Google Search API

⚠️ As of January 2025, Google requires JavaScript to render search results. This update aims to block traditional bots, scrapers, and SEO tools that rely on non-JavaScript-based methods. As a result, businesses using Google Search for market research or ranking analysis must adopt tools that support JavaScript rendering.

This repository provides two approaches for collecting Google SERP data:

A free, small-scale scraper suitable for basic data collection
An enterprise-grade API solution built for high-volume and robust data needs

Free Scraper

A lightweight Google scraper for basic data collection needs.

Input Parameters

File: List of search terms to query in Google (required)
Pages: Number of Google pages to scrape data from

Implementation

Modify these parameters in the Python file:

HEADLESS = False        
MAX_RETRIES = 2         
REQUEST_DELAY = (1, 4) 

SEARCH_TERMS = [
    "nike shoes",
    "macbook pro"
]
PAGES_PER_TERM = 3

💡 Tip: Set HEADLESS = False to help avoid Google's detection mechanisms.

Sample Output

Limitations

Google implements several anti-scraping measures:

CAPTCHAs: Used to differentiate between humans and bots
IP Blocks: Temporary or permanent bans for suspicious activity
Rate Limiting: Rapid requests may trigger blocks
Geotargeting: Results vary by location, language, and device
Honeypot Traps: Hidden elements to detect automated access

After multiple requests, you'll likely encounter Google's CAPTCHA challenge:

Bright Data Google Search API

Bright Data's Google Search API provides real-user search results from Google using customizable search parameters. Built on the same advanced technology as the SERP API, it delivers high success rates and robust performance for scraping publicly available data at scale.

Key Features

High Success Rates, even with large volumes
Pay only for successful requests
Fast response time - under 5 seconds
Geolocation targeting – Extract data from any country, city, or device
Output formats – Retrieve data in JSON or raw HTML
Multiple search types – News, images, shopping, jobs, etc
Asynchronous requests – Fetch results in batches
Built for scale – Handles high traffic and peak loads

📌 Test it for free in our SERP Playground:

Getting Started

Prerequisites:
- Create a Bright Data account (new users receive a $5 credit)
- Obtain your API key
Setup: Follow the step-by-step guide to integrate the SERP API into your Bright Data account
Implementation Methods:
- Direct API Access
- Native Proxy-Based Access

Direct API Access

The simplest method is to make a direct request to the API.

cURL Example

curl https://api.brightdata.com/request \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer API_TOKEN" \
  -d '{
        "zone": "ZONE_NAME",
        "url": "https://www.google.com/search?q=ollama&brd_json=1",
        "format": "raw"
      }'

Python Example

import requests
import json

url = "https://api.brightdata.com/request"

headers = {"Content-Type": "application/json", "Authorization": "Bearer API_TOKEN"}

payload = {
    "zone": "ZONE_NAME",
    "url": "https://www.google.com/search?q=ollama&brd_json=1",
    "format": "raw",
}

response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=payload)

with open("serp_direct_api.json", "w") as file:
    json.dump(response.json(), file, indent=4)

print("Response saved to 'serp_direct_api.json'.")

👉 View full JSON output

Note: Use brd_json=1 for parsed JSON or brd_json=html for parsed JSON + full nested HTML.

Learn more about parsing search results in our SERP API Parsing Guide.

Native Proxy-Based Access

Alternatively, you can use our proxy routing method.

cURL Example

curl -i \
  --proxy brd.superproxy.io:33335 \
  --proxy-user "brd-customer-<CUSTOMER_ID>-zone-<ZONE_NAME>:<ZONE_PASSWORD>" \
  -k \
  "https://www.google.com/search?q=ollama"

Python Example

import requests
import urllib3

urllib3.disable_warnings(urllib3.exceptions.InsecureRequestWarning)

host = "brd.superproxy.io"
port = 33335
username = "brd-customer-<customer_id>-zone-<zone_name>"
password = "<zone_password>"
proxy_url = f"http://{username}:{password}@{host}:{port}"

proxies = {"http": proxy_url, "https": proxy_url}

url = "https://www.google.com/search?q=ollama"
response = requests.get(url, proxies=proxies, verify=False)

with open("serp_native_proxy.html", "w", encoding="utf-8") as file:
    file.write(response.text)

print("Response saved to 'serp_native_proxy.html'.")

👉 View full HTML output

For production, load Bright Data’s SSL certificate (see our SSL Certificate Guide).

Advanced Features

Localization

gl (Country Code)

Two-letter country code that determines the country for search results
Simulates a search as if made from a specific country

Example: Search for restaurants in France

curl --proxy brd.superproxy.io:33335 \
 --proxy-user "brd-customer-<customer-id>-zone-<zone-name>:<zone-password>" \
 "https://www.google.com/search?q=best+restaurants+in+paris&gl=fr"

hl (Language Code)

Two-letter language code that sets the language of page content
Affects the interface and search results language

Example: Search for sushi restaurants in Japan (results in Japanese)

curl --proxy brd.superproxy.io:33335 \
 --proxy-user "brd-customer-<customer-id>-zone-<zone-name>:<zone-password>" \
 "https://www.google.com/search?q=best+sushi+restaurants+in+tokyo&hl=ja"

You can use both parameters together for better localization:

curl --proxy brd.superproxy.io:33335 \
 --proxy-user "brd-customer-<customer-id>-zone-<zone-name>:<zone-password>" \
 "https://www.google.com/search?q=best+hotels+in+berlin&gl=de&hl=de"

Search Type

tbm (Search Category)

Specifies a particular search type (images, news, etc.)
Options:
- tbm=isch → Images
- tbm=shop → Shopping
- tbm=nws → News
- tbm=vid → Videos

Example (Shopping search):

curl --proxy brd.superproxy.io:33335 \
     --proxy-user "brd-customer-<customer-id>-zone-<zone-name>:<zone-password>" \
     "https://www.google.com/search?q=macbook+pro&tbm=shop"

ibp (Jobs Search Parameter)

Use specifically for jobs-related searches
Example: ibp=htl;jobs returns job listings

Example:

curl --proxy brd.superproxy.io:33335 \
     --proxy-user "brd-customer-<customer-id>-zone-<zone-name>:<zone-password>" \
     "https://www.google.com/search?q=technical+copywriter&ibp=htl;jobs"

Pagination

Navigate through pages of results or adjust the number of displayed results:

start

Defines the starting point for search results
Examples:
- start=0 (default) - First page
- start=10 - Second page (results 11-20)
- start=20 - Third page (results 21-30)

Example (Start from the 11th result):

curl --proxy brd.superproxy.io:33335 \
     --proxy-user "brd-customer-<customer-id>-zone-<zone-name>:<zone-password>" \
     "https://www.google.com/search?q=best+coding+laptops+2025&start=10"

num

Defines how many results to return per page
Examples:
- num=10 (default) - Returns 10 results
- num=50 - Returns 50 results

Example (Return 40 results):

curl --proxy brd.superproxy.io:33335 \
     --proxy-user "brd-customer-<customer-id>-zone-<zone-name>:<zone-password>" \
     "https://www.google.com/search?q=best+coding+laptops+2025&num=40"

Geo-Location

The uule parameter customizes search results based on a specific location:

It requires an encoded string, not plain text.
Locate the raw location string in the Canonical Name column of Google's geotargeting CSV.
Convert the raw string into the encoded format using a third-party converter or a built-in library.
Include the encoded string in your API request as the value for uule.

curl --proxy brd.superproxy.io:33335 \
     --proxy-user "brd-customer-<customer-id>-zone-<zone-name>:<zone-password>" \
     "https://www.google.com/search?q=best+hotels+in+paris&uule=w+CAIQICIGUGFyaXM"

Device Type

Use the brd_mobile parameter to simulate requests from specific devices:

Value	Device	User-Agent Type
`0` or omit	Desktop	Desktop
`1`	Mobile	Mobile
`ios` or `iphone`	iPhone	iOS
`ipad` or `ios_tablet`	iPad	iOS Tablet
`android`	Android	Android
`android_tablet`	Android Tablet	Android Tablet

Example: Mobile Search

curl --proxy brd.superproxy.io:33335 \
     --proxy-user "brd-customer-<customer-id>-zone-<zone-name>:<zone-password>" \
     "https://www.google.com/search?q=best+laptops&brd_mobile=1"

Browser Type

Use the brd_browser parameter to simulate requests from specific browsers:

brd_browser=chrome — Google Chrome
brd_browser=safari — Safari
brd_browser=firefox — Mozilla Firefox (not compatible with brd_mobile=1)

If not specified, the API uses a random browser.

Example:

curl --proxy brd.superproxy.io:33335 \
     --proxy-user "brd-customer-<customer-id>-zone-<zone-name>:<zone-password>" \
     "https://www.google.com/search?q=best+gaming+laptops&brd_browser=chrome"

Example (Combining browser and device type):

curl --proxy brd.superproxy.io:33335 \
     --proxy-user "brd-customer-<customer-id>-zone-<zone-name>:<zone-password>" \
     "https://www.google.com/search?q=best+smartphones&brd_browser=safari&brd_mobile=ios"

Parsing Results

Receive search results in a structured format using the brd_json parameter:

Options:
- brd_json=1 - Returns results in parsed JSON format
- brd_json=html - Returns JSON with an additional "html" field containing raw HTML

Example (JSON output):

curl --proxy brd.superproxy.io:33335 \
     --proxy-user "brd-customer-<customer-id>-zone-<zone-name>:<zone-password>" \
     "https://www.google.com/search?q=best+hotels+in+new+york&brd_json=1"

Example (JSON with raw HTML):

curl --proxy brd.superproxy.io:33335 \
     --proxy-user "brd-customer-<customer-id>-zone-<zone-name>:<zone-password>" \
     "https://www.google.com/search?q=top+restaurants+in+paris&brd_json=html"

Learn more in our SERP API Parsing Guide.

Hotel Search

Refine hotel searches with these parameters:

hotel_occupancy (Number of Guests)
- Sets the number of guests (up to 4)
- Examples:
  - hotel_occupancy=1 → For 1 guest
  - hotel_occupancy=2 → For 2 guests (default)
  - hotel_occupancy=4 → For 4 guests
Example (Search for hotels in New York for 4 guests):
```
curl --proxy brd.superproxy.io:33335 \
     --proxy-user "brd-customer-<customer-id>-zone-<zone-name>:<zone-password>" \
     "https://www.google.com/search?q=hotels+in+new+york&hotel_occupancy=4"
```

hotel_dates (Check-in & Check-out Dates)

Filters results for specific date ranges
Format: YYYY-MM-DD, YYYY-MM-DD

Example (Search for hotels in Paris from May 1 to May 3, 2025):

curl --proxy brd.superproxy.io:33335 \
     --proxy-user "brd-customer-<customer-id>-zone-<zone-name>:<zone-password>" \
     "https://www.google.com/search?q=hotels+in+paris&hotel_dates=2025-05-01%2C2025-05-03"

Combined Example:

curl --proxy brd.superproxy.io:33335 \
     --proxy-user "brd-customer-<customer-id>-zone-<zone-name>:<zone-password>" \
     "https://www.google.com/search?q=hotels+in+tokyo&hotel_occupancy=2&hotel_dates=2025-05-01%2C2025-05-03"

Parallel Searches

Send multiple search requests simultaneously within the same peer and session—ideal for comparing results.

Send a POST request with a multi array containing search variations
Get a response_id for later result retrieval
Retrieve results using the response_id once processing completes

Step 1: Send Parallel Requests

RESPONSE_ID=$(curl -i --silent --compressed \
  "https://api.brightdata.com/serp/req?customer=<customer-id>&zone=<zone-name>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer API_TOKEN" \
  -d $'{
    "country": "us",
    "multi": [
      {"query": {"q": "top+macbook+for+developers", "num": 20}},
      {"query": {"q": "top+macbook+for+developers", "num": 100}}
    ]
  }' | sed -En 's/^x-response-id: (.*)/\1/p' | tr -d '\r')

echo "Response ID: $RESPONSE_ID"

Step 2: Fetch Results

curl -v --compressed \
     "https://api.brightdata.com/serp/get_result?customer=<customer-id>&zone=<zone-name>&response_id=${RESPONSE_ID}" \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer API_TOKEN"

You can also search for multiple keywords in one request:

{
  "multi":[
    {"query":{"q":"best+smartphones+2025"}},
    {"query":{"q":"best+laptops+2025"}}
  ]
}

Learn more about asynchronous requests here.

AI Overview

Google sometimes includes AI-generated summaries (AI Overviews) at the top of search results. Use brd_ai_mode=1 to increase the chances of seeing these AI-generated overviews:

curl --proxy brd.superproxy.io:33335 \
     --proxy-user "brd-customer-<customer-id>-zone-<zone-name>:<zone-password>" \
     "https://www.google.com/search?q=how+does+caffeine+affect+sleep&brd_ai_mode=1"

Support & Resources

Documentation: SERP API Docs
SEO Use Cases: SEO Tracking and Insights
Other Guides:
Interesting Reads:
Technical Support: Contact Us

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 6 Commits
free_google_scraper		free_google_scraper
google_search_api_outputs		google_search_api_outputs
images		images
README.md		README.md
setup_serp_api.md		setup_serp_api.md

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Repository files navigation

Google Search API

Table of Contents

Free Scraper

Input Parameters

Implementation

Sample Output

Limitations

Bright Data Google Search API

Key Features

Getting Started

Direct API Access

Native Proxy-Based Access

Advanced Features

Localization

Search Type

Pagination

Geo-Location

Device Type

Browser Type

Parsing Results

Hotel Search

Parallel Searches

AI Overview

Support & Resources

About

Uh oh!

Languages

luminati-io/google-search-api

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Google Search API

Table of Contents

Free Scraper

Input Parameters

Implementation

Sample Output

Limitations

Bright Data Google Search API

Key Features

Getting Started

Direct API Access

Native Proxy-Based Access

Advanced Features

Localization

Search Type

Pagination

Geo-Location

Device Type

Browser Type

Parsing Results

Hotel Search

Parallel Searches

AI Overview

Support & Resources

About

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Resources

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