# Google Maps results API: the places Google Maps lists, as JSON

> Google Maps results API: business listings for any query and city as JSON, with address, rating, hours and coordinates. From $0.30/1K searches, no KYC.

- URL: https://serpcrypto.com/google-maps-api/
- Last updated: 2026-10-22
- Publisher: SerpCrypto (https://serpcrypto.com)

Send a search such as "coworking space" with a city, and get back the business listings Google Maps shows there: name, category, address, rating, review count, opening hours and coordinates.

**Quick answer — Is there an API that returns Google Maps search results as JSON?**

Yes. With **SerpCrypto**, set `engine=google_maps`, a query and a `location`, and the API returns the business listings Google Maps shows for that search as JSON: name, category, address, phone, website, rating, review count, hours and coordinates. Each successful search costs one credit, from $0.30/1K searches as of October 2026. No KYC; pay in crypto.

## Google Maps results with SerpCrypto

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Endpoint | `GET https://serpcrypto.com/api/v1/search?engine=google_maps&q=…&location=…` |
| Array returned | `local_results` |
| Fields per place | `position`, `title`, `place_id`, `address`, `phone`, `website`, `rating`, `reviews`, `type`, `hours`, `gps_coordinates` |
| Not returned | Review texts, reviewer names, photos of people |
| Price | 1 credit per search; 25,000 searches for $18.75, 100,000 searches for $56.25 |
| Payment | BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC; no KYC, no card |

## What does a Google Maps search return?

It returns a `local_results` array with one object per business, in the order Google Maps listed them. Fields Google does not show for a business, such as a website or opening hours, are left out of that object.

| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `position` | Rank in the Maps list, starting at 1 |
| `title` | Business name as displayed |
| `place_id` | Google's identifier for the place, useful to match the same business over time |
| `address` | Address line as displayed |
| `phone`, `website` | Business contact details shown on the listing |
| `rating`, `reviews` | Average star rating and number of reviews |
| `type` | Main category, such as "Dental clinic" |
| `hours` | Opening hours as shown |
| `gps_coordinates` | `latitude` and `longitude` |

The API returns the listing as Google displayed it at search time. It does not read the text of reviews.

*Python: save the Maps listings for a query and a city to CSV*

```python
import csv
import os

import requests

API = "https://serpcrypto.com/api/v1/search"
HEADERS = {"Authorization": "Bearer " + os.environ["SERPCRYPTO_API_KEY"]}
FIELDS = ["position", "title", "type", "address", "rating", "reviews", "website"]

params = {
    "engine": "google_maps",
    "q": "coworking space",
    "location": "Lisbon, Portugal",
    "gl": "pt",
    "hl": "en",
}
resp = requests.get(API, headers=HEADERS, params=params, timeout=60)
resp.raise_for_status()
places = resp.json().get("local_results", [])

with open("coworking-lisbon.csv", "w", newline="", encoding="utf-8") as fh:
    writer = csv.DictWriter(fh, fieldnames=FIELDS, extrasaction="ignore")
    writer.writeheader()
    for place in places:
        writer.writerow(place)
print(len(places), "places saved")

```

## How is this different from Google's Places API?

Google's own Places API (New) is a different product. It lets an application look up places and their details through Google's developer platform, with its own keys, quotas, terms and billing. You use it when your app needs place data as a building block, for example an address form or a store finder.

The SerpCrypto Maps engine answers another question: what does a person see when they search Google Maps for this phrase in this place, and in what order? That ranking is what local SEO teams, market researchers and directory builders need to measure, and it is not what a place lookup returns.

## Should I use the map pack or the Maps engine?

Use the map pack when you care about visibility in normal Google results, and the Maps engine when you need the full list of places. The map pack is the block of about three businesses inside a Google results page; it comes back in `local_results` when you call `engine=google`.

The Maps engine lists many more places for the same search, with phone, website, hours and coordinates. Both cost one credit per search. Our [local SEO guide](https://serpcrypto.com/use-cases/local-seo/) shows how to track a business across several cities with either one.

## What are good uses for Maps data, and what is not allowed?

Good uses work with business listings as businesses present them in public:

- **Local SEO audits:** which competitors appear first for a service in each district, and with which category.
- **Market research:** how many gyms, clinics or cafés Google Maps lists in an area, and how they are rated.
- **Directory quality:** checking that addresses, hours and websites in your own directory match the public listing.
- **Expansion planning:** comparing the density of a business type between cities.

Some listings belong to sole traders, so a business name or phone number can also be personal data in some countries. Process it only for a lawful purpose and follow local data protection law. Our [Acceptable Use Policy](https://serpcrypto.com/acceptable-use/) forbids Searches meant to find, track or harass a private person, child sexual abuse material, spam, fraud, and any use that breaks the law where you or we operate.

## How much do Google Maps searches cost?

The Maps engine costs one credit per successful search, the same as Google Search and Bing. 25,000 searches cost $18.75, as of October 2026, and credits never expire.

| Plan | Quantity | Price | Price per unit |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Test | 10,000 searches | $7.50 | $0.75/1K searches |
| Starter | 25,000 searches | $18.75 | $0.75/1K searches |
| Build | 100,000 searches | $56.25 | $0.56/1K searches |

In every plan: Every engine at 1 credit per search · Failed requests not charged · Credits never expire · Country, language, city and device targeting

**Before you pay**

- Minimum top-up $25. Top up once in crypto, then buy any plan from your balance.
- Unused balance stays on your account and never expires, and it pays for search credits. When a purchase costs less than the minimum top-up, the part added only to reach the minimum is refundable on request to support within 30 days of the payment, in USDT or USDC, as long as it has not been spent. The rest of the balance is not paid back, except where the law requires it.
- Credited once your payment is checked on the blockchain. Typical network confirmation time: BTC ≈ 20 min · USDT TRC-20 ≈ 1 min · USDT ERC-20 ≈ 5 min · USDC ERC-20 ≈ 5 min · ETH ≈ 5 min · SOL ≈ 1 min · LTC ≈ 15 min

## Google Maps results API: common questions

### How many places does one Maps search return?

One search returns the first list of places Google Maps shows for the query and location. Request `page=2` for the next list; each page is one credit. The number per page is set by Google, not by us.

### Can I get the text of Google reviews?

No. The Maps engine returns the average rating and the number of reviews for each place, not review texts or reviewer names. Reviews are written by people and belong to their authors.

### How precise is the location?

Use a city or a district name in the form `District, City, Country`. Google ranks places partly by distance, so a precise location changes the order. Very small areas may resolve to the nearest larger place.

### Is this the official Google Maps Platform?

No. SerpCrypto is an independent SERP API that returns the Maps results page as JSON. Google Maps Platform products such as Places API (New) are sold by Google with their own terms.

### Do I need a company to buy credits?

No. SerpCrypto is a no-KYC SERP API: no ID, no selfie, no company documents and no card. You top up from $25 in BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC.

## Sources

1. [Places API (New) overview](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/places/web-service/overview) — Google for Developers (checked 2026-10-22)
2. [Tips to improve your local ranking on Google](https://support.google.com/business/answer/7091) — Google Business Profile Help (checked 2026-10-22)

---

SerpCrypto: SerpCrypto is a SERP API for developers and AI agents that returns Google and Bing results as JSON, paid in crypto with no ID upload. Prepaid search credits from $0.30/1K searches never expire. No KYC — no ID, no selfie, no documents. Pay in crypto.