# Google Autocomplete Keyword Expander: Google, YouTube, Shopping (`variegated_binturong/google-autocomplete-keyword-expander`) Actor

Long-tail keyword ideas from Google, YouTube and Shopping autocomplete with A-Z, number and question expansion, deduplicated.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/variegated_binturong/google-autocomplete-keyword-expander.md
- **Developed by:** [Luigi Fiano](https://apify.com/variegated_binturong) (community)
- **Categories:** SEO tools, Marketing
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$2.40 / 1,000 suggestion delivereds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

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 Autocomplete Keyword Expander: Google, YouTube, Shopping

Turn one seed keyword into **hundreds of real long-tail searches** taken straight from Google autocomplete, the suggestions people see while they type.

### What you get per suggestion

- **Keyword** as suggested by Google
- **Seed** and the **modifier** that produced it (a-z, 0-9, question word or your own)
- **Source**: Google web, YouTube, Google Shopping, News or Images
- **Position** in the suggestion list (1 = most likely)
- **Word count**, **isQuestion** flag, whether it contains the seed
- Language and country used

Suggestions are deduplicated per seed and source.

### Why people use it

- Keyword research and content plans without a paid SEO tool
- YouTube titles and video ideas from YouTube autocomplete
- Product research from Google Shopping autocomplete
- FAQ and "People also ask" style questions with question expansion (question words in English, Italian, Spanish, French, German and Portuguese)
- Local markets: any language and country

### Input example

```json
{
  "keywords": ["running shoes", "protein powder"],
  "sources": ["google", "youtube"],
  "language": "en",
  "country": "us",
  "expandAlphabet": true,
  "expandQuestions": true,
  "modifierPosition": "suffix"
}
```

### Output example

```json
{
  "keyword": "running shoes for flat feet",
  "seed": "running shoes",
  "source": "google",
  "query": "running shoes f",
  "modifier": "f",
  "position": 1,
  "wordCount": 5,
  "isQuestion": false,
  "containsSeed": true,
  "language": "en",
  "country": "us"
}
```

The key-value store record `SUMMARY` holds counts per seed (suggestions, questions, long-tail with 4+ words) and the 50 most frequent extra words, a quick map of the topic clusters around your seed.

### Pricing (pay per result)

You pay only for unique suggestions delivered. Duplicates and failed requests are free.

| Event | Price |
|---|---|
| Suggestion delivered | $0.0024 |

Example: one seed with A-Z expansion gives roughly 150-250 unique suggestions, about $0.40-0.60.

Use "Max cost per run" and "Max suggestions per seed" to cap spending.

### Limitations

- Autocomplete shows what is searched, not how much. Pair it with a search volume or Google Trends tool.
- Google personalises and filters suggestions; results can change from day to day.

### Data and legality

Autocomplete suggestions are public, aggregated and anonymous. This Actor collects no personal data.

### Support

Open an issue on the Actor page with the seed and run link.

# Actor input Schema

## `keywords` (type: `array`):

One seed per line. Each seed is expanded with the modifiers below.

## `sources` (type: `array`):

google, youtube, shopping, news, images.

## `language` (type: `string`):

Two-letter code such as en, it, de, es, fr.

## `country` (type: `string`):

Two-letter code such as us, gb, it, de.

## `expandAlphabet` (type: `boolean`):

seed a, seed b ... seed z (about 27 requests per seed).

## `expandNumbers` (type: `boolean`):

seed 0 ... seed 9.

## `expandQuestions` (type: `boolean`):

how, what, why, best, vs, for, near and more. Works best with prefix position.

## `customModifiers` (type: `array`):

Your own words to combine with every seed, for example: price, review, 2026.

## `modifierPosition` (type: `string`):

Put the modifier after the seed (running shoes a) or before it (how running shoes).

## `excludeWords` (type: `array`):

Brand names or words you do not want.

## `maxSuggestionsPerSeed` (type: `integer`):

Safety limit. You pay only for unique suggestions delivered.

## `maxRetries` (type: `integer`):

Exponential backoff on 429 and 5xx.

## `delayMs` (type: `integer`):

Raise it if you see many retries.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "keywords": [
    "running shoes"
  ],
  "sources": [
    "google"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "country": "us",
  "expandAlphabet": true,
  "expandNumbers": false,
  "expandQuestions": false,
  "modifierPosition": "suffix",
  "maxSuggestionsPerSeed": 500,
  "maxRetries": 4,
  "delayMs": 150
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (type: `string`):

No description

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

No description

## `summary` (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 = {
    "keywords": [
        "running shoes"
    ],
    "sources": [
        "google"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("variegated_binturong/google-autocomplete-keyword-expander").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 = {
    "keywords": ["running shoes"],
    "sources": ["google"],
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("variegated_binturong/google-autocomplete-keyword-expander").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 '{
  "keywords": [
    "running shoes"
  ],
  "sources": [
    "google"
  ]
}' |
apify call variegated_binturong/google-autocomplete-keyword-expander --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,variegated_binturong/google-autocomplete-keyword-expander"
        }
    }
}
```

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/vPEZlrThCPEnatqI9/builds/fBvhXsx06dBAtR2Ww/openapi.json