Serper Search Skill

Serper Search Skill

Search the web using the Serper API, which provides Google Search results via a simple API. Supports web search, news, images, and places.

How It Works

This skill provides instructions and context. To execute searches, connect the Serper Search node to the agent's input-tools handle.

serper_search Tool

Search Google via Serper API and get structured results.

Schema Fields

Node Parameters

Additional options configured on the node:

Response Format

Web search:

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{
  "query": "artificial intelligence news",
  "results": [
    {
      "title": "AI Breakthrough in Medical Research",
      "snippet": "Researchers have developed a new AI model...",
      "url": "https://example.com/ai-research",
      "position": 1
    }
  ],
  "result_count": 10,
  "search_type": "search",
  "provider": "serper",
  "knowledge_graph": {
    "title": "Artificial Intelligence",
    "description": "..."
  }
}

News search:

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{
  "query": "technology news today",
  "results": [
    {
      "title": "Tech Industry Update",
      "snippet": "Major developments in...",
      "url": "https://example.com/news",
      "date": "2 hours ago",
      "source": "TechCrunch"
    }
  ],
  "search_type": "news",
  "provider": "serper"
}

Images search:

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{
  "query": "aurora borealis photos",
  "results": [
    {
      "title": "Northern Lights Over Iceland",
      "imageUrl": "https://example.com/image.jpg",
      "url": "https://example.com/gallery"
    }
  ],
  "search_type": "images",
  "provider": "serper"
}

Places search:

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{
  "query": "coffee shops near me",
  "results": [
    {
      "title": "Blue Bottle Coffee",
      "address": "123 Main St, San Francisco, CA",
      "rating": 4.5,
      "url": "https://bluebottlecoffee.com"
    }
  ],
  "search_type": "places",
  "provider": "serper"
}

Examples

Web search:

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{
  "query": "Python 3.13 new features"
}

News search (set searchType to "news" on node):

jsonCopy code
{
  "query": "stock market today"
}

Places search (set searchType to "places" on node):

jsonCopy code
{
  "query": "Italian restaurants in Manhattan"
}

When to Use Serper Search

• Google-quality results - Powered by Google's search index
• News search - Set searchType to "news" for current headlines with sources and dates
• Image search - Set searchType to "images" for visual content
• Places/Local search - Set searchType to "places" for business listings with ratings
• Knowledge Graph - Includes Google Knowledge Graph data when available

When NOT to Use Serper Search

• AI-powered answers - Use Perplexity instead for synthesized answers
• Privacy-focused search - Use Brave Search instead
• Simple calculations - Use the calculator tool
• Creative tasks - Writing, brainstorming, analysis

Search Query Best Practices

• Use specific, focused queries (under 10 words when possible)
• Include relevant keywords, dates, and context
• Use Google search operators: site:, filetype:, intitle:, -exclude
• Break complex questions into simpler searches

API Details

• API: POST https://google.serper.dev/search (also /news, /images, /places)
• Auth: X-API-KEY header
• Pricing: ~$0.001 per query (one of the cheapest Google SERP APIs)

Setup Requirements

1. Connect this skill to the agent's input-skill handle
2. Connect the Serper Search node to the agent's input-tools handle
3. Add your Serper API key in Credentials > Scrapers