Why You Need to Migrate from Google Custom Search
Google Custom Search Engine (CSE), also known as Google Programmable Search Engine, is shutting down for API users. The JSON API was closed to new customers in 2025, and existing customers have until January 1, 2027 to find a replacement. The Site Restricted JSON API was already discontinued in January 2025.
Google recommends Vertex AI Search as a replacement, but it requires a full Google Cloud Platform setup, supports only up to 50 domains, and comes with enterprise-level pricing that starts well above what most site owners need.
If you are using Google CSE on your website – whether through the JavaScript embed, the JSON API, or the older Google Site Search – now is the time to plan your migration. This guide walks you through the complete process of switching to ExpertRec, step by step.
Google CSE Deprecation Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| April 2017 | Google Site Search discontinued |
| 2018 | Google CSE becomes the only option (with ads) |
| January 2025 | Site Restricted JSON API discontinued |
| 2025 | Custom Search JSON API closed to new customers |
| January 1, 2027 | Custom Search JSON API shut down for all users |
What You Lose When Google CSE Shuts Down
If you are currently using Google CSE, here is what stops working after the deadline:
- JSON API calls – Any backend integration that queries the Custom Search JSON API will return errors
- Search result customization – Promotions, refinements, and custom ranking rules configured in the CSE control panel
- Ad-free search – The paid tier that removed ads from search results
- Structured search data – API responses with structured fields like title, snippet, link, and image
The free JavaScript embed may continue to work for some time, but Google has not committed to maintaining it long-term. Relying on it is risky.
ExpertRec vs Google CSE: Feature Comparison
| Feature | Google CSE | ExpertRec |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Shutting down (Jan 2027) | Actively developed |
| Setup time | 15-30 minutes | 5 minutes |
| Ads in results | Yes (free tier) | No ads on any plan |
| Autocomplete | Limited | Real-time with thumbnails |
| PDF indexing | Basic | Full PDF content indexing |
| Crawl behind login | No | Yes |
| Custom ranking rules | Basic promotions | Pin, boost, bury, and block results |
| Search analytics | None | Full dashboard with query logs, click tracking, and zero-result reports |
| Multi-site search | Yes (up to 5,000 sites) | Yes (on paid plans) |
| Voice search | No | Yes |
| Faceted navigation | Refinement labels only | Full faceted filters by category, date, author, custom fields |
| API access | Shutting down | Full REST API |
| Pricing | $5 per 1,000 queries (API) | From $49/mo for 50,000 queries |
| Support | Community forums only | Email and chat support on all plans |
Step-by-Step Migration Guide
Step 1: Sign Up and Enter Your Website URL
Go to cse.expertrec.com and sign in with your Google account. Enter your website URL and click “Next”. ExpertRec will start crawling your site immediately.
During the trial, you can test with one website URL. Once you upgrade to a paid plan, you can add multiple domains in the dashboard under Settings > Crawl > Additional URLs.
Step 2: Wait for the Initial Crawl
ExpertRec crawls your site and indexes all pages, including PDFs and other documents. For most sites, this takes 15-30 minutes. Larger sites with 10,000+ pages may take a few hours.
You can monitor crawl progress in the dashboard. The crawler respects robots.txt by default, but you can configure it to crawl specific paths or exclude sections you do not want indexed.
Step 3: Add the Search Code to Your Website
Once the crawl is complete, go to the “Code” section in your ExpertRec dashboard. You will get a JavaScript snippet that looks like this:
Copy the JavaScript snippet from your ExpertRec dashboard (Code section) and paste it into your website. The snippet is unique to your account and typically looks like a short <script> tag that loads the ExpertRec search widget.
Replace the existing Google CSE code on your website with this snippet. If you were using the Google CSE JavaScript embed, look for code that references cse.google.com or programmablesearchengine.google.com and replace it.
Step 4: Remove Old Google CSE Code
Search your website code for any of these patterns and remove them:
<script src="https://cse.google.com/cse.js?cx=YOUR_CX_ID"><div class="gcse-search"></div><div class="gcse-searchbox"></div><div class="gcse-searchresults"></div>- Any API calls to
www.googleapis.com/customsearch/v1
Step 5: Configure Search Settings
In the ExpertRec dashboard, configure your search to match your previous Google CSE setup:
- Autocomplete – Enable real-time suggestions with thumbnail previews (Settings > UI > Autocomplete)
- Search results layout – Choose between list view, grid view, or a custom layout
- Filters and facets – Add category, date, or custom field filters that Google CSE did not support
- Promotions – If you had promoted results in Google CSE, recreate them using the Pin and Boost features
- Excluded pages – If you had excluded URLs in Google CSE, add them under Settings > Crawl > Exclude URLs
Step 6: Test and Go Live
Use the preview in the ExpertRec dashboard to test searches before going live. Check that:
- Your most important pages appear in results for relevant queries
- Autocomplete suggestions are helpful and accurate
- PDF and document content is indexed (if applicable)
- The search UI matches your website design
Migrating from the Google Custom Search JSON API
If you were using the JSON API for backend integrations, you will need to update your code. Here is how the two APIs compare:
Google CSE JSON API Request
GET https://www.googleapis.com/customsearch/v1?key=API_KEY&cx=CX_ID&q=search+termExpertRec API
ExpertRec provides a REST API for backend integrations. You can find the API endpoint and documentation in your ExpertRec dashboard under the API section. The API returns JSON responses with search results including title, snippet, and URL fields.
Key differences from the Google CSE API:
| Aspect | Google CSE API | ExpertRec API |
|---|---|---|
| Rate limit | 100 free queries/day, then $5/1,000 | 50,000 queries/mo on Standard plan |
| Authentication | API key required | Site ID based |
| Pagination | start parameter (max 100 results) | Page-based pagination |
| Filters | Limited to site restrict and date | Category, date, custom fields, and more |
| Autocomplete | Not available | Built-in autocomplete endpoint |
For detailed API documentation and code examples, contact ExpertRec support or check the API section in your dashboard after signing up.
Common Migration Scenarios
WordPress Sites
If you added Google CSE to WordPress using a plugin or by pasting the embed code in a widget, the migration is straightforward. Install the ExpertRec WordPress plugin from the plugin directory, activate it, and enter your site ID. The plugin replaces the default WordPress search with ExpertRec automatically.
Shopify Stores
For Shopify stores that were using Google CSE as a workaround for limited native search, ExpertRec offers a dedicated Shopify app. Install it from the Shopify App Store, and it replaces the default Shopify search with AI-powered search including product filters, autocomplete, and typo tolerance. Shopify search-only plans start at $65/mo.
Custom Websites (PHP, Node.js, React, etc.)
For custom-built websites, replace the Google CSE JavaScript embed with the ExpertRec search code snippet. If you were using the JSON API on the backend, update your API calls to use the ExpertRec endpoint. The response format is JSON, so most integrations require only changing the URL and parsing a slightly different response structure.
Multi-Site Search
If your Google CSE searched across multiple domains, ExpertRec supports this on paid plans. Start your trial with your primary domain, then add the rest after upgrading. Searches will return results from all sites, and you can configure domain-level boosting to prioritize results from your primary site.
What About Vertex AI Search?
Google recommends Vertex AI Search as the official replacement for the Custom Search JSON API. Here is how it compares:
| Aspect | Vertex AI Search | ExpertRec |
|---|---|---|
| Setup complexity | Requires GCP project, data store creation, API enablement | 5-minute setup, no cloud infrastructure needed |
| Domain limit | Up to 50 domains | Multiple domains on paid plans |
| Pricing model | Per-query pricing, enterprise tier | Flat monthly plans from $49/mo |
| Technical requirement | GCP expertise needed | Copy-paste JavaScript snippet |
| Search analytics | Via GCP console | Built-in dashboard |
| Support | GCP support tiers | Direct email and chat support |
Vertex AI Search is a good fit for enterprises already invested in Google Cloud Platform. For most website owners, bloggers, and small-to-medium businesses, ExpertRec offers a faster and more affordable migration path.
Migration Checklist
Use this checklist to make sure you do not miss anything during your migration:
- Sign up at cse.expertrec.com and start the crawl
- Start trial with your primary domain, then add remaining domains after upgrading to a paid plan
- Wait for the initial crawl to complete
- Add the ExpertRec JavaScript snippet to your website
- Remove all Google CSE code (JavaScript embed, API calls, CSS)
- Recreate any promoted results or exclusions in the ExpertRec dashboard
- Configure autocomplete, filters, and search layout
- Test searches for your top 10 most common queries
- Verify PDF and document indexing (if applicable)
- Set up search analytics tracking
- Monitor search performance for the first week
ExpertRec Pricing for Google CSE Replacement
ExpertRec content search plans are designed as a direct replacement for Google CSE:
| Plan | Price | Pages | Search Requests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $49/mo | 1,000 | 50,000/mo |
| Expert | $81/mo | 5,000 | 100,000/mo |
| Premium | $159/mo | 10,000 | 200,000/mo |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom |
For comparison, the Google Custom Search JSON API charges $5 per 1,000 queries after the free 100 queries/day. At 50,000 queries per month, that would cost approximately $245/mo with Google – nearly 5x the ExpertRec Standard plan.
All ExpertRec plans include autocomplete, search analytics, PDF indexing, custom ranking, and ad-free results. There is a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. The trial supports one website URL — upgrade to a paid plan to add multiple domains.
Related Google Custom Search Guides
- Google Custom Search JSON API: Complete Guide
- Google Custom Search Pricing Breakdown
- Fix: Google Custom Search API Daily Limit Exceeded
- How to Create a PDF Search Engine
- What Is Faceted Search?
- Ecommerce Search Engine Guide
Most migrations take less than an hour. The ExpertRec setup takes about 5 minutes, and the initial crawl completes in 15-30 minutes for most sites. The main time investment is removing old Google CSE code and testing the new search.
The Google Custom Search JSON API is closed to new customers as of 2025. Existing customers have until January 1, 2027 to migrate. The Site Restricted JSON API was already discontinued in January 2025.
Google CSE does not provide search analytics or historical data, so there is nothing to export. ExpertRec starts collecting search analytics from day one, giving you insights into what your visitors search for, which results they click, and which queries return no results.
ExpertRec offers a REST API that returns JSON search results similar to the Google CSE API. The endpoint URL and response format are different, so you will need to update your API calls, but the migration is straightforward for most integrations.
ExpertRec offers a 14-day free trial that supports one website URL. After the trial, paid plans start at $49 per month for up to 1,000 pages and 50,000 search requests. Paid plans also support multiple domains. Unlike Google CSE, ExpertRec does not show ads in search results on any plan.
