[Deprecated] Google Images Scraper

Extract ranked Google Images results for one or more search queries. The Actor returns direct image URLs when available, source pages, result titles, thumbnails, dimensions, source domains, rank positions, and localization metadata.

Use it when you need exportable image-search data for research, SEO, visual merchandising, brand monitoring, competitive analysis, or AI workflows that need image candidates with their source pages.

Quick start

Supply search queries rather than browser result URLs. This existing input limits both the total output and each query:

{
  "queries": ["running shoes", "modern kitchen design"],
  "maxItems": 20,
  "resultsPerQuery": 10,
  "language": "en",
  "country": "us",
  "safeSearch": "active",
  "uniqueImagesOnly": true,
  "minDelaySeconds": 2,
  "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true }
}

Start the Actor, inspect the dataset and export JSON, CSV or Excel. Google can expose fewer results than requested.

Prefer a video guide? This short Apify walkthrough shows you how to set up and run an Actor. It uses a different Actor, but the setup steps are the same.

Ready-to-run examples

• Scrape Google Images by keyword — collect ranked image results for a public search term.
• Export Google image URLs and source pages — export direct image URLs when available, thumbnails, publishers, and source pages.
• Use Google Images as an API — return structured image-search records for API, webhook, SDK, or MCP workflows.
• Research product image competitors — compare publishers and product visuals across commercial searches.
• Audit Google Image SEO rankings — see which pages, domains, and visual formats rank for target keywords.
• Compare localized Google Images results — collect image results for a chosen language and country.

View all ready-to-run Google Images Scraper examples.

What you get

One structured Google Images result with its query, saved position, source page and available direct-image or thumbnail URLs, dimensions, publisher labels and locale settings. These are image candidates with source context rather than downloaded image files or reuse permissions.

Who is it for?

• SEO and content teams checking what visuals rank for commercial keywords.
• E-commerce teams researching product imagery and source pages.
• Brand and reputation teams monitoring image results around brands, people, or campaigns.
• AI builders collecting image candidates and source URLs for downstream review.
• Market researchers comparing localized image results across countries and languages.

How you can use the data

• Review product-visual sources. Use the existing running-shoes query with small total and per-query caps. Keep query, position, sourceDomain, sourceUrl and imageUrl together before inspecting publisher pages manually.
• Prepare a design-reference sheet. Collect a bounded modern-kitchen-design sample and group source domains or themes in your own workflow. A direct image link does not grant rights to reuse the image.
• Compare localized source inventories. Repeat a query with selected language, country and SafeSearch settings, then compare your saved exports by query and source context. Rankings are observations of the requested search rather than a promise of SEO improvement.
• Inspect available image candidates before reuse. Review source pages, exposed dimensions and rights independently. Missing direct-image URLs or dimensions remain unavailable rather than a reason to infer them.

Input settings

Field	Type	Description
queries	array	One or more Google Images search queries. Empty values are ignored.
maxItems	integer	Maximum total image records to save across all queries.
resultsPerQuery	integer	Maximum image records to save for each individual query.
language	string	Google interface language (hl), for example en, es, de, or fr.
country	string	Google country/region (gl), for example us, gb, de, or fr.
safeSearch	string	SafeSearch mode: active or off.
uniqueImagesOnly	boolean	Skip duplicate image/source URLs across pages and queries.
minDelaySeconds	integer	Delay between paginated requests to reduce rate limiting.
proxyConfiguration	object	Optional Apify Proxy settings may help access but cannot guarantee it.

Output data

Illustrative synthetic shape only, not a fresh captured image result or an endorsement of the source:

{
  "query": "running shoes",
  "page": 0,
  "position": 1,
  "title": "The Best Running Shoes for Men in 2026...",
  "source": "Men's Health",
  "thumbnailUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?...",
  "thumbnailWidth": 224,
  "thumbnailHeight": 225,
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/...",
  "sourceDomain": "www.menshealth.com",
  "imageUrl": "https://hips.hearstapps.com/...jpg",
  "imageWidth": 1120,
  "imageHeight": 1121,
  "imageSize": "210KB",
  "googleImageId": "ELT4DI4K-Fif6M",
  "googleResultId": "nJZfuYDvcDQy9M",
  "language": "en",
  "country": "us",
  "safeSearch": "active"
}

More output fields

Field	Description
query	Search query that produced the image result.
page	Zero-based Google Images page index requested by the Actor.
position	Rank position within the query output saved by the Actor.
title	Result title shown by Google Images.
source	Publisher or source label shown by Google.
thumbnailUrl	Google thumbnail image URL.
thumbnailWidth, thumbnailHeight	Thumbnail dimensions when available.
sourceUrl	Page that Google associates with the image result.
sourceDomain	Hostname parsed from the source URL or supplied by Google.
imageUrl	Direct image URL when Google exposes it.
imageWidth, imageHeight	Original image dimensions when available.
imageSize	Image size label when available.
googleImageId, googleResultId	Google result identifiers useful for deduplication/debugging.
language, country, safeSearch	Localization and SafeSearch settings used for the request.

Download your results

Open your run's dataset, choose Export and select JSON, CSV or Excel. JSON keeps nested fields together. CSV and Excel are useful when you want to review the records in a spreadsheet.

See Apify's download and export guide for the available formats and field options.

Pricing

This Actor uses pay-per-event pricing: a small run-start event and one event per image result saved. Exact current tiered rates are always shown on the live Google Images Scraper Pricing tab.

You only pay the per-result event for records saved to the dataset. Failed validation before scraping does not produce result charges.

Tips for best results

• Set both total and per-query caps. A broad query should not consume all of a multi-query sample.
• Keep the supported delay for larger inputs. The existing guidance uses at least two seconds between paginated requests.
• Treat proxy settings as optional access help. They cannot guarantee that Google permits collection.
• Retain source-page links with candidates. Inspect publisher context and rights before using an image outside your research sheet.
• Review per-query counts and failures. A source can expose fewer usable records, and useful earlier rows can remain after a later failure.

Limits and caveats

Use keyword queries rather than pasted Google Images browser-result URLs. Results depend on the requested locale, SafeSearch settings and Google's exposed page data. Direct image URLs, dimensions or size labels can be unavailable.

Google can rate-limit or challenge automated requests. Unusual-traffic and CAPTCHA responses are not silently reported as successful empty searches. If a query fails after other queries save records, the dataset is preserved and the failed query is logged.

When fewer usable records are visible than requested, the Actor returns available results. Duplicate image/source URLs can be skipped when that setting is enabled. Saved positions are local to each query's output rather than a global popularity or quality measure.

The Actor exports metadata and URLs rather than downloading binary images. Review source pages and rights before copying or republishing images. Search-result metadata does not grant reuse rights or guarantee SEO uplift.

Automation and integrations

Save your settings for next time

Once you have an input that works for you, save it as an Apify task. This keeps your settings together so you can use them again without filling in the form from scratch.

Run on a schedule

Need fresh results regularly? You can schedule the Actor or a saved task to run at a time that suits you.

Each scheduled run collects the data again. If you want to compare results or highlight changes, add that step in your own workflow.

Send results to your other tools

Use n8n, Make or Zapier to connect this scraper to the rest of your workflow. For example, you could pass its results to an AI assistant or add records to a spreadsheet. Follow the Apify integration guides for your chosen tool.

For a custom connection, an Apify webhook can notify your app when a run finishes or fails. Your app can then fetch the results or handle the failure.

API usage

Want to collect this data from your own app or automation? The examples below send input to the scraper and show how to collect its results.

The Node.js and Python examples wait for the run to finish before reading its results. The cURL example starts the run and returns its details. Wait for that run to finish, then use its defaultDatasetId to fetch the results.

For setup instructions, see Apify's JavaScript client guide, Python client guide and Actor runs API reference.

cURL

curl -X POST 'https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/fetch_cat~google-images-scraper/runs?token=YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"queries":["running shoes"],"maxItems":20,"resultsPerQuery":10}'

Node.js

import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });
const run = await client.actor('fetch_cat/google-images-scraper').call({
  queries: ['running shoes'],
  maxItems: 20,
  resultsPerQuery: 10,
});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);

Python

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient('YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN')
run = client.actor('fetch_cat/google-images-scraper').call(run_input={
    'queries': ['running shoes'],
    'maxItems': 20,
    'resultsPerQuery': 10,
})
items = client.dataset(run['defaultDatasetId']).list_items().items
print(items)

MCP and AI agents

You can ask your AI assistant to collect data with Google Images Scraper and help you work with the results. The scraper returns the data, and your assistant can then summarize it, compare records or prepare notes.

Connect your assistant through the Apify MCP server. MCP gives your assistant a way to find this scraper, run it and read the results. Follow the official setup and sign-in guide for your app.

Easier setup with an Apify plugin

If you use a supported coding assistant, the official Apify plugin can set up the connection for you. It connects your assistant to Apify and includes instructions for common tasks. Follow the guide for your particular app.

Use Apify AI in Console

Prefer to keep everything in Apify? Open Apify AI in Console and ask it to find Fetch Cat's Google Images Scraper. You can describe the data you want and ask questions about the results.

Apify AI is currently in beta. It asks for confirmation before starting an Actor, and normal run charges apply.

Choose your assistant

• Claude and Claude Code (Anthropic): Apify setup guide.
• ChatGPT and Codex (OpenAI): Apify setup guides.
• Grok Bot (xAI): Apify plugin guide.
• Gemini CLI (Google): MCP server setup guide. Use the server URL below with the HTTP configuration supported by Gemini CLI.

Connect just this scraper

To keep your setup focused on this scraper, add this server configuration to a compatible MCP client:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=fetch_cat/google-images-scraper"
    }
  }
}

Sign in to Apify when your client asks. If your client uses a Bearer token instead, follow its setup guide and keep the token in its secure configuration. Configuration formats vary by app, so use the linked guide if your client needs a different format.

Use Apify's general server

Already connected to the general Apify MCP server at https://mcp.apify.com? You can use it to find this scraper without adding another server. Ask your assistant to use Google Images Scraper by Fetch Cat, or give it the identifier fetch_cat/google-images-scraper.

Your assistant can check the available settings and retrieve the results from the returned run. If the run is still working, it should follow that run rather than start it again. Both connection options use Apify's hosted service.

Example requests

• “Use Fetch Cat’s Google Images Scraper to collect up to 5 results for modern kitchen design in the US. Show source pages, domains and available image links, then help me group the returned themes without downloading files.”
• “Collect up to 5 image-search candidates for electric bikes. Keep sourceDomain and sourceUrl beside exposed image URLs so I can prepare a source-linked research sheet and review rights separately.”
• “Retrieve up to 3 results for running shoes using French language and France country settings with SafeSearch active. Keep query positions, locale and publisher links so I can compare this source inventory with my own earlier export.”

Normal Apify charges apply. Check the live Pricing tab before asking your assistant to run a larger batch.

Pay with x402

If your AI agent has a funded wallet, it can pay for Apify usage through x402. This experimental option lets an agent use Apify without a conventional account.

Apify AGI provides a prepaid API token with a spending cap after payment. Your agent can use that token to run this scraper through the Apify API or an authenticated MCP connection.

Some MCP setups also support paying for each request directly. That is a different payment option, so check the official guide for its availability.

Follow the official guide for wallet setup, supported payment options and current terms. Apify handles the payments. Keep wallet keys and payment tokens in your agent's secure configuration.

Other ways for agents to pay

Apify also supports MPP for prepaid access through AGI and Skyfire for eligible Actors. If your agent already uses one of these, see the agentic payment guide to choose the right setup.

FAQ

How can I scrape Google Images results by keyword?

Put one or more search terms in queries, set maxItems and resultsPerQuery, and run the Actor. It returns ranked Google Images results for those keywords.

Can I export Google Images image URLs, source pages, thumbnails, and dimensions?

Yes. Dataset rows include direct image URLs when exposed, Google thumbnail URLs, source pages/domains, result titles, and image dimensions when available.

Can I scrape direct Google Images result pages?

Use keyword queries in queries. The Actor is designed for search terms, not pasted browser result URLs.

Does it download image files?

No. It exports image URLs, thumbnail URLs, dimensions, and source pages. Downloading and storing binary files should be handled in a downstream workflow if you have the right to do so.

Why did I get fewer items than requested?

Some queries expose fewer structured image records, duplicates can be skipped, or Google may rate limit a page. Check the run log for per-query counts and diagnostics.

Can I localize results?

Yes. Set language and country to the Google locale you want to test, for example en/us, de/de, or fr/fr.

Is it available through API and MCP?

Yes. You can run it with the Apify API, SDK clients, scheduled tasks, webhooks, integrations, or the Apify MCP server.

How should I use the exported URLs responsibly?

Review the source pages and rights before reusing images. This Actor provides search-result metadata. It does not grant rights to copy or republish images.

Related Actors

• Bing Search Results Scraper — Collect ranked web results with titles and snippets. This uses Bing rather than Google.
• Google Shopping Results Scraper for product-search results.
• Google Trends Scraper for current country-level trending topics, without historical keyword-interest data.
• Pexels Scraper — Collect public photo or video metadata and asset links from Pexels searches, without downloading media files.
• Webpage Image Extractor — Collect image URLs and available metadata from known public pages for image audits.

Support and feedback

For custom additions or integrations, email hello@fetchcat.dev.

Found an error or have a feature request? Open an issue with the run URL, a non-sensitive input example and what you expected.

Need help sharing it? See Apify’s guide to sharing a run when reporting an issue. Sharing a run can give the developer access to its input, logs and results, so use a run that contains no sensitive data. Please leave out API tokens, passwords, cookies, private documents and personal data. Use a public sample URL or a redacted example instead.

Tried this scraper? We'd love to hear how it worked for you. Leave a review to help others choose the right tool and help us improve it. Your feedback means a lot to us.

Made with care for curious people, AI agents and the possibilities in data. ♥