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Get live Google Search data and more from SerpApi's official node

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Overview

This node integrates with SerpApi's official API to perform live Google Local searches. It allows users to query local business listings and related information from Google Maps and Google My Business data. This is useful for applications such as market research, competitive analysis, local SEO monitoring, or finding nearby businesses based on a search query.

For example, you can use this node to:

  • Search for coffee shops near a specific location.
  • Retrieve detailed information about a particular business using its Google Place ID.
  • Customize the search by language, country, device type, or advanced parameters.

Properties

Name Meaning
Search Query (q) The main search term or query string to find local results (e.g., "Coffee").
Location (location) The geographic location from which the search originates. Supports various location names or codes as per SerpApi's locations API.
Additional Fields A collection of optional parameters to refine the search:
- Encoded Location (uule) Google encoded location string; cannot be used together with location.
- Domain (google_domain) The Google domain to use for the search (e.g., google.com, google.co.uk). Many country-specific domains are available.
- Country (gl) Country code to specify the country context for the search (e.g., "us" for United States, "gb" for United Kingdom).
- Language (hl) Language code to specify the language of the search results (e.g., "en" for English, "es" for Spanish).
- Google Place ID (ludocid) The unique Google Place ID (CID) of a Google My Business listing to scrape directly.
- Advanced Search Parameters (tbs) Additional advanced search parameters not possible in the regular query field.
Result Offset (start) Number of results to skip; useful for pagination.
Device (device) Device type to simulate for the search: "desktop" (default), "tablet", or "mobile".
Disable Caching (no_cache) Boolean flag to force fetching fresh results instead of cached ones. Cached results expire after 1 hour.
Async (async) Boolean flag to perform the search asynchronously. If true, results must be retrieved later via a separate API call. Cannot be used with no_cache.
ZeroTrace Mode (zero_trace) Enterprise-only option to disable storing search parameters and metadata on SerpApi servers for privacy.
Output (output) Format of the output: "json" (default) for structured JSON results or "html" for raw HTML content.
JSON Restrictor (json_restrictor) Allows restricting the JSON response fields to specific parts, e.g., limiting organic results to first 3 items with only title and snippet.

Output

The node outputs a JSON object containing the search results returned by SerpApi's Google Local API. The structure includes detailed information about local businesses, such as names, addresses, ratings, reviews, opening hours, and other metadata depending on the query and parameters.

If the output format is set to "html," the node returns the raw HTML content retrieved from the search.

No binary data output is produced by this node.

Dependencies

  • Requires an active SerpApi account and a valid API key credential configured in n8n.
  • Internet access to reach SerpApi's endpoint at https://serpapi.com/search.json.
  • Proper configuration of the API key credential in n8n to authenticate requests.

Troubleshooting

  • Common issues:

    • Invalid or missing API key will cause authentication errors.
    • Using mutually exclusive parameters like both location and uule simultaneously may result in request errors.
    • Setting both no_cache and async to true simultaneously is disallowed and will cause errors.
    • Exceeding API rate limits or quota may lead to request failures.
    • Incorrect country or language codes might yield unexpected or empty results.

  • Error messages:

    • Authentication errors typically indicate invalid or missing API credentials.
    • Parameter validation errors occur if incompatible or invalid parameters are provided.
    • Network or timeout errors suggest connectivity issues or slow responses from SerpApi.

  • Resolutions:

    • Verify API key correctness and permissions.
    • Check parameter combinations and ensure they follow documented constraints.
    • Use caching options appropriately to avoid unnecessary load.
    • Consult SerpApi documentation for correct parameter usage and limits.

Links and References

Discussion