Skip to content
Nappai Documentation

Google Custom Search Tool

The Google Custom Search Tool lets you pull up-to-date web results directly into your Nappai workflow.
Simply enter a search query, choose how many results you want, and the component will return a list of snippets that you can use in later steps.

How it Works

The component talks to Google’s Custom Search API.

  1. Credential – You must first create a Google Search API credential in Nappai’s credential section.
    • The credential stores your Google Custom Search API key and Programmable Search Engine ID.
    • In the component, just pick that credential from the “Credential” dropdown.
  2. Query – When you run the component, it sends the text you entered in the Input field to Google.
  3. Results – Google returns a list of matching pages.
  4. Output – The component turns each result into a Data object (containing the full result and a short snippet).
    It also builds a Tool that can be used by other parts of the system to perform the same search.

Inputs

  • Credential: Select the Google Search API credential you created in Nappai.
  • Input: The search query you want to run (e.g., “Nappai automation”).
  • Number of Results: How many search results to return (default 10).
  • Start Index: The position in the result list to start from (default 1).

Outputs

  • Data (method: run_model): A list of Data objects, each containing a search result and its snippet.
  • Tool (method: build_tool): A reusable Tool that can be called by other components to perform the same search.

Usage Example

  1. Create a credential
    • Go to Credentials → Add Credential → choose Google Search API.
    • Enter your Google Custom Search Api Key and Programmable Search Engine ID.
  2. Add the component to your workflow.
  3. Configure the fields:
    • Credential – pick the credential you just created.
    • Input – type Nappai automation.
    • Number of Results – set to 5.
    • Start Index – leave at 1.
  4. Run the workflow.
    • The component will return 5 Data objects with snippets about Nappai automation.
    • You can feed these into a text summarizer, a database, or any other downstream component.
  • Google Search Snippets – A simpler tool that returns only the snippet text.
  • Web Scraper – Pulls data from a specific webpage instead of a search query.
  • API Connector – Lets you call any REST API; useful if you want to use a different search engine.

Tips and Best Practices

  • Keep your API key and engine ID confidential; never share the credential file.
  • Limit the number of results to avoid hitting API quotas.
  • Use Start Index to paginate through large result sets.
  • Test with short queries first to confirm the component is working before scaling up.

Security Considerations

  • The credential is stored securely in Nappai’s credential vault.
  • Only users with permission to view credentials can see the API key and engine ID.
  • Do not expose the credential in public workflows or share the workflow file without removing the credential reference.