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Google Will Block Access To Its Autocomplete API On August 10

Posted by timothy on from the keeping-coders-in-suspense-since dept.

An anonymous reader writes with news reported by VentureBeat that Google will be discontinuing developer access to its unofficial Autocomplete API, as of August 10 of this year. A snippet from the article: Google currently supports more than 80 APIs that developers can use to integrate Google services and data into their applications. The company also has unsupported and unpublished APIs which people outside the company have discovered and leveraged. One of those is the Autocomplete API. The company says it is making this move "in the interest of maintaining the integrity of autocomplete as part of Search," that it wants to "ensure that users experience autocomplete as it was designed to be used," and finally that "this provides the best user experience for both services." I'm sure many will disagree.

7 of 59 comments (clear)

  1. As it was designed to be used... by QuietLagoon · · Score: 1, Insightful

    ...it wants to "ensure that users experience autocomplete as it was designed to be used,... That is, solely and exclusively for the profit of google. I suspect too many others were making a profit on the API, pulling those dollars away from google.

    .
    At the rate that google pulls working software out of production and mothballs it, I am surprised that anyone relies on any product that google has.

    There does not appear to be any such thing as a long-term supported google product.

    1. Re:As it was designed to be used... by QuietLagoon · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Looks like I hit a nerve....

    2. Re:As it was designed to be used... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      This isn't a Google "product", dumbass. If Google ever intended anyone to use it, then it wouldn't be an unpublished API. Complaining about Google pulling actual published APIs a applications is one thing, but Google is 100% within its rights to block access to people using their services in ways that they never authorised or intended.

    3. Re:As it was designed to be used... by X0563511 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      No, you just failed at formatting.

      --
      For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
  2. undocumented by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you use undocumented calls you are all going to have a bad time mmm kay.

    It seems every 'generation' of programmers gets to re-learn this lesson.

  3. Re:The moral of the story... by QuasiSteve · · Score: 4, Insightful

    While the general sentiment of your statement is correct - given the plurality of services they have discontinued in the past - do note that this autocomplete API wasn't particularly "offered to the public"; it was never official or particularly supported.

    Relying on undocumented / unofficial APIs always carries such a risk.

  4. Re:The moral of the story... by chill · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Except Google didn't offer it to the public. It is an unpublished API that is and was unsupported for external use.

    I don't see the problem here. Don't rely on undocumented APIs.

    --
    Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.