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