Google Maps Business Categories Scraper

Find businesses on Google Maps and collect the category labels shown on their public listings. Optionally open selected business profiles to collect additional details such as contact information, hours, price, photos, and About-panel attributes.

The Actor uses only category labels Google displays; it does not infer categories from the search phrase. Each dataset row represents one unique business.

Quick start

{
  "queries": ["coffee shops in Seattle"],
  "locationQuery": "Seattle, WA",
  "maxItems": 10,
  "page": 1,
  "maxPages": 2,
  "categoryTerms": ["Coffee Shop"],
  "includeDetails": true
}

Input

Searches

Input	Description
queries	Search phrases (default: coffee shops). searchStringsArray and searchKeywords are aliases; searchQuery accepts one phrase.
startUrls	Public Google Maps search or place URLs. When provided, these replace generated searches. urls is an alias.
locationQuery	Optional location added to generated searches; ignored when start URLs are supplied.

Results and details

Input	Description
maxItems	Maximum unique business records across all sources (default 25). maxCrawledPlacesPerSearch is a legacy alias.
page / maxPages	Starting result batch and maximum batches to inspect per search (defaults: 1 and 3). Maps uses an infinite-scroll feed rather than numbered result pages.
deduplicate	Remove repeated businesses across result batches and input sources (default true).
categoryTerms	Keep records whose visible Maps category contains one of these phrases. The search phrase itself is never used as a category.
includeDetails	Open selected public place profiles for contact information, hours, price, and business attributes (default false).
maxDetailItems	Maximum number of search-result businesses to open (default 5).
includeMedia	Include public photo URLs visible on result cards (default true).

Page settings

Input	Description
renderJavaScript	Render dynamic Google Maps pages in a standard browser (default true). useBrowser is a compatibility alias; if both are set, they must agree.
proxyConfiguration	Optional Apify proxy settings for rendered browsing.
locale	Language preference such as en or en-US. language is a compatibility alias.

Dataset

Each row includes the business name, its visible Maps category labels, and canonical Maps URL. When available, the dataset also includes:

• Place identity: place ID, CID, feature ID, and Knowledge Graph ID.
• Location and contact: address, venue, Plus Code, coordinates, phone, and website.
• Business details: description, current status, weekly hours, price, service options, and accessibility attributes.
• Ratings: displayed star rating, review count, rating distribution, and aggregate review topics.
• Links and photos: menu, ordering, reservation and booking links, plus public business photos.

Review fields are business-level aggregates. Individual reviewer identities, review text, and reviewer media are not collected. Only details visible on the public result or matching profile are included.

{
  "placeId": "ChIJexamplePlaceId",
  "businessName": "Harbor Coffee",
  "title": "Harbor Coffee",
  "categoryName": "Coffee shop",
  "categories": ["Coffee shop", "Cafe"],
  "canonicalUrl": "https://www.google.com/maps/place/Harbor+Coffee/",
  "address": "10 Example Street, Seattle, WA 98101, United States",
  "phone": "+1 206-555-0100",
  "website": "https://harbor-coffee.example/",
  "totalScore": 4.7,
  "reviewsCount": 314,
  "currentStatus": "Open · Closes 6 pm",
  "isOpen": true
}

The example is illustrative. Details vary between businesses. Download the dataset from the Apify run page in JSON, CSV, Excel, or another supported format. Run totals and access outcomes appear in the run output.

Limits and troubleshooting

Google Maps may show different listings and details by area, query, language, and time. Profile information is available only when includeDetails is enabled. If a run returns no businesses or fewer than expected, check the run log and summary for empty results, page failures, or access boundaries.

The Actor uses public Maps pages and does not bypass CAPTCHAs or other access controls. A proxy does not guarantee additional results.

Privacy

The Actor sends search phrases, location settings, or supplied public Maps URLs to Google Maps. Avoid submitting sensitive information. This independent Actor is not affiliated with Google.