Actions4
Overview
This node provides real-time search results from Google Search, allowing users to perform web searches programmatically within n8n workflows. It is useful for scenarios where up-to-date information retrieval is needed, such as monitoring news, gathering research data, or automating content discovery. For example, you can use it to search for the latest articles on a topic, find websites matching specific criteria, or gather URLs related to a keyword.
Properties
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Query | The search query string. Supports any valid Google search syntax like inurl:, site:, intitle:, etc. |
| Location Settings | Collection of parameters to customize geographic context of the search: - Country: Select the country code to localize search results (e.g., US, UK, DE). - Country Restriction: Restrict results to documents originating in a specific country. - Encoded Location: Directly specify Google's encoded location parameter (cannot be used with Location). - Geographic Location: Define the origin location of the search. |
| Google Domain | Choose the Google domain to use for the search (e.g., google.com, google.co.uk, google.fr), affecting regional search behavior. |
| Language Settings | Collection of language-related options: - Interface Language: Language of the Google interface. - Language Restriction: Restrict results to documents written in selected languages (multiple selections allowed). |
| Search Options | Collection of additional search controls: - Content Filter: Enable/disable duplicate content and host crowding filters. - Device Type: Specify device type (desktop, mobile, tablet) to simulate. - No Auto-Correction: Include or exclude auto-corrected query results. - Optimization Strategy: Optimize request for performance or ad collection success. - SafeSearch: Enable or disable SafeSearch filtering for adult content. |
| Time Filters | Collection to restrict results by date: - Time Period: Predefined ranges like last hour, day, week, month, year. - Time Period Start/End: Custom date range in MM/DD/YYYY format. |
| Pagination | Control pagination: - Results Per Page: Number of results per page. - Page Number: Which page of results to return. |
| Advanced Options | Additional parameters: - Knowledge Graph ID: Specify a Knowledge Graph entity identifier to refine search context. |
Output
The node outputs JSON data containing the search results returned by the API. This typically includes an array of search result items with details such as titles, snippets, URLs, and other metadata depending on the search engine's response. There is no binary output.
Dependencies
- Requires an API key credential for the SearchAPI service.
- The node sends requests to the SearchAPI endpoint at
https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search. - No additional environment variables are required beyond the API key configuration.
Troubleshooting
- Quota Limits: Users may hit the free quota limit of 100 requests. In this case, upgrading the plan or waiting for quota reset is necessary.
- Invalid Query Errors: If the query string is empty or malformed, the API may return errors. Ensure the "Query" property is set and properly formatted.
- Location Conflicts: Using both "Encoded Location" and "Geographic Location" simultaneously may cause conflicts; only one should be set.
- Pagination Issues: Requesting pages beyond available results will return empty arrays.
- SafeSearch Filtering: Enabling SafeSearch may filter out some expected results; disable if full results are needed.