Google AI Overview API
For some searches, Google search results includes an AI Overview block. SerpApi is able to scrape, extract and make sense of this information.
Currently, the AI Overview block is only seen for English searches (hl=en) with a limited range of countries (gl).
API Examples
AI Overview - example 1
Typical result containing paragraphs, lists (with and without title) and a thumbnail.
{
...
"ai_overview": {
"text_blocks": [
{
"type": "paragraph",
"snippet": "Drop shipping is a retail method where a company sells products online without keeping them in stock. When a customer places an order, the company forwards the order to a supplier, who then ships the product directly to the customer. The company keeps the profits from the sale.",
"snippet_highlighted_words": [
"a retail method where a company sells products online without keeping them in stock"
],
"reference_indexes": [
0,
2
]
},
{
"type": "paragraph",
"snippet": "Here are some steps to start a drop shipping business:",
"reference_indexes": [
4
]
},
{
"type": "list",
"list": [
{
"snippet": "Identify a niche: Choose a specific market to target and research competitors.",
"reference_indexes": [
4
]
},
{
"snippet": "Select a supplier: Find a reliable supplier that has the products you want to sell. You can sign an agreement with a manufacturer, wholesaler, or other retailer.",
"reference_indexes": [
2,
4
]
},
{
"snippet": "Create an online store: Design and build an ecommerce website to showcase your products.",
"reference_indexes": [
4
]
},
{
"snippet": "Market your business: Use social media ads and engaging content to attract customers.",
"reference_indexes": [
4
]
}
]
},
{
"type": "paragraph",
"snippet": "Some advantages of drop shipping include:",
"reference_indexes": [
0
]
},
{
"type": "list",
"list": [
{
"title": "No need for inventory storage",
"snippet": "You don't need to invest in warehouse space or risk getting stuck with unsold inventory.",
"reference_indexes": [
0
]
},
{
"title": "More resources for other activities",
"snippet": "You can allocate more resources to other retail activities such as marketing.",
"reference_indexes": [
0
]
}
]
},
{
"type": "paragraph",
"snippet": "However, drop shipping businesses have a high failure rate. Some potential issues include:",
"reference_indexes": [
10
]
},
{
"type": "list",
"list": [
{
"snippet": "Uncertainty over where the business operates from and where products are manufactured",
"reference_indexes": [
10
]
},
{
"snippet": "Inconsistent quality of products",
"reference_indexes": [
10
]
},
{
"snippet": "Dropshippers may only make between 10% and 30% on average, compared to 50% to 70% for traditional e-commerce retailers",
"reference_indexes": [
8
]
}
]
}
],
"thumbnail": "https://serpapi.com/searches/66c53c7915afff0a2a48fc6c/images/ada462b58dfff08439da27aa82fde6c082293d76cc6e06be.png",
"references": [
{
"title": "What Is Dropshipping and How Does It Work? (2024) - Shopify",
"link": "https://www.shopify.com/blog/what-is-dropshipping#:~:text=Dropshipping%20is%20a%20retail%20method,retail%20activities%20such%20as%20marketing.",
"snippet": "May 22, 2024 — Dropshipping is a retail method where an online store doesn't keep its products in stock. Instead, when a customer mak...",
"source": "Shopify",
"index": 0
},
{
"title": "Drop shipping - Wikipedia",
"link": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_shipping#:~:text=Amazon%2C%20the%20online%20shopping%20giant,customer%20using%20packaging%20from%20Amazon.",
"snippet": "Amazon, the online shopping giant, found early success in a dropshipping business model where they could offer over a million diff...",
"source": "Wikipedia",
"index": 1
},
{
"title": "Drop-Shipping: What you Need to Know Before You Buy or Sell Online",
"link": "https://www.michigan.gov/consumerprotection/protect-yourself/consumer-alerts/shopping/before-you-buy-or-sell-online",
"source": "State of Michigan",
"index": 2
},
{
"title": "Dropshipping: Does It Actually Work? (Pros + Cons) | BigCommerce",
"link": "https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/dropshipping/#:~:text=Is%20dropshipping%20legal?,with%20a%20Dropshipping%20Agreement%20Contract.",
"snippet": "Is dropshipping legal? Yes, dropshipping is legal. You may run into other legal issues depending on who your supplier is, but drop...",
"source": "BigCommerce",
"index": 3
},
{
"title": "How To Start a Dropshipping Business: 9-Step Guide (2024) - Shopify",
"link": "https://www.shopify.com/blog/how-to-start-dropshipping",
"snippet": "Jun 28, 2024 — How do I start a dropshipping business? Identify a niche: Select a specific market to target. Research competitors: An...",
"source": "Shopify",
"index": 4
},
...
]
},
...
}
AI Overview - example 2
Example for lists with thumbnails.
{
...
"ai_overview": {
"text_blocks": [
{
"type": "paragraph",
"snippet": "Here are some quotes about success:",
"reference_indexes": [
1
]
},
{
"type": "list",
"list": [
{
"title": "Albert Einstein",
"thumbnail": "https://serpapi.com/searches/66c5457015afff0a2878cb08/images/4585b9266b87a391ef0f171532560347a6cfec61ff8315f797ba8afa9c0d9c8975178708294e51b8caa9fb8d67d58629.jpeg",
"snippet": "\"Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value\"",
"reference_indexes": [
1
]
},
{
"title": "Nelson Mandela",
"thumbnail": "https://serpapi.com/searches/66c5457015afff0a2878cb08/images/4585b9266b87a391ef0f171532560347a6cfec61ff8315f7e12a7180e6485d05cd19174a2fed3bc740822f57ec6aba42.jpeg",
"snippet": "\"It always seems impossible until it's done\"",
"reference_indexes": [
1
]
},
{
"title": "Herman Melville",
"thumbnail": "https://serpapi.com/searches/66c5457015afff0a2878cb08/images/4585b9266b87a391ef0f171532560347a6cfec61ff8315f78333d67ec3a028c0a7884df42a0dba573a24740ee1f0fe89.jpeg",
"snippet": "\"It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation\"",
"reference_indexes": [
1,
6
]
},
...
]
}
],
"references": [
{
"title": "50 inspiring quotes about success",
"link": "https://www.canva.com/learn/quotes-about-success/#:~:text=I%20find%20that%20the%20harder%20I%20work%2C,I%20seem%20to%20have.%20%E2%80%94%20Thomas%20Jefferson.",
"snippet": "I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have. — Thomas Jefferson.",
"source": "Canva",
"index": 0
},
{
"title": "125 Motivational Success Quotes for Business - Team Building",
"link": "https://teambuilding.com/blog/success-quotes",
"snippet": "Sep 27, 2022 — What are some good success quotes for work? ... “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Eins...",
"source": "Team Building",
"index": 1
},
{
"title": "Life Quotes: 100+ Motivational Quotes To Inspire Your Positive ...",
"link": "https://www.forbesindia.com/article/explainers/motivational-quotes/84853/1#:~:text=%22The%20only%20place%20where%20success%20comes%20before,and%20learning%20from%20failure.%22%20%E2%80%94%20Colin%20Powell",
"snippet": "May 31, 2024 — \"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.\" — Vince Lombardi; \"There are no secrets to succ...",
"source": "Forbes India",
"index": 2
},
...
]
},
...
}
AI Overview - example 3
Example for nested lists.
{
...
"ai_overview": {
"text_blocks": [
{
"type": "paragraph",
"snippet": "Drop shipping is a business model where a company sells products online without keeping them in stock. When a customer places an order, the company forwards the order and payment to a supplier or manufacturer, who then ships the product directly to the customer.",
"snippet_highlighted_words": [
"a business model where a company sells products online without keeping them in stock"
],
"reference_indexes": [
0,
1,
2
]
},
{
"type": "paragraph",
"snippet": "Here are some steps to start a dropshipping business:",
"reference_indexes": [
3
]
},
{
"type": "list",
"list": [
{
"snippet": "Choose a niche",
"reference_indexes": [
3
]
},
{
"snippet": "Find a supplier: When choosing a supplier, you can consider things like:",
"reference_indexes": [
3,
6
],
"list": [
{
"snippet": "Profit margin: Whether the wholesale price is high enough to make a profit",
"reference_indexes": [
6
]
},
{
"snippet": "Handling fees: How these might affect your profit margin",
"reference_indexes": [
6
]
},
{
"snippet": "Shipping: Whether the supplier uses a service that provides tracking numbers",
"reference_indexes": [
6
]
},
{
"snippet": "Billing: Whether the supplier charges your credit card as soon as you submit an order",
"reference_indexes": [
6
]
}
]
},
{
"snippet": "Build an online store",
"reference_indexes": [
3
]
},
...
]
},
{
"type": "paragraph",
"snippet": "Some say that dropshipping can be a low-risk business model with lower running costs than other models. This can make it easier to become profitable faster, but the average dropshipper only makes between 10% and 30% compared to 50% to 70% for traditional e-commerce retailers.",
"reference_indexes": [
16,
17
]
}
],
"references": [
{
"title": "What Is Dropshipping and How Does It Work? (2024) - Shopify",
"link": "https://www.shopify.com/blog/what-is-dropshipping#:~:text=Dropshipping%20is%20a%20retail%20method,retail%20activities%20such%20as%20marketing.",
"snippet": "May 22, 2024 — Dropshipping is a retail method where an online store doesn't keep its products in stock. Instead, when a customer mak...",
"source": "Shopify",
"index": 0
},
{
"title": "Drop-Shipping: What you Need to Know Before You Buy or ...",
"link": "https://www.michigan.gov/consumerprotection/protect-yourself/consumer-alerts/shopping/before-you-buy-or-sell-online#:~:text=Drop%2Dshipping%20is%20when%20a%20person%2C%20or%20company%2C,are%20middlemen%2C%20they%20may%20charge%20more%20money.",
"snippet": "Drop-shipping is when a person, or company, sells goods on their website that they do not keep in stock. When an order is received...",
"source": "State of Michigan",
"index": 1
},
{
"title": "Is Dropshipping Legal? A Guide to the Legal Risks (2024) - Shopify",
"link": "https://www.shopify.com/blog/is-dropshipping-legal#:~:text=Yes%2C%20dropshipping%20is%20legal.,products%20directly%20to%20the%20customer.",
"snippet": "Jun 17, 2024 — Yes, dropshipping is legal. It is a widely used business model in which a retailer does not keep the products it sells...",
"source": "Shopify",
"index": 2
},
...
]
},
...
}
AI Overview - example 4
Example for expandable sections.
{
...
"ai_overview": {
"text_blocks": [
{
"type": "paragraph",
"snippet": "Dropshipping is a retail model where an online store doesn't keep products in stock, but instead forwards orders to a supplier who then ships the products directly to the customer. This model is popular with business owners because it outsources inventory management and order fulfillment, and can be profitable with lower running costs than other business models.",
"snippet_highlighted_words": [
"a retail model where an online store doesn't keep products in stock, but instead forwards orders to a supplier who then ships the products directly to the customer"
],
"reference_indexes": [
0,
4,
7,
11
]
},
{
"type": "expandable",
"title": "Starting a Dropshipping Business",
"subtitle": "Steps for launching a dropshipping venture",
"text_blocks": [
{
"type": "paragraph",
"snippet": "Here are some steps to start a dropshipping business:"
},
{
"type": "list",
"list": [
{
"snippet": "Choose a business concept"
},
{
"snippet": "Select products to sell"
},
{
"snippet": "Choose suppliers"
},
{
"snippet": "Build an online store"
},
{
"snippet": "Register your business"
},
{
"snippet": "Market your business and products",
"reference_indexes": [
5
]
}
]
}
]
},
{
"type": "expandable",
"title": "Dropshipping Suppliers",
"subtitle": "Examples of companies that offer dropshipping services",
"text_blocks": [
{
"type": "paragraph",
"snippet": "Some dropshipping suppliers include:"
},
{
"type": "list",
"list": [
{
"snippet": "Spocket"
},
{
"snippet": "AliExpress Dropshipping"
},
{
"snippet": "Modalyst"
},
{
"snippet": "SaleHoo"
},
{
"snippet": "Doba"
},
{
"snippet": "Wholesale2B"
},
{
"snippet": "Worldwide Brands",
"reference_indexes": [
8
]
}
]
}
]
},
...
],
"thumbnail": "https://serpapi.com/searches/66c53cd315afff0a2878caf0/images/20fdf62b7cc11067c251b1374115d7a3e2082bff823672e8.png",
"references": [
{
"title": "What Is Dropshipping and How Does It Work? (2024) - Shopify",
"link": "https://www.shopify.com/blog/what-is-dropshipping#:~:text=Dropshipping%20is%20a%20retail%20method,the%20product%20to%20the%20customer.",
"snippet": "May 22, 2024 — Dropshipping is a retail method where an online store doesn't keep its products in stock. Instead, when a customer mak...",
"source": "Shopify",
"index": 0
},
{
"title": "Drop shipping - Wikipedia",
"link": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_shipping#:~:text=Amazon%2C%20the%20online%20shopping%20giant,customer%20using%20packaging%20from%20Amazon.",
"snippet": "Amazon, the online shopping giant, found early success in a dropshipping business model where they could offer over a million diff...",
"source": "Wikipedia",
"index": 1
},
{
"title": "What Is dropshipping? How does it work in 2024? - Sell on Amazon",
"link": "https://sell.amazon.com/learn/what-is-dropshipping#:~:text=For%20Amazon%20sellers%2C%20using%20a,and%20identify%20yourself%20as%20such.",
"snippet": "For Amazon sellers, using a dropshipping service is generally allowed by Amazon dropshipping policy, as long as you're the seller ...",
"source": "Sell on Amazon",
"index": 2
},
...
]
},
...
}
JSON structure overview
{
...
"ai_overview": {
"text_blocks": [
{
"type": "String - Type of the text block. Can be 'paragraph', 'list', 'expandable'",
"snippet": "String - Snippet of the text block",
"snippet_highlighted_words": "Array of strings - Highlighted words in the snippet",
"reference_indexes": "Array of integers - Indexes of the references in the root 'references' field",
"thumbnail": "String - URL to the thumbnail image",
// Only for 'list' type
"list": [
{
"title": "String - Title of the list item",
"snippet": "String - Snippet of the list item",
"reference_indexes": "Array of integers - Indexes of the references in the root 'references' field",
"thumbnail": "String - URL to the thumbnail image",
// Nested lists
"list": [
{
"snippet": "String - Snippet of the nested list item",
"reference_indexes": "Array of integers - Indexes of the references in the root 'references' field",
},
...
]
},
...
],
// Only for 'expandable' type
"text_blocks": [
// The same structure as the parent 'text_blocks' field
]
},
{
],
"thumbnail": "String - URL to the thumbnail image",
"references": [
{
"title": "String - Title of the reference",
"link": "String - URL to the reference",
"snippet": "String - Snippet of the reference",
"source": "String - Source of the reference",
"index": "Integer - Index of the reference"
},
...
],
"error": "String - Error message if the AI Overview results are not available",
},
...
}