# Google Search Results Scraper (`thirdwatch/google-search-scraper`) Actor

Scrape Google Search results for any query. Get titles, URLs, snippets, and site links. Supports web, news, images, videos, and shopping. Filter by country, language, and time range.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/thirdwatch/google-search-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Thirdwatch](https://apify.com/thirdwatch) (community)
- **Categories:** SEO tools, News, Lead generation
- **Stats:** 34 total users, 3 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $5.00 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Google Search Scraper

> **Thirdwatch portfolio:** 8,800+ users across 140+ public Actors, 2M+ records delivered, >95% run success. [Explore all Thirdwatch Actors](https://apify.com/thirdwatch).

> Scrape Google Search results for any query — titles, URLs, snippets, site links, and positions across web, news, images, videos, and shopping.

### What you get

Structured Google Search results across five surface types (web, news, images, videos, shopping) with localization by country and language and time filtering. Every row includes the result's rank, title, URL, and snippet, plus the original query so results from multiple queries stay attributable.

### Output fields

| Field | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `position` | Rank on the search results page |
| `title` | Result title |
| `url` | Destination URL |
| `displayUrl` | Breadcrumb-style URL shown in Google |
| `description` | Snippet / description text |
| `query` | The search query that produced this row |
| `searchType` | Type of search (`web`, `news`, etc.) |
| `page` | Which page of results the row came from |
| `siteLinks` | Sub-links if present (title + URL) |
| `timestamp` | ISO 8601 fetch timestamp |

### Example output

```json
{
    "position": 1,
    "title": "Kubernetes vs Docker: What you need to know in 2026",
    "url": "https://northflank.com/blog/kubernetes-vs-docker",
    "displayUrl": "https://northflank.com > blog > kubernetes-vs-docker",
    "description": "Kubernetes is incredibly powerful but also more complex than Docker alone.",
    "query": "kubernetes vs docker comparison",
    "searchType": "web",
    "page": 1,
    "siteLinks": [],
    "timestamp": "2026-04-22T10:00:00Z"
}
```

### Input parameters

| Parameter | Required | Description |
|-----------|----------|-------------|
| `queries` | Yes | List of search terms to look up on Google. |
| `maxResults` | No | Max total results across all queries. `0` = unlimited. Default `5`, max `10000`. |
| `maxResultsPerQuery` | No | Max results per individual query. Default `50`, max `500`. |
| `countryCode` | No | Country for localized results — `us`, `uk`, `in`, `de`, `fr`, etc. Default `us`. |
| `languageCode` | No | Language — `en`, `es`, `fr`, `de`, `hi`, etc. Default `en`. |
| `searchType` | No | `web`, `news`, `images`, `videos`, or `shopping`. Default `web`. |
| `timeFilter` | No | `any`, `pastHour`, `pastDay`, `pastWeek`, `pastMonth`, `pastYear`. Default `any`. |
| `mode` | No | Advanced: output format. Standard mode returns Google result rows; the alternate mode returns one matched result per company you provide in `targets`, for pipelines that bind results to a known company list. Default standard mode. |
| `targets` | No | Advanced: only used in the alternate `mode`. A list of companies (name, country, and your own tracking IDs) to search for, one result returned per company. |
| `concurrency` | No | Advanced: only used in the alternate `mode`. How many company targets are searched in parallel (1–8). Default `4`. |

### Use cases

- **SEO professionals**: Track keyword rankings and watch competitor positions over time.
- **Market researchers**: Build datasets on how Google surfaces a topic across countries.
- **Content teams**: Find trending angles and spot content gaps.
- **Brand monitoring**: Track mentions in web and news results simultaneously.
- **Academics**: Study search result composition, localization, and ranking drift.

### Use cases & recipes

Step-by-step guides on [thirdwatch.dev/blog](https://thirdwatch.dev/blog):

- [Build a SERP Monitoring Pipeline with Google Search (2026)](https://thirdwatch.dev/blog/build-serp-monitoring-pipeline-with-google-search)
- [Research Competitor Content with Google Search (2026)](https://thirdwatch.dev/blog/research-competitor-content-with-google-search)
- [Scrape Google Search Results at Scale (2026 Guide)](https://thirdwatch.dev/blog/scrape-google-search-results-at-scale)
- [Track Keyword Rankings on Google Search at Scale (2026)](https://thirdwatch.dev/blog/track-keyword-rankings-on-google-search)

### Limitations

- Same query in different `countryCode` values returns different results — plan runs accordingly.
- Very large runs can take longer due to pagination and rate limiting.
- Shopping results may be sparse outside of English-speaking markets.
- Featured snippets, knowledge panels, and People Also Ask blocks are not returned as separate rows — only organic results.

### Compared to alternatives

- **vs. apify/google-search-scraper-lite** (large user base): This actor is priced higher but keeps a single clean schema across all five `searchType` values (web/news/images/videos/shopping) and ships country/language/time filters in one input.

Pairs well with [Google News Scraper](https://apify.com/thirdwatch/google-news-scraper?fpr=9m2cd6) and [Google Maps Scraper](https://apify.com/thirdwatch/google-maps-scraper?fpr=9m2cd6) for full Google-surface coverage.

### FAQ

**Can I track keyword rankings?**
Yes — run the same `queries` on a schedule and compare `position` per query per day.

**How do I get only recent results?**
Set `timeFilter: "pastWeek"` or tighter. For breaking-news topics prefer the Google News Scraper.

**Do results vary by country?**
Yes. `countryCode` and `languageCode` are passed through to Google — `us`/`en` and `in`/`hi` return meaningfully different result sets.

**Can I scrape images or shopping results?**
Yes. Set `searchType` to `images`, `videos`, or `shopping`. Schema shape stays consistent; field availability depends on the surface type.

Last verified: 2026-10

More scrapers at [thirdwatch.dev](https://thirdwatch.dev).

# Actor input Schema

## `mode` (type: `string`):

legacy emits Google result rows. keyed_candidates emits one target-bound candidate-only row per input.

## `targets` (type: `array`):

Only for keyed_candidates. Each target retains its identifiers and yields exactly one terminal candidate-only row.

## `concurrency` (type: `integer`):

Only for keyed_candidates; bounded to 1..8.

## `queries` (type: `array`):

List of search terms to look up on Google. Each query will return up to maxResultsPerQuery results.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Maximum total number of results across all queries. Set to 0 for unlimited.

## `maxResultsPerQuery` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of results to return per query.

## `countryCode` (type: `string`):

Country code for localized results (e.g. 'us', 'uk', 'in', 'de', 'fr').

## `languageCode` (type: `string`):

Language code for results (e.g. 'en', 'es', 'fr', 'de', 'hi').

## `searchType` (type: `string`):

Type of Google search to perform.

## `timeFilter` (type: `string`):

Filter results by recency.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "legacy",
  "targets": [],
  "concurrency": 4,
  "queries": [
    "web scraping tools"
  ],
  "maxResults": 5,
  "maxResultsPerQuery": 50,
  "countryCode": "us",
  "languageCode": "en",
  "searchType": "web",
  "timeFilter": "any"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "queries": [
        "web scraping tools"
    ],
    "maxResults": 5,
    "maxResultsPerQuery": 50,
    "countryCode": "us",
    "languageCode": "en",
    "searchType": "web",
    "timeFilter": "any"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("thirdwatch/google-search-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "queries": ["web scraping tools"],
    "maxResults": 5,
    "maxResultsPerQuery": 50,
    "countryCode": "us",
    "languageCode": "en",
    "searchType": "web",
    "timeFilter": "any",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("thirdwatch/google-search-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "queries": [
    "web scraping tools"
  ],
  "maxResults": 5,
  "maxResultsPerQuery": 50,
  "countryCode": "us",
  "languageCode": "en",
  "searchType": "web",
  "timeFilter": "any"
}' |
apify call thirdwatch/google-search-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,thirdwatch/google-search-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/XgJn70LwEckqzv8Mt/builds/MZeBQ5QG0XUHwmgQT/openapi.json