Google Custom Search Engine, CSE

[micky]

Hi, I'm a newbie to this group and I hope this question is on
topic.

I've been trying to write my first webpage, which would do a google
search, looking only at a list of 20 or maybe as many as 400 websites
whose information I find relevant on a given topic, and the people in
the comp.lang.javascript group have been very helpful, but it's my
first page and it's going slow.

Last night I came across Google Custom Search Engine, CSE, which is
meant to do pretty much the same thing!!

Anyone ever use it?

Do you foresee any problems using it? Perhaps it would be better to
keep working on my own html and javascript

It sounded like it was free for non-commercial use, but later I came
across Google Custom Search APi, which is free for 100 searches a day,
but 5 dollars a day after 100. I'll be lucky if there are 100
searches a day, but maybe there will be and I can be out 1800 dollars
a year!!!

Or google will change its rules.

Or they'll keep track of these searches. Do I have to warn the people
using my page, or will google keep just as much info even if I write
my own page, and even if people just use the regular google page?

Any helpful advice is much appreciated.

 

[micky]

Any helpful advice is much appreciated.

It's doesn't have to be helpful to be appreciated. I mean any advice
that isn't meant to insult me, etc. is appreciated. <Grin>

 

[dorayme]

I've been trying to write my first webpage, which would do a google
search, looking only at a list of 20 or maybe as many as 400 websites
whose information I find relevant on a given topic, and the people in
the comp.lang.javascript group have been very helpful, but it's my
first page and it's going slow.

Last night I came across Google Custom Search Engine, CSE, which is
meant to do pretty much the same thing!!

Anyone ever use it?

Any helpful advice is much appreciated.

later:

It's doesn't have to be helpful to be appreciated. I mean any advice
that isn't meant to insult me, etc. is appreciated. <Grin>

In that case...

I have used a Google search facility on a site and it searches the
site it is on and does a fine job, no ads (just a Google logo and
small Google acknowledgement). I would have to go back and see if it
can actually search other specified sites but if you say it can, give
it a go. Noli equi dentes inspicere donati. Ne munus equum in ore.
Don't vultus a donum equus in os... These online translators!

 

[micky]

In that case...

I have used a Google search facility on a site and it searches the
site it is on and does a fine job, no ads (just a Google logo and
small Google acknowledgement). I would have to go back and see if it
can actually search other specified sites but if you say it can, give
it a go. Noli equi dentes inspicere donati. Ne munus equum in ore.
Don't vultus a donum equus in os... These online translators!

LOL

Well, I was encouraged by your post and making progress. As to paid
vs. free, I found this:

We offer two editions of Custom Search:

Standard edition [is free and ] gives you a tailored search
experience using Google technology. You can also customize the look of
your search engine and integrate into your site using an iframe. You
must show ads alongside the search results, unless you are creating
your search engine for a nonprofit organization**, university, or
government agency, in which case you can disable ads. You can make
money from these ads with the AdSense For Search program.

Site Search starts at $100 per year and comes with additional
options. You get guaranteed support and greater results customization
options via an XML API. Ads are not shown next to search results.

**I was going to be non-profit, actually lose about 100 dollars a year
for hosting etc. , but I'm not an organization, I'm not 501c3, and I'd
probably have to show the ads.

But I searched for a search engine like I wanted to create, and it
seems like there might already be one. And it uses CSE like I had
planned to. And it doesn't show ads, because there are several guys
running it and they probably run it under an existing actual
registered non-profit, or even maybe one they created for this, or
they pay the 100 dollars because there are no ads.

I still enjoyed the work I was doing, and learning what I learned, but
I don't want to spend time and mney reinventing the wheel, when I have
so much alse to do during the summer. . So I put my project on hold.
I'll be using the search page I found and if it's as good as mine
would have been, or almost, mine will stay on hold.

Thanks for your help.

 

[micky]

You can have a Google search on your site without enrolling in the
Google Custom Search Engine. My site's index page has one. Simple code:

<!-- BEGIN edmullen.net SiteSearch Google -->
<FORM method=GET action="http://www.google.com/search">
<div><IMG SRC="./google_xpnt2.gif" ALT="Google" style="width: 110px;
height: 42px; -moz-box-shadow: none;"></div>
<div style="padding: 0 0 1em 0;">
<INPUT TYPE=text name=q maxlength=255 size="40" value="">
<INPUT type=submit name=btnG VALUE="Search">
<input type=hidden name=domains value="http://edmullen.net">
<span class="smaller">
<input type=radio name=sitesearch value="http://edmullen.net"
checked> edmullen.net
<input id=www type=radio name=sitesearch value=""><label for=www>
Search the Web </label>
</span>
</div>
</FORM>
<!-- END edmullen.net SiteSearch Google -->

This offers the option to search either my domain (the default) or the Web.

Thanks a lot, Ed. My current project is on hold, but will start
again if I'm not satisfied with the page I found. And now that I'm
started, I can easily imagine there will be other similar things I'll
want to do.

 

[dorayme]

You can have a Google search on your site without enrolling in the
Google Custom Search Engine. My site's index page has one. Simple code:

<!-- BEGIN edmullen.net SiteSearch Google -->
<FORM method=GET action="http://www.google.com/search">
<div><IMG SRC="./google_xpnt2.gif" ALT="Google" style="width: 110px;
height: 42px; -moz-box-shadow: none;"></div>
<div style="padding: 0 0 1em 0;">
<INPUT TYPE=text name=q maxlength=255 size="40" value="">
<INPUT type=submit name=btnG VALUE="Search">
<input type=hidden name=domains value="http://edmullen.net">
<span class="smaller">
<input type=radio name=sitesearch value="http://edmullen.net"
checked> edmullen.net
<input id=www type=radio name=sitesearch value=""><label for=www>
Search the Web </label>
</span>
</div>
</FORM>
<!-- END edmullen.net SiteSearch Google -->

This offers the option to search either my domain (the default) or the Web.

Yes, excellent. I think maybe OP does not want ads. I have done sites
for charitable organizations and the custom one is free for them.
Anyway, what's a few ads, they are on the side and we all have got
used to ignoring them. At least they don't blare out at you with
sounds!