Logo SearchApi

Google Maps Photo Meta API Documentation

GET   /api/v1/search?engine=google_maps_photo_meta
OpenAPI Initiative Download OpenAPI Spec

The Google Maps Photo Meta API returns the details of a single photo or video on Google Maps: the full-size image, its caption, size, location and dates, the contributor who posted it, and the place it belongs to. Pass a photo_id from the photos of a Google Maps Photos API response.

API Parameters

Search Query

  • Name
    photo_id
    Required
    Required
    Description

    The ID of a photo or video on Google Maps. Get it from the photos[].photo_id field of the Google Maps Photos API. For example, a photo_id looks like CIABIhDv9lomLVdP7q6H8DPKQuvY.

    Note: A place's data_id or place_id is not a photo_id. Street View panoramas have no photo_id.

Localization

  • Name
    hl
    Required
    Optional
    Description

    The default parameter en defines the interface language of the search. Check the full list of supported Google hl languages.

Engine

  • Name
    engine
    Required
    Required
    Description

    Parameter defines an engine that will be used to retrieve real-time data. It must be set to google_maps_photo_meta.

API key

  • Name
    api_key
    Required
    Required
    Description

    The api_key authenticates your requests. Use it as a query parameter (https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY) or in the Authorization header (Bearer YOUR_API_KEY).

Zero Data Retention

  • Name
    zero_retention
    Enterprise Only
    Enterprise Only
    Required
    Optional
    Description

    Set this parameter to true to disable all logging and persistent storage. No request parameters, HTML, or JSON responses are stored or logged. Suitable for high-compliance use cases. Debugging and support may be limited while enabled.

API Examples

Full Response

Full Response

The photo object has the full-size image, its width and height in pixels, the contributor's description when they wrote one, the gps_coordinates, the date it was posted and the capture_date it was taken. Dates are YYYY-MM-DD; a capture_date without a known day is YYYY-MM. The user object is the contributor, and place_result is the place, whose data_id and place_id work with the Google Maps Place API.

GET
https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search?engine=google_maps_photo_meta&photo_id=CIABIhDv9lomLVdP7q6H8DPKQuvY
Request
import requests

url = "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search"
params = {
  "engine": "google_maps_photo_meta",
  "photo_id": "CIABIhDv9lomLVdP7q6H8DPKQuvY"
}

response = requests.get(url, params=params)
print(response.text)
Response
{
  "search_metadata": {
    "id": "search_fKcTX7zLSOsuh7NUmj7yEbPW",
    "status": "Success",
    "created_at": "2026-10-28T22:00:11Z",
    "request_time_taken": 0.56,
    "parsing_time_taken": 0.0,
    "total_time_taken": 0.56,
    "request_url": "https://www.google.com/maps/place/data=!3m4!1e2!3m2!1sCIABIhDv9lomLVdP7q6H8DPKQuvY!2e10?hl=en",
    "html_url": "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/searches/search_fKcTX7zLSOsuh7NUmj7yEbPW.html",
    "json_url": "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/searches/search_fKcTX7zLSOsuh7NUmj7yEbPW"
  },
  "search_parameters": {
    "engine": "google_maps_photo_meta",
    "photo_id": "CIABIhDv9lomLVdP7q6H8DPKQuvY",
    "hl": "en"
  },
  "photo": {
    "photo_id": "CIABIhDv9lomLVdP7q6H8DPKQuvY",
    "image": "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gpms-cs-s/AM4Q-U95KTJjRNgldHptU-ac1xMEIlKNWZ1AQp0VzfRgxYKXlpKi5oix...",
    "width": 5712,
    "height": 4284,
    "description": "Pepperoni and cheese pizza slices",
    "gps_coordinates": {
      "latitude": 40.7546795103376,
      "longitude": -73.98702912735911
    },
    "date": "2026-10-01",
    "capture_date": "2026-09-24"
  },
  "user": {
    "name": "Joshua Hwang",
    "link": "https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/104641223508907880359",
    "contributor_id": "104641223508907880359",
    "thumbnail": "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/a-/ALV-UjUgqZWF6gbm-rUFSRtTmRQ2X_9rrjKNAnl-uh5OqaFxoCo1QkBxYg=s100..."
  },
  "place_result": {
    "title": "Joe's Pizza Broadway",
    "type": "Pizza restaurant",
    "data_id": "0x89c259ab3c1ef289:0x3b67a41175949f55",
    "ludocid": "4280570365733019477",
    "place_id": "ChIJifIePKtZwokRVZ-UdRGkZzs"
  }
}

Video

Video

For a video, video links to its highest-resolution video file and image is a still frame.

GET
https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search?engine=google_maps_photo_meta&photo_id=CIHM0ogKEICAgICDwMmRhgE
Request
import requests

url = "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search"
params = {
  "engine": "google_maps_photo_meta",
  "photo_id": "CIHM0ogKEICAgICDwMmRhgE"
}

response = requests.get(url, params=params)
print(response.text)
Response
{
  "search_metadata": {
    "id": "search_mDpNCIwaWXMkNO8CJD9Wt8K3",
    "status": "Success",
    "created_at": "2026-10-28T22:00:11Z",
    "request_time_taken": 0.38,
    "parsing_time_taken": 0.0,
    "total_time_taken": 0.38,
    "request_url": "https://www.google.com/maps/place/data=!3m4!1e2!3m2!1sCIHM0ogKEICAgICDwMmRhgE!2e10?hl=en",
    "html_url": "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/searches/search_mDpNCIwaWXMkNO8CJD9Wt8K3.html",
    "json_url": "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/searches/search_mDpNCIwaWXMkNO8CJD9Wt8K3"
  },
  "search_parameters": {
    "engine": "google_maps_photo_meta",
    "photo_id": "CIHM0ogKEICAgICDwMmRhgE",
    "hl": "en"
  },
  "photo": {
    "photo_id": "CIHM0ogKEICAgICDwMmRhgE",
    "image": "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gpms-cs-s/AM4Q-U84VOLxovZMYpKwa2eijbJKuF2Hztin6_H8_UAAROFYccKL_cPI...",
    "video": "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gpms-cs-s/AM4Q-U84VOLxovZMYpKwa2eijbJKuF2Hztin6_H8_UAAROFYccKL_cPI...",
    "width": 1080,
    "height": 1920,
    "gps_coordinates": {
      "latitude": 40.7546795103376,
      "longitude": -73.98702912735911
    },
    "date": "2024-03-23",
    "capture_date": "2024-03-23"
  },
  "user": {
    "name": "Przemysław Odrzywołek",
    "link": "https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/108004237428954437300",
    "contributor_id": "108004237428954437300",
    "thumbnail": "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/a-/ALV-UjVRvZLRQsoWqdsnfVUqTPzuU-XBcR2X2k3J0nSM686ubUuCvy6I=s100-p..."
  },
  "place_result": {
    "title": "Joe's Pizza Broadway",
    "type": "Pizza restaurant",
    "data_id": "0x89c259ab3c1ef289:0x3b67a41175949f55",
    "ludocid": "4280570365733019477",
    "place_id": "ChIJifIePKtZwokRVZ-UdRGkZzs"
  }
}

Owner Photo

Owner Photo

user.is_owner is true when the place's owner posted the photo.

GET
https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search?engine=google_maps_photo_meta&photo_id=CIHM0ogKEICAgIC5nIHjOQ
Request
import requests

url = "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search"
params = {
  "engine": "google_maps_photo_meta",
  "photo_id": "CIHM0ogKEICAgIC5nIHjOQ"
}

response = requests.get(url, params=params)
print(response.text)
Response
{
  "search_metadata": {
    "id": "search_bO0NtEMdxBS1FbiSf4ZTiH94",
    "status": "Success",
    "created_at": "2026-10-28T22:00:12Z",
    "request_time_taken": 1.14,
    "parsing_time_taken": 0.0,
    "total_time_taken": 1.14,
    "request_url": "https://www.google.com/maps/place/data=!3m4!1e2!3m2!1sCIHM0ogKEICAgIC5nIHjOQ!2e10?hl=en",
    "html_url": "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/searches/search_bO0NtEMdxBS1FbiSf4ZTiH94.html",
    "json_url": "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/searches/search_bO0NtEMdxBS1FbiSf4ZTiH94"
  },
  "search_parameters": {
    "engine": "google_maps_photo_meta",
    "photo_id": "CIHM0ogKEICAgIC5nIHjOQ",
    "hl": "en"
  },
  "photo": {
    "photo_id": "CIHM0ogKEICAgIC5nIHjOQ",
    "image": "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gpms-cs-s/AM4Q-U8KhjkHlOFn8bqmCr54FFCwzCk1jCvCUhc5F_ZX8B9P7MU_pKCg...",
    "width": 1200,
    "height": 800,
    "gps_coordinates": {
      "latitude": 40.75050447453824,
      "longitude": -73.99343870490958
    },
    "date": "2023-10-11",
    "capture_date": "2018-10-03"
  },
  "user": {
    "name": "Madison Square Garden",
    "link": "https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/104235858701751426343",
    "contributor_id": "104235858701751426343",
    "thumbnail": "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/a/ACg8ocK1-ySFsWJzFqWy1_38NdVUhvUJPHP0Hf_LE7w2ic-cI8eatA=s100-p-k-...",
    "is_owner": true
  },
  "place_result": {
    "title": "Madison Square Garden",
    "type": "Arena",
    "data_id": "0x89c25a21fb011c85:0x33df10e49762f8e4",
    "ludocid": "3737724789719234788",
    "place_id": "ChIJhRwB-yFawokR5Phil-QQ3zM"
  }
}