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serpapi

Unified search API across Google, Amazon, Yelp, OpenTable, Walmart, and more

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SerpAPI - Unified Search

SerpAPI provides structured data from Google, Amazon, Yelp, OpenTable, and 20+ other search engines through a single API.

Setup

  1. Get an API key from https://serpapi.com (free tier: 100 searches/month)
  2. Set environment variable: export SERPAPI_API_KEY=your-key-here
  3. Optionally set default location in <workspace>/TOOLS.md:
    ## SerpAPI
    Default location: Pittsburgh, PA
    

Usage

# General syntax
<skill>/scripts/serp.py <engine> "<query>" [options]

# Examples
serp.py google "best coffee shops"
serp.py google_maps "restaurants near me" --location "15238"
serp.py amazon "mechanical keyboard" --num 10
serp.py yelp "pizza" --location "New York, NY"
serp.py google_shopping "standing desk"

Engines

Engine Use for Key features
google General web search Organic results, knowledge graph, local pack
google_maps Local places/businesses Ratings, reviews, hours, GPS coordinates
google_shopping Product search Prices, merchants, reviews
google_images Image search Thumbnails, sources
google_news News articles Headlines, sources, dates
amazon Amazon products Prices, ratings, reviews, Prime status
yelp Local businesses Reviews, ratings, categories
opentable Restaurant reviews Dining reviews, ratings
walmart Walmart products Prices, availability
ebay eBay listings Prices, bids, conditions
tripadvisor Travel/attractions Hotels, restaurants, things to do

Options

Option Description
--location, -l Location for local results (city, zip, address)
--num, -n Number of results (default: 10)
--format, -f Output format: json (default) or text
--type, -t Google search type: shop, isch, nws, vid
--page, -p Page number for pagination
--gl Country code (e.g., us, uk, de)
--hl Language code (e.g., en, es, fr)

When to Use Which Engine

Finding local businesses/restaurants:

  • google_maps โ€” Best for discovering places, hours, reviews
  • yelp โ€” Deep reviews and ratings for restaurants/services
  • opentable โ€” Restaurant-specific, dining reviews

Shopping/Products:

  • google_shopping โ€” Compare prices across merchants
  • amazon โ€” Amazon-specific search with Prime info
  • walmart โ€” Walmart inventory and prices
  • ebay โ€” Used items, auctions, collectibles

General research:

  • google โ€” Web pages, articles, general info
  • google_news โ€” Current events, news articles
  • google_images โ€” Finding images

Examples

Find restaurants near a location

serp.py google_maps "italian restaurants" --location "Pittsburgh, PA" --num 5

Compare product prices

serp.py google_shopping "sony wh-1000xm5" --num 10

Check Amazon reviews and pricing

serp.py amazon "standing desk" --num 10

Get Yelp reviews for local services

serp.py yelp "plumber" --location "15238"

Search news on a topic

serp.py google_news "AI regulation" --num 5

Output Formats

JSON (default): Full structured data from SerpAPI. Best for programmatic use or when you need all details.

Text (--format text): Human-readable summary. Best for quick answers.

Integration Notes

  • Results are structured JSON โ€” parse and extract what you need
  • Local results include GPS coordinates for mapping
  • Shopping results include extracted prices for comparison
  • Knowledge graph provides entity information when available
  • Rate limits: 100/month on free tier, check your plan at serpapi.com/dashboard