Definition
The Google CSE 50-domain free tier limit is Google's restriction that allows Custom Search Engine instances to index up to 50 domains at no cost, with a January 2027 deprecation deadline forcing migration to paid alternatives.
In Depth
Google Custom Search Engine (CSE) has long offered a free tier limited to 50 indexed domains. This was sufficient for small internal search widgets and documentation search, but Google announced the full deprecation of the CSE free tier by January 2027. Beyond the free tier, Google CSE charges $5 per 1,000 queries. The 50-domain restriction means any search scope broader than 50 sites required either multiple CSE instances or an upgrade to the paid Programmable Search Engine. For teams migrating, the key alternatives are: Scavio at $0.005/query (matching CSE's paid pricing exactly), Tavily at $30/mo for 1,000 requests (Researcher tier), and Brave Search API at $5/1,000 queries with the free tier removed as of February 2026. The migration is straightforward for most implementations -- CSE returns JSON, and so do all the alternatives -- but teams should plan for schema differences in the response structure.
Example Usage
A SaaS company used Google CSE to power documentation search across 30 subdomains. With the January 2027 deadline, they migrated to Scavio's Google search endpoint at the same $0.005/query cost, gaining structured SERP data (AI Overview, People Also Ask) that CSE never provided.
Platforms
Google CSE 50-Domain Free Tier Limit is relevant across the following platforms, all accessible through Scavio's unified API: