# Google Images Scraper (reliable, bulk) (`steadydata/google-images`) Actor

Image search results from Google per query: full-size image URL with width and height, title, source page, domain and file size. Up to 200 queries per run. Only delivered images are charged.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/steadydata/google-images.md
- **Developed by:** [Steadydata Team](https://apify.com/steadydata) (community)
- **Categories:** AI, Automation, Developer tools
- **Features:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 2 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.63 / 1,000 image listeds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Google Images Scraper (reliable, bulk)

Image search results from Google for **up to 200 queries per run**: the full-size image
URL with its width and height, the title, the page the image lives on, the domain and
the file size. **You only pay for images that are actually delivered.**

### Why this scraper

- **Full-size image URLs, not thumbnails.** Every row carries the original image URL
  with its real dimensions, plus a thumbnail URL separately. That is the difference
  between a usable result and a preview.
- **The source page comes with it.** You get the page the image appears on and its
  domain, which is what you need for attribution, licensing checks or follow-up
  scraping.
- **No browser, no bot wall.** The results are fetched as server-rendered HTML through
  a country-matched search proxy. Browser-based scrapers get sent to a CAPTCHA; this
  route does not, and it is a fraction of the cost.
- **Only delivered images are charged.** A query without results, or a temporary block,
  comes back as a clear error record at no cost.
- **A hard cost ceiling you control.** `maxImagesPerQuery` is the cap: one delivered
  image is one charged event.

### Who this is for

Teams building image datasets, researchers sampling visual material for a topic,
e-commerce and brand teams checking which images rank for their terms, and pipelines
that need candidate images with their source pages attached.

### Who this is not for

If you want to look at pictures, Google Images does that better. This actor is for
getting the results out as data. It also does not download the images themselves; it
returns the URLs, so you stay in control of what you fetch and store.

**On rights:** search results point at images owned by other people. This actor reports
where an image sits and how large it is; whether you may use it is between you and the
rights holder, and the source page is returned so you can check.

### Input fields

| Field | Type | Required or default | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| `queries` | list of text | required | Image searches, e.g. 'golden retriever' or 'modern office interior'. Up to 200 per run. |
| `maxImagesPerQuery` | number | 100 | Stop after this many images per query. This is your cost ceiling: one delivered image is one charged event. |
| `safeSearch` | true/false | true | Keep Google's SafeSearch filter on. Leave this on unless you have a reason not to. |
| `country` | text | US | ISO country code, e.g. US, NL, DE. Sets both the proxy exit country and the Google region. |
| `language` | text | en | Interface language, e.g. en, nl, de. |

### Input example

```json
{
    "queries": [
        "golden retriever",
        "modern office interior",
        "electric bike 2026"
    ],
    "maxImagesPerQuery": 100,
    "safeSearch": true,
    "country": "US",
    "language": "en"
}
```

### Output example

| Field | Type | What it holds | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| `query` | text | The search term this image was found with. | `golden retriever` |
| `country` | text | The country the search was made from; Google answers differently per country. | `US` |
| `position` | number | The place in Google's image results, counting from 1. | `1` |
| `imageId` | text | Google's id for the image result, the key to join rows on. | `eYoKU9jW-eRT6M` |
| `title` | text | The title Google shows with the image, usually the alt text of the page. | `Golden Retriever: Pros, Cons & Diet Guide \| Ollie` |
| `imageUrl` | text | The image file itself, at full size. | `https://blog.ollie.com/wp-content/uploads/250506_Livingro...` |
| `imageWidth` | number | The width of that image in pixels. | `2560` |
| `imageHeight` | number | The height of that image in pixels. | `1707` |
| `thumbnailUrl` | text | The small preview Google serves, handy for a quick overview. | `https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSe1...` |
| `sourcePageUrl` | text | The page the image stands on, which is where you go for rights or context. | `https://blog.ollie.com/breed-deets-golden-retriever/` |
| `sourceDomain` | text | The domain of that page. | `blog.ollie.com` |
| `fileSize` | text | The file size as Google states it. | `522KB` |

```json
{
    "query": "golden retriever",
    "country": "US",
    "position": 1,
    "imageId": "eYoKU9jW-eRT6M",
    "title": "Golden Retriever: Pros, Cons & Diet Guide | Ollie",
    "imageUrl": "https://blog.ollie.com/wp-content/uploads/250506_Livingroom_SHOT.jpg",
    "imageWidth": 2560,
    "imageHeight": 1707,
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSe1mLcW",
    "sourcePageUrl": "https://blog.ollie.com/breed-deets-golden-retriever/",
    "sourceDomain": "blog.ollie.com",
    "fileSize": "522KB",
    "status": "ok"
}
```

A query that cannot be delivered produces an error record instead, and is **not**
charged:

```json
{
    "input": "asdkjhasdkjh",
    "status": "error",
    "errorCode": "NO_RESULTS",
    "error": "No images on the results page for 'asdkjhasdkjh'"
}
```

Error codes: `INVALID_QUERY`, `NO_RESULTS`, `BLOCKED`. `INPUT_TRUNCATED` appears once when your input is longer than this actor accepts.

### Related actors from steadydata

- [google-shopping](https://apify.com/steadydata/google-shopping): product listings with prices for the same query
- [google-autocomplete](https://apify.com/steadydata/google-autocomplete): what people actually type around this query

### Pricing

Pay per event: one `image-listed` event per delivered image. No charge for queries that
fail or return nothing, no separate platform-usage surcharge.

**Free Apify plan:** this actor delivers up to 25 rows per run for accounts on the Apify free
plan, and then stops with a message. That limit is set by us, not by Apify. It exists so the
actor keeps paying for itself for the people who do pay. Any paid Apify plan runs it at full
size, billed per delivered row, with failed rows never charged.

**Reviews:** if this actor saves you time, a short review on this page is the one thing that
helps most. Ratings are what other buyers look at first, and we have no other way to ask.

### Use with AI agents

AI assistants such as Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor can run this actor through Apify's own MCP server. Ask for the actor `steadydata/google-images` by its full name, so the assistant does not pick a different one, and start from this minimal input:

```json
{
  "queries": [
    "golden retriever"
  ]
}
```

The assistant can read the price per event from the Pricing section above before the first paid run. Failed input comes back as an error row, as described above.

### FAQ

**Do I get the image file or the link?**
The link, with the dimensions and file size so you can decide what is worth fetching.
Downloading stays your choice, which keeps both the cost and the storage on your side.

**Are results different per country?**
Yes. `country` sets both the proxy exit country and the Google region, so a Dutch run
returns what a Dutch visitor sees.

**Can I turn SafeSearch off?**
The `safeSearch` option exists and defaults to on. Turning it off is your call and your
responsibility.

**Why is the source page missing on a few rows?**
Google does not always attach one, usually for images it serves from its own cache. The
field is left empty rather than filled with a guess.

**Is personal data collected?**
No. Public image and page metadata only. No face recognition, no people search.

**What happens when Google changes something?**
Google changes its markup constantly; that is the nature of this work. The actor is
monitored daily and fixed fast, and while it is broken you are not charged, because
only delivered images cost anything.

**Can I call it from my own code, like an API?**
Yes. Every run is available through the Apify API: start it with one HTTP request, then read
the results as JSON, CSV or Excel from the dataset endpoint, or use the official Python and
JavaScript clients. The input is the same JSON as in the input example above, so a scheduled
script, a Make or Zapier step or an AI agent can call it without any changes.

# Changelog

This Actor's version history is a separate document: https://apify.com/steadydata/google-images/changelog.md

# Actor input Schema

## `queries` (type: `array`):

Image searches, e.g. 'golden retriever' or 'modern office interior'. Up to 200 per run.

## `maxImagesPerQuery` (type: `integer`):

Stop after this many images per query. This is your cost ceiling: one delivered image is one charged event.

## `safeSearch` (type: `boolean`):

Keep Google's SafeSearch filter on. Leave this on unless you have a reason not to.

## `country` (type: `string`):

ISO country code, e.g. US, NL, DE. Sets both the proxy exit country and the Google region.

## `language` (type: `string`):

Interface language, e.g. en, nl, de.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "queries": [
    "golden retriever"
  ],
  "maxImagesPerQuery": 100,
  "safeSearch": true,
  "country": "US",
  "language": "en"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "queries": [
        "golden retriever"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("steadydata/google-images").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "queries": ["golden retriever"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("steadydata/google-images").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "queries": [
    "golden retriever"
  ]
}' |
apify call steadydata/google-images --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,steadydata/google-images"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/CaF7AIEUgWBuvdHyA/builds/eZXfeUTVTGrNsnTzL/openapi.json