# Keyword Ideas: Google, YouTube & Bing Autocomplete (`watchmere/keyword-ideas-autocomplete`) Actor

Hundreds of long-tail keyword ideas per seed from Google, YouTube, Bing and DuckDuckGo autocomplete. Alphabet and question expansion, 35+ countries and any language, optional monthly search volume, CPC and competition. Export to CSV, Excel or JSON.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/watchmere/keyword-ideas-autocomplete.md
- **Developed by:** [Watchmere .](https://apify.com/watchmere) (community)
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.00 / 1,000 keyword ideas

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

### What does Keyword Ideas do?

Keyword Ideas turns a few seed keywords into **hundreds of long-tail keyword ideas** taken straight from the
autocomplete boxes of **Google, YouTube, Bing and DuckDuckGo**: the searches real people type every day.

Give it "coffee maker" and it types "coffee maker a", "coffee maker b", "how coffee maker", "coffee maker vs"
and so on, collecting every suggestion. Optionally it adds **monthly search volume, cost per click and ad
competition** from Google Ads data, so you can see which ideas are worth writing about or bidding on.

- Works in 35+ countries and any language Google supports
- No login, no API key, no browser extension
- Export to CSV, Excel, JSON or Google Sheets, or call it from your own code, Zapier, Make or n8n

### Why use it?

- **Content and SEO:** find the questions and long-tail phrases people search for, then plan articles around them
- **YouTube creators:** see what viewers type into YouTube search before you pick a title
- **Amazon, Etsy and shop owners:** find the words buyers use for your products
- **PPC:** build keyword lists with cost per click and competition in one run
- **Agencies:** run hundreds of seed keywords for many clients at once, on a schedule

### How to use it

1. Enter one or more **seed keywords**, one per line.
2. Pick the **sources** (Google is the richest; YouTube is best for video ideas).
3. Choose **how deep to dig**:
   - *Alphabet* adds a–z and 0–9 after the keyword: usually 150–350 ideas per keyword from Google
   - *Questions and comparisons* adds how, what, why, best… before it and for, with, vs… after it
   - *Everything* does both: around 450–500 ideas per keyword from Google
4. Pick a **country** and **language**.
5. Optional: switch on **search volume, CPC and competition**.
6. Click **Start**, then download the results from the Output tab.

### Input example

```json
{
  "keywords": ["coffee maker", "fishing kayak"],
  "sources": ["google", "youtube"],
  "expand": "alphabet",
  "country": "us",
  "language": "en",
  "maxSuggestionsPerKeyword": 300,
  "includeSearchVolume": false
}
```

### Output example

Each idea is one row:

```json
{
  "keyword": "coffee maker",
  "suggestion": "coffee maker with grinder",
  "source": "google",
  "query": "coffee maker w",
  "modifier": "w",
  "position": 1,
  "wordCount": 4,
  "country": "US",
  "language": "en"
}
```

With search volume switched on, each row also has:

```json
{
  "searchVolume": 9900,
  "cpc": 1.12,
  "competition": "HIGH",
  "competitionIndex": 100,
  "lowTopOfPageBid": 0.45,
  "highTopOfPageBid": 1.6,
  "monthlySearches": [{ "year": 2026, "month": 9, "searchVolume": 12100 }]
}
```

| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| keyword | The seed keyword you entered |
| suggestion | The keyword idea |
| source | google, youtube, bing or duckduckgo |
| query / modifier | What was typed to get this idea, and the letter or word that was added |
| position | Where the idea appeared in the suggestion list (1 = top) |
| searchVolume | Average monthly Google searches (last 12 months) |
| cpc | Average cost per click in USD |
| competition / competitionIndex | How many advertisers bid on it (LOW/MEDIUM/HIGH and 0–100) |
| low/highTopOfPageBid | Typical bids to appear at the top of the page, USD |
| monthlySearches | Searches per month for the last 12 months |

### How much does it cost?

You pay only for the ideas you get. See the **Pricing** tab for the current rates: one price per idea saved,
plus a small extra charge for each idea that comes back with search volume. The extra charge applies only when
Google Ads actually has data for that idea.

Runs are quick: three keywords with *Everything* from Google and YouTube (about 2,400 ideas) take a few seconds.

Set a **maximum cost per run** in the run options and the Actor stops cleanly when it gets there. If a run is
restarted (for example when Apify moves it to another server), it carries on where it stopped instead of
saving and charging for the same ideas again.
**Max ideas per keyword and source** also keeps runs predictable: 3 keywords × 2 sources × 300 = at most 1,800 ideas.

### Tips

- Start with *Alphabet* and Google only. Add YouTube for video ideas and Bing or DuckDuckGo for extra wording.
- Short seeds (1–3 words) give the most ideas.
- Schedule a weekly run to catch new searches as they appear.
- Use the *With search volume* view on the Output tab to sort by monthly searches.

### FAQ

**Is this legal?** The Actor reads the public suggestion lists that every search engine shows to anyone typing in
its search box. It doesn't log in and collects no personal data. You are responsible for how you use the results.

**Why do some ideas have no search volume?** Google Ads doesn't report volume for very rare searches, or for
phrases longer than 10 words or 80 characters. Those ideas don't get the extra search volume charge.

**Why did a source return nothing?** Search engines sometimes slow down or block heavy traffic. Keep Apify Proxy
switched on (the default). If one source stops answering, the run carries on with the others and says so in the log.

**Something isn't working or you'd like a feature?** Open an issue on the Issues tab. Fixes usually ship within a
day or two.

# Actor input Schema

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

The topics to find ideas for, one per line. Each one is typed into the search box the way a person would, and every suggestion the search engine offers comes back as a result.

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

Google gives the most ideas. YouTube shows what people want to watch. Bing and DuckDuckGo add different wording.

## `expand` (type: `string`):

Alphabet adds a-z and 0-9 after each keyword ("coffee maker a", "coffee maker b"...), which finds hundreds of long-tail ideas. Questions adds how/what/why/best before it and for/with/vs after it. Everything does both.

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

Suggestions (and search volume) for searchers in this country.

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

Two-letter language code, for example en, es, de, fr or pt-br.

## `maxSuggestionsPerKeyword` (type: `integer`):

Stops collecting for a keyword once this many unique ideas are found from a source. Keeps cost predictable.

## `includeSearchVolume` (type: `boolean`):

Adds monthly Google search volume, the last 12 months of searches, cost per click and ad competition for each idea (Google Ads data). Ideas that come back with search volume are charged at the higher rate shown on the Pricing tab.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Apify Proxy keeps the search engines from slowing down large runs. The default works for most people.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "keywords": [
    "coffee maker",
    "fishing kayak"
  ],
  "sources": [
    "google",
    "youtube"
  ],
  "expand": "alphabet",
  "country": "us",
  "language": "en",
  "maxSuggestionsPerKeyword": 300,
  "includeSearchVolume": false,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}
```

# 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 = {
    "keywords": [
        "coffee maker",
        "fishing kayak"
    ],
    "sources": [
        "google",
        "youtube"
    ],
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("watchmere/keyword-ideas-autocomplete").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": [
        "coffee maker",
        "fishing kayak",
    ],
    "sources": [
        "google",
        "youtube",
    ],
    "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("watchmere/keyword-ideas-autocomplete").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": [
    "coffee maker",
    "fishing kayak"
  ],
  "sources": [
    "google",
    "youtube"
  ],
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}' |
apify call watchmere/keyword-ideas-autocomplete --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

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/0QQCGZGZm3N516aHS/builds/OxbVfNwLVaEHeVyeY/openapi.json