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Google Forums API

API uptime
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Our Google Forums API allows you to scrape forum results from Google Search "Forums" tab. The API is accessed through the following endpoint: /search?engine=google_forums.


A user may query the following: https://serpapi.com/search?engine=google_forums utilizing a GET request. Head to the playground for a live and interactive demo.

API Parameters

Search Query

q

Required

Parameter defines the query you want to search. To search for events in a specific location, just include the location inside your search query (e.g. Events in Austin, TX).

Geographic Location

location

Optional

Parameter defines from where you want the search to originate. If several locations match the location requested, we'll pick the most popular one. Head to the /locations.json API if you need more precise control. The location and uule parameters can't be used together. It is recommended to specify location at the city level in order to simulate a real user’s search. If location is omitted, the search may take on the location of the proxy.

uule

Optional

Parameter is the Google encoded location you want to use for the search. uule and location parameters can't be used together.

Localization

gl

Optional

Parameter defines the country to use for the Google Forums search. It's a two-letter country code. (e.g., us for the United States, uk for United Kingdom, or fr for France). Head to the Google countries page for a full list of supported Google countries.

hl

Optional

Parameter defines the language to use for the Google Forums search. It's a two-letter language code. (e.g., en for English, es for Spanish, or fr for French). Head to the Google languages page for a full list of supported Google languages.

Pagination

start

Optional

Parameter defines the result offset. It skips the given number of results. It's used for pagination. (e.g., 0 (default) is the first page of results, 10 is the 2nd page of results, 20 is the 3rd page of results, etc.).

Advanced Filters

nfpr

Optional

Parameter defines the exclusion of results from an auto-corrected query when the original query is spelled wrong. It can be set to 1 to exclude these results, or 0 to include them (default). Note that this parameter may not prevent Google from returning results for an auto-corrected query if no other results are available.

filter

Optional

Parameter defines if the filters for 'Similar Results' and 'Omitted Results' are on or off. It can be set to 1 (default) to enable these filters, or 0 to disable these filters.

Serpapi Parameters

engine

Required

Set parameter to google_forums to use the Google Forums API engine.

device

Optional

Parameter defines the device to use to get the results. It can be set to desktop (default) to use a regular browser, tablet to use a tablet browser (currently using iPads), or mobile to use a mobile browser.

no_cache

Optional

Parameter will force SerpApi to fetch the Google Forums results even if a cached version is already present. A cache is served only if the query and all parameters are exactly the same. Cache expires after 1h. Cached searches are free, and are not counted towards your searches per month. It can be set to false (default) to allow results from the cache, or true to disallow results from the cache. no_cache and async parameters should not be used together.

async

Optional

Parameter defines the way you want to submit your search to SerpApi. It can be set to false (default) to open an HTTP connection and keep it open until you got your search results, or true to just submit your search to SerpApi and retrieve them later. In this case, you'll need to use our Searches Archive API to retrieve your results. async and no_cache parameters should not be used together. async should not be used on accounts with Ludicrous Speed enabled.

zero_trace

Optional

Enterprise only. Parameter enables ZeroTrace mode. It can be set to false (default) or true. Enable this mode to skip storing search parameters, search files, and search metadata on our servers. This may make debugging more difficult.

api_key

Required

Parameter defines the SerpApi private key to use.

output

Optional

Parameter defines the final output you want. It can be set to json (default) to get a structured JSON of the results, or html to get the raw html retrieved.

json_restrictor

Optional

Parameter defines the fields you want to restrict in the outputs for smaller, faster responses. See JSON Restrictor for more details.

API Results

JSON Results

JSON output includes structured data for organic_results, related_searches and more.

A search status is accessible through search_metadata.status. It flows this way: Processing -> Success || Error. If a search has failed, error will contain an error message. search_metadata.id is the search ID inside SerpApi.

HTML Results

HTML output is useful to debug JSON results or support features not supported yet by SerpApi.
HTML output gives you the raw HTML results from the search engine results page.

API Examples

Google Forums organic results for q: what is the best programming language

Google Forums organic results for q: what is the best programming language

JSON Example

{
  "search_metadata": {
    "id": "68dc031cce4eb046952a4052",
    "status": "Success",
    "json_endpoint": "https://serpapi.com/searches/cc5858ffbec72cce/68dc031cce4eb046952a4052.json",
    "created_at": "2025-09-30 16:19:40 UTC",
    "processed_at": "2025-09-30 16:19:40 UTC",
    "google_forums_url": "https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+the+best+programming+language&hl=en&gl=us&device=desktop&udm=18",
    "raw_html_file": "https://serpapi.com/searches/cc5858ffbec72cce/68dc031cce4eb046952a4052.html",
    "total_time_taken": 0.88
  },
  "search_parameters": {
    "q": "what is the best programming language",
    "engine": "google_forums",
    "device": "desktop",
    "hl": "en",
    "gl": "us"
  },
  "search_information": {
    "organic_results_state": "Results for exact spelling"
  },
  "organic_results": [
    {
      "position": 1,
      "title": "For you what is the best programming language?",
      "link": "https://www.reddit.com/r/learnprogramming/comments/14o4uqz/for_you_what_is_the_best_programming_language_w/",
      "redirect_link": "https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.reddit.com/r/learnprogramming/comments/14o4uqz/for_you_what_is_the_best_programming_language_w/&ved=2ahUKEwjz8K708YCQAxXc48kDHfKaF1UQFnoECCQQAQ",
      "displayed_meta": "70+ comments · 2 years ago",
      "favicon": "https://serpapi.com/searches/68dc031cce4eb046952a4052/images/6ceae1b4b367a7f99615770ad8e7a3bb37587e4179555162e076f18e3976ab9e.png",
      "snippet": "C++ It's the biggest language in the world until now (because of how many features and libraries it has), it's hella fast and it's the most used ...",
      "snippet_highlighted_words": [
        "C"
      ],
      "sitelinks": {
        "list": [
          {
            "title": "Best programming language to learn? : r ...",
            "link": "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskProgramming/comments/18yyyfc/best_programming_language_to_learn/",
            "answer_count": 128,
            "date": "Jan 5, 2024"
          },
          {
            "title": "What programming language is best to learn if you ...",
            "link": "https://www.reddit.com/r/learnprogramming/comments/1dluq04/what_programming_language_is_best_to_learn_if_you/",
            "answer_count": 171,
            "date": "Jun 22, 2024"
          }
        ]
      },
      "source": "Reddit · r/learnprogramming"
    },
    {
      "position": 2,
      "title": "Which programming language should I start learning with?",
      "link": "https://www.quora.com/Which-programming-language-should-I-start-learning-with",
      "redirect_link": "https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.quora.com/Which-programming-language-should-I-start-learning-with&ved=2ahUKEwjz8K708YCQAxXc48kDHfKaF1UQFnoECCYQAQ",
      "displayed_meta": "1.1K+ answers · 8 years ago",
      "favicon": "https://serpapi.com/searches/68dc031cce4eb046952a4052/images/6ceae1b4b367a7f99615770ad8e7a3bb7715c61184511740e1dc224c853768e4.png",
      "snippet": "If you want to want to write backend software or desktop applications, both C# and Java would be good choices. C# is better, but Java is more popular. They're ...",
      "snippet_highlighted_words": [
        "better"
      ],
      "sitelinks": {
        "list": [
          {
            "title": "Which programming language would you ...",
            "link": "https://www.quora.com/Which-programming-language-would-you-recommend-a-beginner-to-learn-first",
            "answer_count": 559,
            "date": "Apr 24, 2017"
          },
          {
            "title": "What are the best programming languages to study if ...",
            "link": "https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-best-programming-languages-to-study-if-I-generally-want-to-improve-my-programming-skills",
            "answer_count": 4,
            "date": "Sep 1, 2023"
          }
        ]
      },
      "source": "Quora"
    },
    {
      "position": 3,
      "title": "What is the best programming language?",
      "link": "https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/4vXLzG4Ydxo4gqnzb/what-is-the-best-programming-language",
      "redirect_link": "https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/4vXLzG4Ydxo4gqnzb/what-is-the-best-programming-language&ved=2ahUKEwjz8K708YCQAxXc48kDHfKaF1UQFnoECBkQAQ",
      "displayed_link": "https://www.lesswrong.com › posts › what-is-the-best-p...",
      "favicon": "https://serpapi.com/searches/68dc031cce4eb046952a4052/images/6ceae1b4b367a7f99615770ad8e7a3bba520fe5735db05ad1f0b1875ca1615dc.png",
      "date": "May 25, 2012",
      "snippet": "Everyone says you should start with Python. Everyone's right. It's a beautiful language in which you can write good, concise, elegant code. Lots ...",
      "snippet_highlighted_words": [
        "Python"
      ],
      "source": "LessWrong"
    },
    ...
  ],
}

Google Forums organic results for q: what is the best programming language on device: mobile

Google Forums organic results for q: what is the best programming language on device: mobile

JSON Example

{
  "search_metadata": {
    "id": "68c4627ace4eb06c7df716a3",
    "status": "Success",
    "json_endpoint": "https://serpapi.com/searches/1933ca8be7bd2e2e/68c4627ace4eb06c7df716a3.json",
    "created_at": "2025-09-12 18:12:10 UTC",
    "processed_at": "2025-09-12 18:12:10 UTC",
    "google_forums_url": "https://www.google.com/search?q=How+to+brew+the+best+coffee&device=desktop&udm=18",
    "raw_html_file": "https://serpapi.com/searches/1933ca8be7bd2e2e/68c4627ace4eb06c7df716a3.html",
    "total_time_taken": 0.91
  },
  "search_parameters": {
    "q": "what is the best programming language",
    "engine": "google_forums",
    "device": "mobile",
    "hl": "en",
    "gl": "us"
  },
  "search_information": {
    "organic_results_state": "Results for exact spelling"
  },
  "organic_results": [
    {
      "position": 1,
      "title": "For you what is the best programming language? : r/learnprogramming",
      "link": "https://www.reddit.com/r/learnprogramming/comments/14o4uqz/for_you_what_is_the_best_programming_language/",
      "redirect_link": "https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.reddit.com/r/learnprogramming/comments/14o4uqz/for_you_what_is_the_best_programming_language/&ved=2ahUKEwjbzeGb7ICQAxVwLtAFHSKjDm8QFnoECCEQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1PAEP-N0uG5UORpd1BriPr",
      "displayed_meta": "70+ comments · 2 years ago",
      "favicon": "https://serpapi.com/searches/68dbfd24ce4eb04729dbd0cd/images/71be2daad74a6962feb801cfe61dfde23c9a973e577f213fafbb31a752693b9a.png",
      "snippet": "I dont have an opinion yet because im not a programmer, but im thinking in start",
      "answers": [
        {
          "link": "https://www.reddit.com/r/learnprogramming/comments/14o4uqz/for_you_what_is_the_best_programming_language/jqavz0s/",
          "answer": "C - Because it teaches you like your mother taught you languages after birth. And you ...",
          "top_answer": true,
          "votes": 43
        },
        {
          "link": "https://www.reddit.com/r/learnprogramming/comments/14o4uqz/for_you_what_is_the_best_programming_language/jqb1y3w/",
          "answer": "HTML",
          "votes": 17
        },
        {
          "link": "https://www.reddit.com/r/learnprogramming/comments/14o4uqz/for_you_what_is_the_best_programming_language/jqawlou/",
          "answer": "Javascript gets a bad rap, but when I see well-organized, DRY Javascript code, I think it's ...",
          "votes": 13
        },
        ...
      ],
      "sitelinks": {
        "expanded": [
          {
            "title": "Best programming language to learn? : r/AskProgramming - Redditr/AskProgramming·120+ comments·1y",
            "link": "https://www.reddit.com/r/learnprogramming/comments/14o4uqz/for_you_what_is_the_best_programming_language/"
          },
          {
            "title": "What programming language is best to learn if you want a career in ITr/learnprogramming·170+ comments·1y",
            "link": "https://www.reddit.com/r/learnprogramming/comments/14o4uqz/for_you_what_is_the_best_programming_language/"
          }
        ]
      },
      "about_this_result": {
        "source": {
          "icon": "UGC_WEB_RESULT_ATTRIBUTION"
        }
      },
      "source": "Reddit · r/learnprogramming"
    },
    {
      "position": 2,
      "title": "What is the best programming language?",
      "link": "https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/4vXLzG4Ydxo4gqnzb/what-is-the-best-programming-language",
      "redirect_link": "https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/4vXLzG4Ydxo4gqnzb/what-is-the-best-programming-language&ved=2ahUKEwjbzeGb7ICQAxVwLtAFHSKjDm8QFnoECB0QAQ&usg=AOvVaw2ITLL-bYosUyyc3VXT6O2A",
      "displayed_link": "https://www.lesswrong.com",
      "favicon": "https://serpapi.com/searches/68dbfd24ce4eb04729dbd0cd/images/71be2daad74a6962feb801cfe61dfde205fdc1b64e1de21489d45c78847d132c.png",
      "date": "May 25, 2012",
      "snippet": "Everyone says you should start with Python. Everyone's right. It's a beautiful language in which you can write good, concise, elegant code. Lots ...",
      "source": "LessWrong"
    },
    {
      "position": 3,
      "title": "Which programming language should I start learning with?",
      "link": "https://www.quora.com/Which-programming-language-should-I-start-learning-with",
      "redirect_link": "https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.quora.com/Which-programming-language-should-I-start-learning-with&ved=2ahUKEwjbzeGb7ICQAxVwLtAFHSKjDm8QFnoECCMQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3Rhi9ajTnCPWSybFrAsNoV",
      "displayed_meta": "1.1K+ answers · 8 years ago",
      "favicon": "https://serpapi.com/searches/68dbfd24ce4eb04729dbd0cd/images/71be2daad74a6962feb801cfe61dfde2227bd2bc0e9cc66e60ea36a663992426.png",
      "snippet": "Which programming language should I start learning with?",
      "answers": [
        {
          "link": "https://www.quora.com/Which-programming-language-should-I-start-learning-with?top_ans=108102404",
          "answer": "A lot of people ask me why I encouraged my kids to learn Python, as opposed to any other programming ...",
          "top_answer": true,
          "votes": 2988
        },
        {
          "link": "https://www.quora.com/Which-programming-language-should-I-start-learning-with?top_ans=1211153",
          "answer": "It ultimately depends on your personality. You might be the kind of person that can learn C ...",
          "votes": 1921
        },
        {
          "link": "https://www.quora.com/Which-programming-language-should-I-start-learning-with?top_ans=84349168",
          "answer": "I'm a huge fan of Go for beginners: * It's very simple, with few features to learn. * It's ...",
          "votes": 334
        },
        ...
      ],
      "sitelinks": {
        "expanded": [
          {
            "title": "Which programming language would you recommend a beginner to learn ...550+ answers·8y",
            "link": "https://www.quora.com/Which-programming-language-should-I-start-learning-with"
          },
          {
            "title": "What are the best programming languages to study if I generally ...4 answers·2y",
            "link": "https://www.quora.com/Which-programming-language-should-I-start-learning-with"
          }
        ]
      },
      "about_this_result": {
        "source": {
          "icon": "UGC_WEB_RESULT_ATTRIBUTION"
        }
      },
      "source": "Quora"
    },
    ...
  ],
}

API Examples

JSON structure overview 

{
  ...
  "organic_results": [
    {
      "position": "Integer - Position of the organic result on the search page",
      "title": "String - Title of the organic result",
      "link": "String - Link of the organic result",
      "redirect_link": "String - Redirect link of the organic result",
      "displayed_link": "String - Displayed link of the organic result",
      "displayed_meta": "String - Displayed meta content of the organic result",
      "thumbnail": "String - Thumbnail of the organic result",
      "date": "String - Date of the organic result",
      "favicon": "String - Favicon of the organic result",
      "snippet": "String - Snippet of the organic result",
      "snippet_highlighted_words": [
        "String - Snippet highlighted word of the organic result",
      ],
      "sitelinks": {
        "expanded": [
          {
            "title": "String - Title of the expanded sitelink",
            "link": "String - Link of the expanded sitelink",
            "snippet": "String - Snippet of the expanded sitelink"
          },
        ],
        "list": [
          {
            "title": "String - Title of the list sitelink",
            "link": "String - Link of the list sitelink",
            "snippet": "String - Snippet of the list sitelink"
          },
        ]
      },
      "about_this_result": {
        "source": {
          "icon": "String - Icon of the about_this_result of the organic result"
        },
      },
      "source": "String - Source of the organic result",
      "answers": [
        {
          "link": "String - Link of the answer",
          "answer": "String - Answer of the answer",
          "top_answer": "Boolean - Is the top answer",
          "votes": "Integer - Votes of the answer"
        }
      ],
    }
  ],
  "related_searches": [
    {
      "block_position": "Integer - Index of related search container",
      "query": "String - Query of the related search",
      "link":  "String - Link to the Google Forums search",
      "serpapi_link":  "String - SerpApi Link of the Google Forums search",
    },
  ],,
  "serpapi_pagination": {
    "current": "Integer - Current page number",
    "next": "String - Link to the query for the next SerpApi Google Forums results page",
    "previous": "String - Link to the query for the previous SerpApi Google Forums results page",
  }
  ...
}