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

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Overview

This node enables users to perform live searches on the Google Play Store via SerpApi's official API. It allows querying apps by search terms, browsing by category, or retrieving top charts and paginated results. This is useful for app market analysis, competitor research, or discovering new apps based on specific criteria.

Practical examples include:

  • Searching for apps related to "fitness" in the US store.
  • Retrieving top free apps in the "Games" category for a specific country.
  • Paginating through app listings using tokens to gather extensive data.
  • Fetching raw HTML or structured JSON output depending on processing needs.

Properties

Name Meaning
Search Query (q) The search term to query apps in the Google Play Store. Cannot be used together with Apps Category or Device parameters.
Additional Fields A collection of optional parameters to refine the search:
- Country (gl) Country code to localize the search (e.g., "us" for United States). Defaults to "us".
- Language (hl) Language code for the search interface (e.g., "en" for English). Defaults to "en".
- Apps Category Select an app store category to browse apps (e.g., "ART_AND_DESIGN", "BUSINESS"). Cannot be combined with a search query.
- Device Defines the device type for sorting results (e.g., "phone", "tablet"). Cannot be used with Apps Category or Search Query.
- Age Age subcategory filter, applicable only when Apps Category is set to "FAMILY" (e.g., "AGE_RANGE1" for ages up to 5).
- Next Page Token Token to retrieve the next page of results. Should not be used with Section Page Token, See More Token, or Chart parameters.
- Section Page Token Safer pagination token for individual sections. Should not be used with Next Page Token, See More Token, or Chart parameters.
- Chart Parameter to show top charts like "topselling_free". Should not be used with pagination tokens.
- See More Token Pagination token found in next page results. Should not be used with Next Page Token, Section Page Token, or Chart parameters.
- Disable Caching (no_cache) Boolean to force fetching fresh results instead of cached ones. Cached results expire after 1 hour. Cannot be used with async parameter.
- Async (async) Boolean to perform asynchronous search submission. Results must be retrieved later via Search Archive API. Cannot be used with no_cache parameter or on accounts with Ludicrous Speed enabled.
- ZeroTrace Mode Enterprise-only boolean to skip storing search metadata on SerpApi servers for privacy. May complicate debugging.
- Output Defines output format: "json" for structured JSON (default), or "html" for raw HTML response.
- JSON Restrictor String to restrict fields in the JSON response, e.g., limiting returned fields to certain properties of organic results.

Output

The node outputs a JSON object containing the search results from the Google Play Store as returned by SerpApi. The structure includes various fields such as app listings, metadata, pagination tokens, and possibly chart information depending on the query.

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

No binary data output is indicated.

Dependencies

  • Requires an active SerpApi account with a valid API key credential configured in n8n.
  • The node sends HTTP requests to https://serpapi.com/search.json with appropriate query parameters.
  • No other external dependencies are required.

Troubleshooting

  • Common Issues:

    • Using incompatible parameters together, e.g., specifying both a search query and an app category, or combining multiple pagination tokens, will likely cause errors or unexpected results.
    • Exceeding API rate limits or quota on SerpApi may result in request failures.
    • Incorrect country or language codes may yield no or irrelevant results.
    • Using async mode without proper retrieval of results later can lead to missing data.

  • Error Messages:

    • Errors related to invalid or missing API keys indicate misconfiguration of credentials.
    • Parameter validation errors occur if mutually exclusive parameters are combined.
    • Network or timeout errors suggest connectivity issues or API service problems.

  • Resolutions:

    • Ensure only compatible parameters are used together as per property descriptions.
    • Verify API key setup and permissions.
    • Check network connectivity and retry failed requests.
    • For async mode, implement logic to fetch results from the Search Archive API subsequently.

Links and References

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