SerpAPI

SerpAPI is a real-time API that extracts Google search results and converts them into structured JSON data, eliminating the need to manage proxies, solve CAPTCHAs, or parse HTML yourself. Built for developers, SEO professionals, and data scientists, SerpAPI handles the technical complexity of web scraping so you can focus on analysis.

With 5-star ratings on Trustpilot across 86 reviews and users relying on it for 7+ years, SerpAPI has proven itself as the most reliable search results API on the market. The platform supports 80+ search engines including Google, Bing, Baidu, and Yandex, with average response times of ~2.5 seconds.

What sets SerpAPI apart is its full-browser execution that mimics human behavior, solving all CAPTCHAs automatically and extracting rich structured data from organic results, Maps, Local results, Shopping, Knowledge Graph, and more. Every plan includes a 99.95% SLA guarantee with 100% credit penalty for downtime.

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Details

Category: API Development

Pricing: Freemium

Type of Pricing: Monthly

Best For: SEO professionals and data scientists

Last Edited: January 30, 2025

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Key Features

Automatic CAPTCHA Solving and Proxy Management

SerpAPI handles all the technical infrastructure required to scrape search results at scale, running every request in a full browser that mimics human behavior.

• Automatic CAPTCHA solving: No need to integrate third-party CAPTCHA solvers—SerpAPI handles it
• Global proxy network: Requests routed through nearest proxy server for speed and accuracy
• Geolocation support: Get search results from any location worldwide using Google’s geolocated params
• No IP blocking: SerpAPI’s infrastructure prevents IP bans and rate limiting

Structured JSON Output with Rich Data

SerpAPI parses raw HTML into clean, structured JSON with all SERP features extracted and ready for analysis.

• Organic results: Title, URL, snippet, position, rich snippets
• Knowledge Graph: Entities, facts, images, related searches
• Local Pack: Business names, addresses, ratings, reviews, phone numbers
• Shopping results: Prices, thumbnails, merchants, product details
• News, Images, Videos: Full metadata for all SERP features
• Related searches: People Also Ask, Related Searches, autocomplete suggestions

Multi-Engine Support (80+ Search Engines)

Access search results from Google and 79+ other search engines with a single API, using consistent JSON structure across all engines.

• Google: All SERP features including Maps, Shopping, News, Images, Videos
• Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo: Alternative search engines with full parsing
• Baidu, Yandex: International search engines for global SEO
• Specialized engines: Google Scholar, Google Jobs, Amazon, eBay, YouTube

99.95% Uptime SLA with Credit Guarantee

SerpAPI offers industry-leading reliability with contractual uptime guarantees and automatic credits for any downtime.

• 99.95% SLA: Guaranteed uptime across all plans with monitoring
• 100% credit penalty: If SLA is breached, receive up to 100% of monthly cost as credits
• Only successful searches counted: Cached, errored, or failed searches don’t count toward limits
• 7-day refund policy: Full refund if you’ve used less than 20% of searches

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Use Cases

SEO Rank Tracking and Competitor Analysis

SEO professionals use SerpAPI to track keyword rankings, monitor competitors, and analyze SERP features at scale.

Example workflow:

1. Define target keywords and locations to track
2. Query SerpAPI daily for each keyword/location combination
3. Extract organic positions, featured snippets, and local pack data
4. Store results in database for historical tracking
5. Generate ranking reports showing position changes over time

Market Research and Price Monitoring

E-commerce businesses monitor competitor pricing and product availability across Google Shopping and other marketplaces.

Example use case:

• Track product prices from Google Shopping for 1,000+ SKUs
• Monitor stock availability and merchant changes
• Detect price drops or new competitors entering the market
• Automate alerts when competitors change pricing
• Build competitive intelligence dashboards

Content Gap Analysis and Keyword Research

Content marketers identify content opportunities by analyzing what’s currently ranking for target keywords.

Example workflow:

1. Query SerpAPI for seed keywords in your niche
2. Extract “People Also Ask” and “Related Searches” data
3. Analyze top 10 organic results for content structure
4. Identify content gaps where competitors are weak
5. Build content briefs based on SERP feature analysis

Data Enrichment for Lead Generation

Sales teams enrich B2B leads with data extracted from Google Maps, reviews, and business listings.

Example workflow:

1. Query Google Maps API with business name and location
2. Extract phone numbers, addresses, websites, ratings, and reviews
3. Enrich CRM records with verified contact information
4. Score leads based on review ratings and business hours
5. Automate outreach to high-value prospects

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Pros

• Free tier available: 100-250 searches/month for personal projects and testing at no cost
• Automatic CAPTCHA solving: No need for third-party CAPTCHA services or manual intervention
• Structured JSON output: Skip HTML parsing—get clean, structured data ready for analysis
• 99.95% SLA guarantee: Industry-leading reliability with financial penalties for downtime
• Only successful searches counted: Failed requests don’t count toward your quota
• 80+ search engines supported: Single API for Google, Bing, Baidu, Yandex, and more
• Geolocation support: Get search results from any location worldwide
• Excellent documentation: Clear API docs with code examples in 10+ languages
• Responsive support: Fast email support praised across reviews
• Flexible billing: Upgrade/downgrade anytime without penalties

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Cons

• Higher cost than alternatives: Paid plans ($50-$2,500/mo) are pricier than ScraperAPI or Oxylabs
• Free tier limitations: 100-250 searches/month may not be enough for production use
• Learning curve for beginners: Requires programming knowledge—not a no-code tool
• Search-based pricing: Costs add up quickly for high-volume use cases
• Limited customization: Can’t customize scraping logic beyond API parameters
• No visual interface: API-only tool with no GUI for non-developers
• Enterprise pricing not public: Must contact sales for custom pricing above $2,500/mo

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Pricing and Plans

Plan	Price	Key Features	Best For
Free	$0/mo	100-250 searches/month, All engines, Standard speed, Community support	Personal projects and testing
Developer	$50/mo	5,000 searches, Standard speed, All engines, 99.95% SLA	Small-scale production use
Production	$250/mo	30,000 searches, Standard speed, All engines, Priority support	Small SEO agencies
Business	$750/mo	100,000 searches, Ludicrous Speed option, Dedicated support	Growing businesses
Scale	$2,500/mo	500,000 searches, Ludicrous Speed Max, Custom integrations	Enterprise SEO platforms
Enterprise	Custom	100,000+ included searches, Reserved pricing, SLA guarantees, Dedicated account manager	Large-scale data operations

Additional search costs:

• On-demand searches: $7.50 per 1,000 searches ($15 with Ludicrous Speed)
• Reserved searches: $2.75 per 1,000 searches ($5.50 with Ludicrous Speed)

Free trial: None, but 7-day full refund if you’ve used less than 20% of searches

Money-back guarantee: 7 days (if less than 20% of searches used)

SLA: 99.95% uptime with 100% credit penalty across all plans

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Conclusion

Bottom line: SerpAPI is the most reliable and feature-complete search results API for developers and SEO professionals who need structured Google data at scale. With a free tier for testing and paid plans with 99.95% SLA, it’s ideal for both prototyping and production use.

SerpAPI is worth it if:

• You’re starting with the free tier (100-250 searches/month) for personal projects or testing
• You need production-grade reliability with SLA guarantees for business-critical use cases
• Automatic CAPTCHA solving and proxy management are must-haves
• You’re building SEO tools, rank trackers, or market research platforms
• You value structured JSON output over raw HTML scraping
• You’re willing to pay premium pricing ($50+/mo) for excellent documentation and support

Skip it if:

• You only need occasional manual searches (Google directly may suffice)
• You’re a non-developer looking for a no-code tool (use BrightLocal or SEMrush instead)
• You can build custom scrapers in-house and manage proxies yourself
• You need visual data extraction tools (try ParseHub or Octoparse)
• The free tier isn’t enough but paid plans exceed your budget (try ScrapingBee)

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How does SerpAPI solve CAPTCHAs automatically?

A: SerpAPI runs every request in a full browser environment that mimics human behavior, including mouse movements, scrolling, and realistic timing. Their infrastructure automatically detects and solves CAPTCHAs using advanced techniques, eliminating the need for third-party CAPTCHA services like 2Captcha or Anti-Captcha.

Q: What happens if I exceed my monthly search limit?

A: SerpAPI offers flexible billing—your account won’t be halted if you exceed limits. You’ll be charged for additional searches at either on-demand rates ($7.50/1k) or reserved rates ($2.75/1k). You can set usage alerts to avoid unexpected charges, and you can upgrade/downgrade plans anytime.

Q: How does SerpAPI compare to ScraperAPI or Oxylabs?

A: SerpAPI is specialized for search results with structured JSON output, while ScraperAPI and Oxylabs are general-purpose web scrapers. SerpAPI costs more but offers better parsing, automatic SERP feature extraction, and search-engine-specific optimizations. For Google search specifically, SerpAPI is superior; for general web scraping, alternatives may be cheaper.

Q: Is using SerpAPI legal?

A: Yes, SerpAPI operates under the hiQ Labs v. LinkedIn legal precedent that protects publicly available data scraping. However, you’re responsible for how you use the data—comply with Google’s Terms of Service, respect robots.txt, and don’t use data for prohibited purposes. SerpAPI provides tools; you’re responsible for ethical use.

Q: Can I get historical search results or only real-time data?

A: SerpAPI provides real-time search results only—it queries search engines live when you make an API request. For historical SERP data, you’d need to store results yourself over time or use specialized tools like Wayback Machine or historical SEO databases like Ahrefs or SEMrush.