Articles » Google Maps » Google Maps Scraping: The Complete Guide to Using Google Maps API and Reviews Extraction

Introduction to Google Maps Reviews and Business Data

Picture this: you're scrolling through Google Maps reviews and you stumble upon a gem like this one: "Really nice hotel right in the center of town, couldn't say a bad word. Food was lovely and very good, and most importantly, the bar was grateful for running my wife."

Indeed, amongst the reviews for the approximately 200 million establishments on Google Maps, you're bound to find some trolls' comments that are admittedly quite funny if you're a fan of dark humor like me. But most reviews are fairly standard - you visit a place, you don't like it, you leave a review, you like it, you leave a review sometimes. And all of that sentiment tied to an establishment is valuable information.

Information that can be gathered through Google Maps scraping and the Google Maps API. But then, what exactly can we do with this API? How do we use it, and how can we leverage Google Maps data extraction to benefit our business?

Hi, I'm François from Scrap.io, and today we're diving into Google Maps scraping and reviews extraction. Let's start with the basics.

Understanding the Google Maps API Landscape for Data Scraping

If you're still here, I'm guessing you already know what an API is, but we haven't yet defined what the Google Maps API is. And let's just say it's no small task. If you look at the Google Maps platform, the Google Maps API is actually dozens of different APIs grouped into four categories: Maps, Routes, Places, and Environment.

We've already made a general video about the Google Maps API tutorial, so we won't repeat what we've already covered. Let's focus on what matters to us here: accessing the details of a Google Maps listing through web scraping. To do that, we will use the Place Details API.

Why Business Listings Matter So Much

But before diving in, let's ask ourselves: why are these business listings so important to us? Because they contain everything we need when it comes to reviews:

  • The overall rating
  • The number of reviews
  • The breakdown of ratings shown in graphical form
  • Information tucked away in the source code, hidden but accessible

If we take it a step further, under the review tab, we can scrape a sample of the latest reviews, and we can also get a glimpse of commonly used keywords. Finally, there's what we'll call trend analysis - meaning comparing the five elements mentioned over different time periods.

Two Different Data Scenarios

Now, I don't know if you've noticed, but we're dealing with two different scenarios here.

Segmentation Data for Prospecting

First, there's segmentation data such as rating, number of reviews, and ratings breakdown. These are perfect for prospecting. With these three pieces of information, we can easily classify our leads:

  • Some have a rating above four, others below three - boom, two groups
  • Some have a good rating but fewer than 10 reviews, others have 100 reviews or more - boom, two campaigns
  • Some are universally loved, others collect mostly one-star ratings - boom, two variables

Analytical Data for Intelligence

On the other hand, we have what we could call analytical data. These are ideal for competitive intelligence or internal strategic monitoring. As you've probably guessed, these include review samples and keywords.

So we end up with two objectives:

  1. A pragmatic goal: helping you effectively target your prospects
  2. A more specialized goal: useful for deeper analysis

Testing the Google Maps API

Now, one question remains: with the Google Maps API, can we - yes or no - address these two challenges? The best way to answer these questions is to give it a try.

So what we're going to do is scrape a particular listing on Google Maps. To be more specific, we're going to extract every review-related data point: the display name, the ratings, the number of reviews, the ratings breakdown, and we'll see if we can also get a sample of reviews and the list of keywords used.

Setting Up Your Google Maps API

We might start by going to maps.platform.google.com. If I click on "Start," I might end up at console.cloud.google.com - this is the place where we'll create our project and set up our API.

Let's first create a project, shall we?

  1. Select a project → New project
  2. Give a name to your project and click "Create"
  3. Click "Select project"

Then we have to enable the API we expect to make use of. We're going to use the Place Details API, so we might find it under the "APIs & Services" tab. Let's jump into the Library.

I type in my API here. We have two kinds of APIs: Places API (new) or Places API. It's always better to pick the most updated version. Click on it and enable the API.

This is where the fun begins - we have our API key. I'm going to copy and paste it somewhere safe.

Determining Your Input Data

Everything is more or less set up, but before writing our code, we need to determine what will be our input - meaning what piece of data we start with to scrape our rating information. An input such as "Belmont University" isn't going to work. We need something more precise, and actually, we need to get a Place ID.

But how can we do that? Well, fortunately, I found a URL where I can find the ID of a particular place without using a whole set of APIs, which would have made the exercise much more complicated. I simply insert my location - voila! - and I have access to my Place ID. Copy and paste it below your API key.

Writing the Code

Now it's time to write some code. I've taken a look at the Place Details documentation. At the very end, we should end up with something like this:

I have my function getPlaceDetails based on:

  • The Place ID (which we have)
  • The API key (we have that too)
  • The fields (meaning the data I'm about to extract)
  • The language code

These are our parameters, and we get our response. Finally, we save our result to a JSON file. I also want to see how many reviews I'm able to extract.

We can run our task, and I have my JSON file. We do have access to the ratings, the user rating count, the display name, and a sample of reviews. But I only have access to five reviews.

The API Limitation Challenge

So here's another question: can we get more reviews? The answer is yes, but under some circumstances.

I found another interesting URL that works with review data. We have access to a lot of options, and among them, we can list all reviews - which is what we ultimately want to do. But it seems that in order to list all reviews, we have to get an account ID first.

To get an account ID, we have to be the owner of the establishment. To be the owner of an establishment, we have to claim our listing on Google Maps. To claim our listing on Google Maps, we have to create an account on Google Business Profile. And to create an account on Google Business Profile, we have to fill in the form until the end.

Then it's okay - now we can scrape all reviews.

Is Google Maps Scraping Possible and Legal?

Before we dive deeper into the technical aspects, let's address a common question: Is it possible to scrape Google Maps? The answer is yes, but there are important considerations.

Google Maps scraping is technically possible through various methods - from using the official API to building custom scrapers. However, you should always ensure your scraping activities comply with Google's Terms of Service and applicable data protection laws. For a detailed analysis of the legal aspects, check out our comprehensive guide on whether scraping Google Maps is allowed.

The good news is that we can perfectly scrape segmentation data using official APIs and tools that respect these guidelines. This includes business ratings, review counts, and other publicly available information that's essential for lead generation and market research.

Is Google Maps Scraper Free?

Introducing Scrap.io: The Ultimate Google Maps Scraping Tool

What you might wonder is: is there another option helping us gather review-related data? And I found something. This solution is called Scrap.io.

Scrap.io is the ultimate tool for scraping Google Maps business data. Very easy to use - but like, very easy. We simply insert a category and the location, and voila! We have access to our data.

I can also filter my data. If I want to filter my data based on the number of reviews, I can do that. If I want to filter my data based on the rating, I can do that. And by clicking the link in the description, you have access to your first 100 leads free of charge.

This Google Maps scraping tool bridges the gap between complex API development and simple data extraction needs. Whether you're doing competitive intelligence, lead generation, or market research, Scrap.io provides the scalability that traditional scraping methods often lack.

But also, with Scrap.io, we have access to an API. Let's take a look, shall we?

The Scrap.io API Deep Dive

The API is here. The locations subtab and the search subtab are useful for us. Let's say a quick word about the location API.

As you've noticed, Scrap.io applies four different criteria:

  • The country
  • The level one division
  • The level two division
  • The city

Within the API, it's called:

  • The admin one code
  • The admin two code
  • The country code
  • The city

With this API, we can find out the ID of the admin one code and the admin two code. It's not useful for what we want to do, but in some cases, it might be interesting.

Practical Example with Location API

Let's take an example. I copy and paste the content from this API, and I simply have to correctly determine my parameters.

Let's assume I want to know the admin one code. So the type is "admin one," and as a search term - the level one division for the United States is the state. If I want to target Nashville, the state is Tennessee, so in the search term, I type "TN."

I also have to implement my API key. How do I do that? I click on the security tab, "API key," give it a name, and click "Create." Here's my API key. The full key is "Bearer" plus my key.

With this API, we know for sure that the admin one code of Nashville is "TN," which actually makes a lot of sense.

The Power of the Search API

But now, what's more interesting is the search API, because with the search API, we can get Google Maps leads at scale.

Same thing as before - I've simply copied and pasted this code and added a couple of query parameters because some of them are actually filters.

As parameters, there are:

  • The country code
  • The city
  • The type (I've picked "restaurant" because it's the most popular query on Google Maps)

I've added two other filters:

  • gmap_reviews_count_lte equal to 10
  • gmap_reviews_rating_lte equal to 3

Both these parameters imply:

  • Google Maps reviews count less than or equal to 10
  • Google Maps review rating less than or equal to 3

If I run my Python file, I have access to my data. To be more specific, I have access to 10 establishments. Of course, if I wanted to scale my request, I would have taken the next cursor into account.

What You Get Access To

I've forgotten to tell you something. Of course, the results I've shown you are not exhaustive because in this example, I've only shown you the name, the review score, the rating, and the reviews per score. But obviously, you have access to much more columns.

Through Scrap.io, you can extract comprehensive data including:

  • Contact information (emails, phone numbers)
  • Social media profiles
  • Website technologies
  • Business hours
  • Rating breakdowns
  • Review samples
  • And much more

For a step-by-step guide on extracting email addresses specifically, our detailed tutorial on how to find email addresses from Google Maps provides practical techniques for maximizing your contact data extraction.

Conclusion: Your Next Steps in Google Maps Data Extraction

This is the end of the video. If you've enjoyed it, you can subscribe. If you have any questions, you can contact our customer support.

The key takeaway here is that while the Google Maps API provides powerful capabilities for extracting business data and reviews, it comes with significant limitations - especially when it comes to accessing comprehensive review data without being the business owner.

Scrap.io bridges this gap by providing an intuitive, no-code solution that gives you access to the same data at scale, with advanced filtering capabilities that make it perfect for:

  • Lead generation with precise targeting
  • Competitive intelligence and market analysis
  • Business data extraction for research purposes
  • Google Maps scraping without technical complexity

Whether you're a marketer looking to segment prospects, a business owner conducting competitive analysis, or a developer building applications that need Google Maps business listings, understanding these tools and their capabilities is crucial for success in today's data-driven business environment.

For businesses evaluating different scraping solutions, our comprehensive comparison between OutScraper and Scrap.io demonstrates why Scrap.io is considered the leading Google Maps scraping tool in 2025.

Key benefits of using Scrap.io for Google Maps data extraction:

  • Extract data from 200 million establishments worldwide
  • Advanced filtering (ratings, review counts, business hours, etc.)
  • No coding required - simple point-and-click interface
  • API access for developers and automation needs
  • First 100 leads completely free to get started

Remember, you can get started with your first 100 leads completely free. Whether you choose the API route or the simplified Scrap.io approach, the important thing is to start extracting valuable business intelligence from Google Maps today.

There's nothing else to see - this is the end!


Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to scrape Google Maps?

Yes, it is absolutely possible to scrape Google Maps data. There are several approaches available:

  1. Using the official Google Maps API - This provides access to business listings, basic review data, and location information, but with limitations on review access unless you own the business.
  2. Using specialized scraping tools - Tools like Scrap.io offer a no-code solution to extract comprehensive business data from Google Maps at scale.
  3. Building custom scrapers - Technical users can develop their own scraping solutions using Python, Selenium, and other tools, though this requires significant development expertise.

The key is choosing the right method based on your technical skills, data requirements, and compliance needs.

Is it legal to scrape Google Maps data?

Google Maps scraping legality depends on several factors:

  • Public data - Scraping publicly available business information (names, addresses, ratings) is generally considered legal under US and European laws
  • Terms of Service - Always ensure your scraping activities comply with Google's Terms of Service
  • Data protection laws - Follow GDPR and other applicable data protection regulations
  • Commercial use - Public business data can typically be used for legitimate commercial purposes like lead generation and market research

Scrap.io operates within legal boundaries by extracting only publicly available data and providing tools that encourage responsible use.

Is Google Maps scraper free?

Several options exist for free Google Maps scraping:

  • Google Maps API - Offers a free tier with limited monthly requests
  • Open-source scrapers - Available on GitHub with basic functionality
  • Scrap.io free tier - Provides your first 100 leads completely free
  • Browser extensions - Like Scrap.io's Maps Connect extension for Chrome

However, most comprehensive solutions require paid plans for larger-scale data extraction. Scrap.io offers various pricing tiers starting at €49/month for 10,000 exports.

What is the fastest Google Maps scraper?

The fastest Google Maps scraping depends on your needs:

  • For developers - The official Google Maps API offers the most reliable speed and data quality
  • For non-technical users - Scrap.io provides the fastest no-code solution with up to 5,000 requests per minute
  • For specific use cases - Custom-built scrapers can be optimized for speed but require significant development time

Scrap.io stands out by offering both speed and simplicity, making it the fastest option for most business users who need quick results without technical complexity.

What is the limit of scraping Google Maps?

Google Maps scraping limits vary by method:

Google Maps API limits:

  • Rate limiting (varies by API endpoint)
  • Monthly quota restrictions
  • Review access limited to 5 samples unless you own the business

Scrap.io limits:

  • Up to 5,000 requests per minute
  • Monthly export credits based on your plan (10K to 100K+)
  • No artificial restrictions on data types or geographic coverage

Technical scraping limits:

  • Google's 120-result limit per search query
  • IP blocking and anti-scraping measures
  • Rate limiting to prevent server overload

Scrap.io overcomes many of these limitations by providing a robust infrastructure designed specifically for large-scale Google Maps data extraction.

Is it possible to extract data from Google Maps?

Yes, extensive data extraction from Google Maps is possible. You can extract:

Business Information:

  • Business names and addresses
  • Contact details (phone, email, website)
  • Business hours and categories
  • Ratings and review counts

Location Data:

  • GPS coordinates
  • Geographic boundaries
  • Nearby businesses and points of interest

Review Data:

  • Sample reviews and ratings
  • Review keywords and sentiment
  • Reviewer information (where publicly available)

Enhanced Data (via Scrap.io):

  • Social media profiles
  • Website technologies
  • Email addresses and contact forms
  • Advanced filtering options

The extent of data available depends on your chosen extraction method and the specific business listings you're targeting.


About Scrap.io

Scrap.io is a powerful local lead generation solution that enables real-time data extraction from Google Maps' 200 million indexed establishments. Since launching in 2021, Scrap.io has become the only solution that allows you to extract all Google Maps listings for an entire country in just two clicks, without any coding required.

Key Features:

  • Search by city, department, region, or entire country
  • 4,000+ available categories across 195 countries
  • Advanced filtering before extraction (save money on useful contacts only)
  • Duplicate contact exclusion (0 duplicates in your files)
  • API access included in all plans

Pricing: Starting at €49/month with a 7-day free trial (50 searches, 100 export credits)

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