Invocation
Use the first available method:
1. MCP tool — use serpapi_search if available (source):
serpapi_search(params={"engine": "google_light", "q": "query"}, mode="compact")2. serpapi-cli — preferred shell fallback; optimized for AI agents (source):
serpapi search engine=google_light q="your query"
# --fields: server-side filtering — reduces response size at the API level
serpapi search --fields "organic_results[0:3]" engine=google_light q="your query"
# --jq: client-side filtering (like gh --jq)
serpapi search --jq ".organic_results[0:3]|[.[]|{title,link}]" engine=google_light q="your query"Install: brew tap serpapi/homebrew-tap && brew install serpapi Auth: SERPAPI_KEY env var, --api-key flag, or serpapi login. Exit codes: 0 success · 1 API error · 2 usage error. Errors are JSON on stderr.
3. SDK — when writing code: see rules/sdks.md — Python, JS, Go, Ruby, PHP, Java,.NET.
4. curl — universal fallback:
curl -G "https://serpapi.com/search.json" \
--data-urlencode "q=your query" \
--data-urlencode "engine=google_light" \
--data-urlencode "api_key=${SERPAPI_KEY}"Engine Selection
Pick the engine that matches the user's intent:
| Use Case | Engine |
|---|---|
| General web (default) | google_light |
| Comprehensive (knowledge graph, local pack) | google |
| News | google_news_light |
| Images | google_images_light |
| Shopping / prices | google_shopping_light |
| Alternative web | bing |
| Privacy-first | duckduckgo |
| Academic / research | google_scholar |
| Local / maps | google_maps |
| Video | youtube |
| SerpApi's own index (alpha, no Google/Bing) | search_index |
Prefer _light variants — they're faster and cheaper. Use the full engine only when you need knowledge graph, local pack, or featured snippets.
For engines not listed above (flights, hotels, jobs, finance, patents, etc.), read rules/ENGINES.md.
Error Reference
- 401 — Invalid or missing API key.
- 429 — Monthly quota reached. Check usage:
serpapi accountor serpapi.com/dashboard · account API. - 400 — Missing required parameter (
qorengine).
Docs
Official reference (link these when agents need deeper detail):
| Topic | URL |
|---|---|
| Main API reference | serpapi.com/search-api |
| All engines (online) | serpapi.com/search-engine-apis |
| Locations lookup | serpapi.com/locations-api |
| Account & quota API | serpapi.com/account-api |
| Search Index API (alpha) | serpapi.com/search-index-api |
| Pricing | serpapi.com/pricing |
Rules
Read these files when you need more detail:
- Parameters (locale, time filter, pagination, safe search): rules/parameters.md
- Response format (result keys, JSON shape, pagination): rules/response.md
- Examples (news, shopping, time-filtered, Bing): rules/examples.md
- SDKs (Python, JS, Go, Ruby, PHP, Java,.NET): rules/sdks.md
- All 100+ engines (flights, hotels, jobs, finance, patents…): rules/ENGINES.md