Comparison, updated 5 Nov 2026
Google Custom Search JSON API alternative after 1 January 2027
Google's Custom Search JSON API is closed to new customers, and existing customers have until 1 January 2027 to move to another solution, according to Google's Custom Search JSON API overview (checked 5 Nov 2026). Until then Google charges existing customers $5 per 1,000 queries after 100 free queries a day. If you used it to get Google web results as JSON, 1ToolRing's Google search tools return live Google results as JSON for $0.0026 (Rp48) per call, paid from a prepaid balance you top up from $1 or Rp10.000, with no search engine ID to set up.
What Google says
"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 developers.google.com/custom-search/v1/overview, checked 5 Nov 2026.
Side by side
Custom Search JSON API against the Google search tools in 1ToolRing, as published on 5 Nov 2026.
| Topic | Custom Search JSON API | 1ToolRing Google search tools |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Closed to new customers. Existing customers have until 1 January 2027. | Early access. New accounts are approved in batches. |
| What it searches | A Programmable Search Engine you configure, with web or image results | Live Google results for a keyword, with location and language fields |
| Free use | 100 queries per day | Rp10.000 starter balance, once, after approval and email verification |
| Price | $5 per 1,000 queries after the free 100, for existing customers | $0.0026 (Rp48) per call for organic results, one page of 10 ($2.65 (Rp48.000) per 1,000 calls). $0.0195 (Rp354) per search for the full results page. |
| Volume limit | Up to 10,000 queries per day | 60 requests per minute per key on the tool catalog |
| Setup | A Programmable Search Engine, its search engine ID (cx) and an API key | One API key, or an MCP sign-in in the browser |
| Output | JSON, based on the OpenSearch 1.1 specification | JSON as the tool returns it: rank, title, URL, snippet and parsed SERP features |
| Payment | Google Cloud billing account | Prepaid balance: rupiah by bank virtual account or Alfamart/Indomaret from Rp10.000, or US dollars by card from $1. No subscription. |
| Restrict to your own sites | Yes, set per search engine | No site-restricted engine setting |
Migrating your code
A typical Custom Search request is a GET with your Google API key, the search engine ID and the query:
curl "https://www.googleapis.com/customsearch/v1?key=YOUR_GOOGLE_KEY&cx=YOUR_ENGINE_ID&q=kopi+pontianak"The same search through 1ToolRing is a POST to the run endpoint, with the query in the tool's input:
curl -X POST https://api.1toolring.com/api/v1/tools/run \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"tool":"dataforseo/serp/google-organic","input":{"body":{"keyword":"kopi pontianak","language_code":"id"}}}'What changes:
- The query moves from
qtoinput.body.keyword. There is nocx; the Google key becomes anAuthorization: Bearerheader with your 1ToolRing key. - The result comes back in
data.output, as the tool returns it, and the charge indata.costas{"usd", "idr"}. Read the output once and map the fields your code uses, such as rank, title and URL. - Location and language are input fields (
location_code,language_code). CallPOST https://api.1toolring.com/api/v1/tools/inspectwith the tool id to read the full input schema; it is free. - A slow run answers 202 with a
run_id. PollGET /api/v1/tools/runs/{run_id}, which is free, until it is completed or failed. - Errors use one envelope,
{"error":{"code","message"}}. The ones to handle first are402 INSUFFICIENT_BALANCEand429 RATE_LIMITED.
If an AI agent does the searching, skip the REST call and add the MCP server instead. In Claude Code:
claude mcp add --transport http 1toolring https://mcp.1toolring.com/mcpOr paste set up 1ToolRing - https://1toolring.com/llms.txt into the agent's chat. Steps for other clients are in the integration guides.
Google search prices in 1ToolRing
| Job | Tool id | Price | Billed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Google organic results, SERP features parsed | dataforseo/serp/google-organic | $0.0026 (Rp48) | per call (one page of 10 results) |
| Google search, every results-page element as JSON | serpapi/google/search | $0.0195 (Rp354) | per successful search |
More on the tools, with example prompts, on the Google search tool page.
Who should not switch
- You search only your own site or a short list of sites. 1ToolRing has no site-restricted search engine setting, and Google's own note points to Vertex AI Search for searching up to 50 domains.
- You use Custom Search for image search results. 1ToolRing's Google image tool (
dataforseo/serp/google-search-by-image) does a different job: it finds pages and similar images for an image URL. - You need production traffic this week. 1ToolRing is in early access and new accounts are approved in batches.
Questions
When does the Custom Search JSON API stop working?
Can new customers still sign up for it?
What does a Google search cost on 1ToolRing?
dataforseo/serp/google-organic, one page of 10 results), or $0.0195 (Rp354) per search for every element of the results page (serpapi/google/search). Your agent or code sees the live price before every run.Do I need a search engine ID or a Google Cloud project?
Authorization: Bearer. MCP clients can sign in in the browser instead.