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

Shopping/Products:

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

General research:

• google — Web pages, articles, general info
• google_news — Current events, news articles
• google_images — 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 — 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