A replacement for the Google Custom Search JSON API
Google Custom Search JSON API: Closed to new customers; existing customers must move by January 1, 2027. Serpex is a search API: real-time web search results as structured JSON, plus page content extraction. It lists $0.50 – $0.65 per 1,000 searches and is open to new customers today.
Google’s notice checked on 2026-09-28. Source.
What Google announced
“The Custom Search JSON API is closed to new customers. Vertex AI Search is a favorable alternative for searching up to 50 domains.”
“Existing Custom Search JSON API customers have until January 1, 2027 to transition to an alternative solution.”
Quoted from https://developers.google.com/custom-search/v1/overview, checked on 2026-09-28.
What Google recommends instead
Google points customers to Vertex AI Search. Google positions it as "a favorable alternative for searching up to 50 domains". That fits site search across a known set of domains; it is a different job from searching the open web.
Side by side
| Serpex | Google Custom Search JSON API | |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Open to new customers | Closed to new customers; existing customers until January 1, 2027 |
| Search, per 1,000 | $0.50 – $0.65 | "$5 per 1000 queries, up to 10k queries per day" |
| Search + page content, 10 results, per 1,000 | $2.00 – $2.60 | — |
| Free tier | Free credits on signup, no card required | "100 search queries per day for free" |
Before and after
The Google Custom Search JSON API request you are replacing:
curl "https://www.googleapis.com/customsearch/v1?key=$GOOGLE_API_KEY&cx=$SEARCH_ENGINE_ID&q=best+practices+for+REST+API+design"The Serpex request — results, plus the top result pages as markdown:
curl -X POST https://api.serpex.dev/api/search \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $SERPEX_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"q": "best practices for REST API design",
"include_content": true,
"content_results": 5
}'What changes in your code
- Create a Serpex API key (free credits on signup, no card required).
- Point the request at https://api.serpex.dev/api/search. POST with a JSON body is recommended; GET with query parameters also works.
- Drop the key and cx query parameters. Send your key as Authorization: Bearer <your key>; there is no search engine ID to configure.
- Keep the query in q — the parameter name is the same.
- Read results from the results array: each item has title, url, snippet and position.
- Optionally set include_content to get the top 5 or 10 result pages back as markdown on the same request.
Full parameter and response reference in the Search API docs.
Stay with Google’s option if you are an existing customer with a working integration and time before January 1, 2027, or you only need search across a fixed set of up to 50 domains — the case Google points to Vertex AI Search for.
Frequently asked questions
Can new customers still sign up for the Custom Search JSON API?
No. Google's overview page says: "The Custom Search JSON API is closed to new customers. Vertex AI Search is a favorable alternative for searching up to 50 domains."
When does it stop working for existing customers?
Google's overview page says: "Existing Custom Search JSON API customers have until January 1, 2027 to transition to an alternative solution."
Is Vertex AI Search a drop-in replacement?
Google describes it as "a favorable alternative for searching up to 50 domains". If you search a known set of sites, look at it. If you need results from the open web rather than a fixed list of domains, you need a web search API.
Do I need a search engine ID (cx) with Serpex?
No. A Serpex request needs your API key and the query. Nothing else has to be set up first.
How does Serpex pricing compare?
Google's overview page lists "100 search queries per day for free" and says "Additional requests cost $5 per 1000 queries, up to 10k queries per day." Serpex lists $0.50 – $0.65 per 1,000 searches, and $2.00 – $2.60 per 1,000 requests with page content for 10 results. Free credits on signup, no card required.
Test it on your own queries
Free credits on signup, no card required. Run the queries your product depends on before you move production traffic.