Google Custom Search API ending in 2027? An image search API alternative

Google has closed its Custom Search JSON API to new customers and retires it for existing customers on 1 January 2027. If you use it for image search (searchType=image), Google Images Scraper on Apify returns the same kind of data: full-size image URL, width and height, thumbnail, and the page and site the image is on. It returns up to 100 images per query instead of 10 per request, with size, colour, type, time and usage-rights filters, for $0.25 per 1,000 images.

Open Google Images Scraper on Apify $0.25 per 1,000 images ($0.20 on Gold and above)

Step by step

  1. Create a free Apify account. Sign up at apify.com. The free plan includes $5 of monthly credit, about 20,000 images, and needs no credit card.
  2. Swap the request. Instead of GET customsearch/v1?q=...&searchType=image, POST to https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/automationnation~google-images-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=YOUR_TOKEN with {"queries": ["modern kitchen"], "maxResultsPerQuery": 100}.
  3. Map the filters. imgSize becomes size, imgType becomes imageType, imgColorType and imgDominantColor become color, rights becomes license, dateRestrict becomes time, and gl and hl become country and language.
  4. Map the response. items[].link becomes imageUrl, items[].image.contextLink becomes pageUrl, items[].image.width and height become imageWidth and imageHeight, and items[].image.thumbnailLink becomes thumbnailUrl. Each row also has the page title, site name and rank.
  5. Send several queries at once. Put many searches in queries to get them all from one run, instead of paging 10 results at a time with start.
  6. Use it from an AI agent. Add https://mcp.apify.com?tools=automationnation/google-images-scraper to Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor and sign in with Apify.

Do it from code

Python

# pip install apify-client
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("automationnation/google-images-scraper").call(run_input={
  "queries": [
    "modern kitchen"
  ],
  "maxResultsPerQuery": 100
})
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item.get("title"), item.get("imageUrl"), item.get("imageWidth"), item.get("pageUrl"))

REST API (cURL)

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/automationnation~google-images-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"queries": ["modern kitchen"], "maxResultsPerQuery": 100}'

From an AI assistant (MCP)

Add this MCP server URL to Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor and ask in plain English:

https://mcp.apify.com?tools=automationnation/google-images-scraper

Alternatives

Other options: Vertex AI Search, which Google recommends for searching up to 50 domains but which isn't a general image search API; SerpApi's Google Images API (monthly subscription); or other Google Images Actors on Apify. Microsoft retired the Bing Image Search API in August 2025.

FAQ

When does the Custom Search JSON API stop working?

Google closed it to new customers and says existing customers have until 1 January 2027 to move to an alternative.

Is there a drop-in replacement with the same JSON?

Yes: Google Custom Search API Alternative (apify.com/automationnation/google-custom-search-api) answers the same customsearch/v1 requests, including searchType=image, with the same JSON. Change the endpoint to https://automationnation--google-custom-search-api.apify.actor/customsearch/v1 and send an Apify token instead of the key. This guide's Actor returns its own field names, with up to 100 images per run and a lower price per image.

How many images do I get per query?

Up to 100, Google Images' first page, instead of 10 per Custom Search request.

What does it cost compared with Custom Search?

Custom Search charged $5 per 1,000 queries of 10 images after 100 free queries a day, which is $0.50 per 1,000 images. This Actor costs $0.25 per 1,000 images ($0.20 on Gold and above).

Does it support SafeSearch or site-restricted searches?

There's no SafeSearch switch. For one site, add site:example.com to the query, as on Google Images.

Written by AutomationNation, the developer of Google Images Scraper. Prices checked October 2026.