeout and HTTP exceptions in production according to your retry policy.
Node.js
const endpoint = 'https://www.googleapis.com/customsearch/v1';
const params = new URLSearchParams({
key: process.env.GOOGLE_API_KEY,
cx: process.env.GOOGLE_SEARCH_ENGINE_ID,
q: 'how to scrape google search results',
});
const response = await fetch(`${endpoint}?${params}`);
if (!response.ok) {
throw new Error(`Google API request failed: ${response.status} ${await response.text()}`);
}
const data = await response.json();
for (const item of data.items ?? []) {
console.log(item.title ?? '');
console.log(item.link ?? '');
console.log(item.snippet ?? '');
}Use a supported Node.js version with built-in fetch, or provide a fetch implementation if your runtime does not include it. As with the other examples, keep credentials out of client-visible application code.
Read the response without assuming results exist
The response includes query metadata and may include an items array. Each result item can contain a title, link, and snippet. Treat these fields as data to validate rather than assuming every result has every field.
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- Use
data.items ?? [](or its language equivalent) so a valid no-results response does not crash the application. - Inspect the
queriesmetadata when implementing pagination. Do not invent page offsets or assume more results exist; follow the next-page information returned by the API. - Use
searchInformationwhen your interface needs the response’s search metadata. Keep this distinct from the individual result list. - Escape result text before inserting it into HTML. API-provided snippets are content, not trusted markup.
Quotas, price, and migration timing
Google’s current overview documents legacy terms for existing Custom Search JSON API customers: 100 queries per day at no charge, then $5 per 1,000 additional requests, with a maximum of 10,000 queries per day. These are existing-customer terms, not an offer new projects can rely on. Google says existing customers have until January 1, 2027 to transition.
Before deployment, recheck Google’s current overview and your project’s actual quota and billing configuration. Track request volume, alert before approaching a limit, and include the migration deadline in your project plan. Do not base a new commercial estimate on legacy prices without confirming they apply to your account.
Display, terms, and the difference from direct scraping
If you show API results to users
Applications displaying Programmable Search results must follow Google’s attribution placement rules. Place the required attribution adjacent to the relevant search box or results as directed by Google’s branding guidance, and review the applicable API and Programmable Search terms before release.
If you mean scraping google.com’s HTML
Automating a browser or fetching result-page HTML directly is a different method from using Custom Search JSON API. The API documentation and terms described here do not settle every legal or contractual question about direct HTML scraping in every jurisdiction. Review current terms and get advice appropriate to your geography and use case rather than assuming direct scraping is universally permitted or prohibited.
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Operational practices for a reliable integration
- Keep the key server-side. Do not publish it in front-end JavaScript, source maps, or client-visible URLs.
- Encode parameters. Use a URL builder or HTTP client parameters so the query is encoded consistently and the request stays within the documented length limit.
- Handle failures separately from empty results. An HTTP/API error is not the same as a valid response with no
items. Log status and safe diagnostic details without recording credentials. - Use bounded retries. Retry only transient failures, with a capped delay and a maximum attempt count. Avoid retry loops that multiply quota use during an outage.
- Cache where the application permits. Caching can reduce repeat requests and improve response times, but retention and display must remain consistent with the applicable terms and your product’s freshness needs.
- Monitor schema and usage. Track error rates, latency, request counts, and changes in response handling. Keep parsing tolerant of absent optional fields.
Troubleshooting common problems
Enrollment or access is unavailable
Google states that the API is closed to new customers. Confirm whether the Google account and project are existing customers with access. If they are not, do not keep rotating keys in an attempt to solve an enrollment restriction; evaluate an alternative search product.
The request reports a missing or invalid parameter
Check that the request includes key, cx, and q, and that none is blank or misspelled. Confirm that cx is the engine identifier, not a project ID, and that the key belongs to the intended project.
The response has no items
This can be a valid no-results response. Read the query metadata and render an empty state rather than treating the missing array as a parsing failure. If results were expected, check the engine’s configured scope and the exact query.
The query works in a browser but fails in the application
Compare the encoded request parameters, engine ID, key restrictions, and server environment. A key restricted to a different application context may not work from your server. Do not solve this by exposing an unrestricted key to users.
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Requests fail on long or unusual queries
Use a URL encoder and check the final request length against Google’s documented 2,048-character limit. Shorten or simplify oversized queries rather than truncating the URL unpredictably.
Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server, not a Google search-results API: it captures a page you specify rather than returning search results for a query. If your workflow also needs clean page captures after you have URLs, one GET request can return an image or PDF. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation.
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Frequently asked questions
What do cx and q mean?
cx identifies the configured Programmable Search Engine, while q contains the search query.
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Does this API return image results?
The Custom Search JSON API supports web or image results through a configured Programmable Search Engine. Configure the engine and request for the result type your application needs.
Can I use the API key directly in a public website?
Keeping the key server-side is the safer default because client code and requests can be inspected. Use the key restrictions appropriate to your deployment and avoid exposing credentials unnecessarily.
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