Google’s Custom Search JSON API is closed to new customers and will be discontinued for existing users on January 1, 2027. Until then, its pricing remains 100 free queries per day, then $5 per 1,000 queries, with a 10,000-query daily limit. The right replacement depends on the task: Google’s Programmable Search Element or Algolia for a website search box; Google Agent Search for searching up to 50 specified domains or private data; and dedicated SERP services or Brave Search API for whole-web results. For search results plus page content, options include RAG Web Browser, Tavily, Exa, or combining search with a page-fetching tool.
For applications that need whole-web results as JSON, the guide presents Apify Web Search as a close substitute. It accepts a query and returns structured results through an HTTP endpoint or an Actor run, using an Apify token instead of a Google API key and search-engine ID. Migration involves renaming parameters and mapping response fields - for example, `q` becomes `query`, `gl` becomes `countryCode`, and `items[].link` becomes `results[].url`. Web Search supports city-level location and has no daily cap, but charges per search, returns only the first results page, and takes a few seconds because results are retrieved live. Its snippets can be supplemented with Web Fetch, which retrieves page content as Markdown; Web Search also integrates with MCP clients and AI agents.
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Reddit plans to test requiring users to log in, starting in select non-US markets in Q4, before deciding whether to expand the change globally. CEO Steve Huffman says logins will improve ad targeting, engagement, and data protection as search referrals decline. (arstechnica.com)
Reddit will test making its experience primarily available to logged-in users, aiming to improve engagement and ad targeting while limiting AI scraping of its data. Search visitors can still view linked posts, but Reddit warns that declining search traffic could reduce daily users. (axios.com)
Sudo is a browser-based interactive experience that takes visitors through a wooded scene. After walking through the trees, the page shows a blank white screen. (sudo.com)
Cormac McCarthy’s Library site uses Anubis, a proof-of-work challenge designed to make large-scale AI scraping more expensive. The page says its JavaScript challenge failed to load and recommends reloading or disabling certain browser extensions. (cormacmccarthy.lib.utk.edu)
Reddit shares fell after its fourth-quarter sales forecast missed expectations, despite beating third-quarter earnings and revenue estimates. The company plans to test requiring users to log in as Google search referrals decline. (cnbc.com)
Reddit will test requiring users to log in to browse in select non-US markets during Q4, then use the results to guide a possible global rollout. CEO Steve Huffman says the change will improve ad targeting, engagement, and data protection as search referrals decline. (arstechnica.com)
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