Google Maps scraper: official API, DIY or a ready-made Actor
People searching for a "Google Maps scraper" want business listings (name, phone, website, rating) as a spreadsheet. There are three routes.
Route 1: Google's own Places API
The official, supported route. You need a Google Cloud project with billing, and you pay per request with tiered prices by data field. Google's terms restrict caching and storing place data, so check them if you plan to build a database. Best for an app that shows live place details to users.
Route 2: write your own scraper
Maps is a heavy JavaScript app, so a plain HTTP scraper does not work; you need a headless browser, proxies, scrolling logic and constant repairs when the page changes. Reasonable if scraping is your product; a time sink if you just need a list.
Route 3: a ready-made Actor
Google Maps Leads takes a category and a city and returns the places. It also visits each business website for emails, which Maps does not show. In a test on "plumber, Denver, CO" it returned eight places and seven emails for about $0.026.
| Official API | DIY | Actor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | Cloud project, billing | Days | Minutes |
| Emails | No | You build it | Yes, from the business site |
| Cost model | Per request | Servers and proxies | $0.0015 per place |
| Maintenance | Google's | Yours | The Actor's |
Next step: export the results to CSV.
Try it: Google Maps Leads on Apify. $0.0015 per business returned. The Apify free plan includes monthly credit, so a test run costs nothing out of pocket.
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