Google Places API

Also called: Places API, Places API (New), Google Maps Places API.

The Places API is part of Google Maps Platform. Its main endpoints are Text Search ("plumbers in Austin"), Nearby Search (places around a point), Place Details (everything about one Place ID), and Autocomplete. The current version, Places API (New), requires a field mask: you list the fields you want, and the fields decide which price tier the request is billed at.

It's the sanctioned way to use Google's place data, with a documented price per request and terms you agree to. It also has limits that matter for lead generation. Text Search (New) returns at most 60 results across all pages for one query, so covering a city still means many searches over smaller areas. It doesn't return email addresses. And the Maps Platform terms restrict caching and storing most content, though Place IDs are exempt.

Teams usually choose between three options: build on the Places API (official, priced per call, needs development and coverage logic), use a scraper (cheaper per row, against Google's terms), or use a lead tool that delivers finished lists. Work out the cost per usable lead for your market before you choose.

Example

A developer runs Text Search for "coffee shop in Portland" and gets 60 results over three pages, then splits the city into a grid of smaller searches to find the rest.