Configuring and Setting Up a Custom Search Engine in Google Cloud

The following steps provide detailed instructions for setting up a custom search engine, its API, and the search engine ID.

1) Create or Select a Google Cloud Project: 

• Go to the Google Cloud Console: https://console.cloud.google.com/ 
• If you don’t have a Google Cloud project, create one. Click on the project selector at the top and then “New Project.” Give it a name and select a billing account (you need a billing account to use paid Google Cloud services, but the Custom Search API has a free tier, although very limited). 
• If you already have a project, select it from the project selector.

2) Enable the Custom Search API: 

• In the Google Cloud Console, search for “Custom Search API” in the search bar at the top. 

• Click on the “Custom Search API” result. This will take you to the API’s overview page.
• Click the “Enable” button. It might take a few moments to enable the API.

3) Get Your API Key: 

• In the Google Cloud Console (not the Custom Search Engine control panel), go to “APIs & Services” > “Credentials” (or search for “Credentials” in the console’s search bar).

• Click “+ CREATE CREDENTIALS” at the top.

• Choose “API key”. A popup will show your API key. Copy this key.

4) Create a Custom Search Engine: 

• Go to the Custom Search Engine control panel: https://cse.google.com/cse/all
• Click “Add”. 
• Sites to Search: Enter the websites you want to search. Select: Search the entire web (leave the field empty or use *). Be careful with this, as it consumes more API quota. Give a name: Give your search engine a name.
• Click “Create”

5) Get Your Search Engine ID: 

• After creating the search engine, you’ll be taken to the confirmation page. 
• In the script, you will see an id with “cx=”
• Copy the value shown shown after “cx=”
  

• This is your cx (Search Engine ID). It will look something like fc1234567890123456789