Which search engines does the API support?

The SERP API currently supports Google and Bing, the two largest search engines commanding over 95% of global search market share. Both engines are accessed through a unified API interface that returns consistently structured JSON responses, regardless of which engine you query. This dual-engine support enables comprehensive competitive analysis by comparing how the same keywords perform across different search platforms. The consistent response format means you can build a single parsing pipeline that handles results from both engines without conditional logic or format-specific handlers.

How do I search for specific content types like images or news?

You can target specific content types by including the appropriate search type parameter in your request. Use 'tbm=isch' for Google Image search results, 'tbm=nws' for Google News results, 'tbm=vid' for video results, and 'tbm=shop' for Google Shopping product listings. Simply add these parameters to your API request alongside your search query. Each content type returns specialized data fields relevant to that format, such as image dimensions and source URLs for image search, publication dates and news sources for news results, and product prices and merchant information for shopping results. This flexibility lets you build specialized monitoring tools for visual content, news coverage, or e-commerce competitive intelligence.

Does the API support mobile search results?

Yes, the API fully supports mobile search results through the 'mobile=true' parameter. When enabled, the API retrieves search results as they would appear on a mobile device, which often differ significantly from desktop results. Mobile SERPs tend to prioritize local business listings, featured snippets, and quick-answer cards while displaying fewer traditional organic results per page. This distinction is critical for SEO analysis since Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning your mobile rankings directly influence overall search visibility. By monitoring both mobile and desktop results for the same keywords, you can identify discrepancies and optimize your content strategy for the device types your audience actually uses.

What type of data is returned in the API response?

The API returns a comprehensive structured JSON response containing multiple data categories extracted from the search results page. Organic results include the page title, destination URL, display URL, and meta description snippet for each listing. Featured snippets provide the extracted answer text along with the source URL and content type. Knowledge panels contain entity information with descriptions, images, and key facts. The response also includes People Also Ask questions, related search suggestions, paid advertisements with ad copy and landing pages, local pack business listings with ratings and addresses, and pagination data for navigating through result pages. All data is consistently formatted across search engines for seamless integration.

Are there any rate limits for the API?

Yes, rate limits are determined by your subscription plan to ensure fair usage and consistent performance for all users. The Free plan allows 2 requests per second, Starter 10 and Pro 25. Each search costs 25 credits, so the monthly credit allowance covers roughly 40 searches on Free (1,000 credits), 2,000 on Starter ($29.99/month, 50,000 credits) and 10,000 on Pro ($99.99/month, 250,000 credits). There are no overage charges: when credits run out, requests are rejected until your cycle renews or you upgrade. We recommend implementing request queuing and caching strategies to make the most of your quota.

How does the API handle localized search results?

The SERP API supports geo-targeting through the 'gl' (country code) and 'hl' (language code) parameters, allowing you to retrieve search results as they appear in specific countries and languages. For example, setting gl=GB and hl=en returns results as viewed from the United Kingdom in English. This is essential for international SEO monitoring, local market research, and understanding how search results vary by geographic location. The API accurately reflects regional SERP variations including local business listings, country-specific domains, and culturally relevant content. You can combine these parameters with mobile toggling to analyze localized mobile results, which is particularly valuable for businesses with multi-market presence.

Real-time search engine data extraction

SERP API

Name: SERP API
Brand: API Codex
SKU: serp-api

A powerful API for extracting structured data from search engine results pages (SERPs). This API provides comprehensive access to search results from Google and Bing with consistent JSON formatting for easy integration.

Built for SEO professionals, researchers, and developers who need reliable access to search engine data for competitive analysis, market intelligence, and SEO monitoring.

Get a free API key Read the docs

Free tier included, no credit card required. One key works across every API.

Free calls / month: 40
Search Engines: 2
Result Types: 8+
Response Speed: <1s

Get your free API key

40 free calls on the free plan

Key features

Multi-engine support with consistent format across Google and Bing
URL-based approach for simplified integration
Mobile vs desktop results differentiation
Comprehensive data extraction including ads, knowledge graphs, and related searches
Search type flexibility for images, news, videos, and shopping results
Real-time search engine data retrieval
Structured JSON output for easy parsing

Built for

SEO monitoring and analysis
Competitive intelligence
Market research and trends
Content strategy optimization
SERP feature tracking
Rank monitoring tools
Academic research projects
Business intelligence dashboards

Try it

Build the request for your data

Edit the parameters below and see the exact request and curl command you'd send. No key required to preview.

GET /v1/search

Open in Playground

Parameters

q

engine

Request · HTTP

GET /v1/search?q=hamburger&engine=google HTTP/1.1
Host: api.apicodex.io
X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY

Response · JSON 200 OK

{
"organic": [
  {
    "link": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburger",
    "display_link": "https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Hamburger",
    "title": "Hamburger",
    "description": "A hamburger, or simply a burger, is a dish consisting of fillings..."
  }
],
"related_searches": [
  "hamburger recipes",
  "hamburger near me",
  "best hamburger"
],
"knowledge_graph": {
  "title": "Hamburger",
  "description": "A hamburger is a food consisting of fillings..."
},
"ads": [
  {
    "title": "Best Burgers Delivered",
    "link": "https://example.com/burgers",
    "description": "Order fresh hamburgers online..."
  }
],
"pagination": {
  "current": 1,
  "next": "https://www.google.com/search?q=hamburger&start=10"
}
}

Run it with your key

Documentation

SERP API Documentation

The SERP API provides comprehensive extraction of search engine results data from Google and Bing. This documentation outlines how to effectively integrate and utilize the API for SEO monitoring, competitive analysis, and market research.

Base URL

url

https://api.apicodex.io/serp

Authentication

Authenticate every request with your API key: send it in an X-Api-Key header, or pass it as an ?apikey= query parameter.

headers

{
"X-Api-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
}

Request and response

Illustrative values. Confirm current endpoint behavior, quotas, and data freshness in the API documentation before production use.

request · http

GET /v1/search?q=hamburger&engine=google HTTP/1.1
Host: api.apicodex.io
X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY

response · json

{
"organic": [
  {
    "link": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburger",
    "display_link": "https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Hamburger",
    "title": "Hamburger",
    "description": "A hamburger, or simply a burger, is a dish consisting of fillings..."
  }
],
"related_searches": [
  "hamburger recipes",
  "hamburger near me",
  "best hamburger"
],
"knowledge_graph": {
  "title": "Hamburger",
  "description": "A hamburger is a food consisting of fillings..."
},
"ads": [
  {
    "title": "Best Burgers Delivered",
    "link": "https://example.com/burgers",
    "description": "Order fresh hamburgers online..."
  }
],
"pagination": {
  "current": 1,
  "next": "https://www.google.com/search?q=hamburger&start=10"
}
}

Code examples

curl

curl -X GET "https://api.apicodex.io/serp/v1/search?q=hamburger&engine=google" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

javascript

const axios = require('axios');

const options = {
  method: 'GET',
  url: 'https://api.apicodex.io/serp/v1/search',
  params: {
    q: 'hamburger',
    engine: 'google',
    mobile: 'false'
  },
  headers: {
    'X-Api-Key': 'YOUR_API_KEY'
  }
};

try {
  const response = await axios.request(options);
  console.log(response.data);
} catch (error) {
  console.error(error);
}

python

import requests

url = "https://api.apicodex.io/serp/v1/search"

querystring = {
    "q": "hamburger",
    "engine": "google",
    "mobile": "false"
}

headers = {
    "X-Api-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
}

response = requests.get(url, headers=headers, params=querystring)

print(response.json())

Search Parameters

Required parameters

q Search query string
engine Search engine (google, bing)

Optional parameters

mobile Set to true for mobile results
tbm Search type (isch=images, nws=news, vid=videos, shop=shopping)
gl Country code for localized results
hl Language code

Coming soon · MCP

Use the SERP API from your AI agent

The API Codex MCP server will expose this API, and the rest of the catalog, to Claude, Cursor and any MCP client as tools. Same key, same credits, one config entry.

About the MCP server →

Pricing

SERP API Pricing

This API costs 25 credits per request. Credits are shared across every API on your plan.

Estimate your monthly cost

Drag the slider to match your expected request volume. We'll recommend the cheapest plan that covers it.

Requests per month 10,000

Recommended plan

Starter

$29.99 /month

Credits used

Credits included

Cost per 1K requests

Choose Starter

Free

1,000 credits · ~40 requests/mo · 2 rps

All APIs included
No credit card required
Full documentation and examples

Start for free

Starter

Popular

$29.99 /month

50,000 credits · ~2,000 requests/mo · 10 rps

All APIs included
Email support
Usage dashboard and analytics

Start with Starter

Pro

$99.99 /month

250,000 credits · ~10,000 requests/mo · 25 rps

All APIs included
Priority support
Up to 5 API keys

Start with Pro

FAQ

SERP API

Key features

Built for

Build the request for your data

SERP API Documentation

Base URL

Authentication

Request and response

Code examples

Search Parameters

Required parameters

Optional parameters

Use the SERP API from your AI agent

SERP API Pricing

Free

Starter

Pro

Need a different plan?

Frequently asked questions

Related APIs