Extract the initially visible cards in Google's Top stories module for one query. The Bot captures ordered news cards and their visible metadata without opening stories, entering Google News, or mixing in ordinary organic results.
What Does BrowserAct Google Top Stories Scraper API Do?
The Bot builds one Google Search URL internally from the query and selected website options, opens the public result page, identifies only the visible Top stories module, extracts its visible fields, and stops when its initially visible story cards are extracted.
Atomic Capability
One run opens one public Google Search results page and returns only Breaking news cards.
The Bot does not combine adjacent search features, open destination websites, or turn the request into a broad crawl. This narrow boundary makes the result predictable for direct API use and composition with other Bots.
Key Features
- Extracts one narrowly defined public Google Search capability.
- Accepts an open-ended query with a working default.
- Uses dropdowns for country and interface language, and Safe Search.
- Builds the fixed Google Search URL and website codes internally.
- Returns the same top-level response envelope for positive and valid negative results.
- Preserves additional visible target-module fields in
unclassified_fields.
Capability Availability
| State | Output behavior |
|---|---|
| Target module is present | available is true; data contains the extracted result. |
| Valid result page without the target module | available is false; data=[]. |
| Additional fields appear inside the target module | Values are preserved in unclassified_fields. |
Quick Start
- Open Run task.
- Enter a query, such as
Donald Trump. - Choose the available country and language options.
- Run the Bot and review its structured response.
- Use the API Tab when you want to call the published template from an application or automation.
Input Parameters
| Parameter | Configuration |
|---|---|
query |
String · Required Default: Donald TrumpOpen-ended Google search text; 1-300 characters after trimming. |
search_country |
Dropdown · Required Default: United StatesSelect a supported country; the Bot maps the label internally. |
interface_language |
Dropdown · Required Default: EnglishSelect a supported interface language; the Bot maps the label internally. |
safe_search |
Dropdown · Required Default: ActiveSelect Active or Off; the Bot maps the value internally. |
See the Inputs Tab for supported labels, mappings, constraints, and the default request JSON.
Output Structure
| Field | Type and behavior |
|---|---|
capability |
Fixed string google_top_stories. |
available |
Boolean indicating whether the target module appeared. |
request_metadata |
Normalized public inputs and the internally constructed source URL. |
data |
Ordered array of extracted records. |
unclassified_fields |
Additional visible fields from the same module. |
See the Output Tab for the complete schema and the actual response from a current Live Version run.
Example Output
This table shows one result from validated task 116391769807073229. For repeating records, only the first record is expanded in this preview.
| Field | Result |
|---|---|
capability |
google_top_stories |
available |
true |
request_metadata.query |
Donald Trump |
request_metadata.search_country |
United States |
request_metadata.interface_language |
English |
request_metadata.safe_search |
Active |
request_metadata.source_page_url |
https://www.google.com/search?q=Donald+Trump&gl=us&hl=en&safe=active&sei=MoSaarm7OdfNkPIPs5HOgAo |
data.total_results |
7 |
data[0].position |
1 |
data[0].title |
Trump calls media ‘treasonous scum’ over reports of low Iran war munitions |
data[0].url |
https://www.google.com/goto?url=CAESqAEB6zswFeEgcqh8BXW_35sBOlldsc89_iznr8tSLpYQwlUoLP-qpXuHKabLM1oN38lRzhvf2JhNNiEq-J5JuM7WDcnXiW-jBwuZQtGWIPmFjesow8N_a968Q8iQbMtMQBsM-hcn2-e4mbXVBRzHc7OCl1be1YyKk1Ew8qMBbeoQXmvwx7HyJ... |
data[0].thumbnail_url |
null |
data[0].source |
Al Jazeera |
data[0].published_text |
15 hours ago |
data[0].unclassified_fields |
{} |
unclassified_fields |
{} |
How Does It Work?
- BrowserAct validates the query and maps each selected website option.
- The Bot constructs and opens one public Google Search results URL.
- It identifies only the visible Top stories module and reads its visible fields.
- It normalizes the result into the fixed
google_top_storiesresponse envelope. - It returns one structured response and stops without opening destination websites.
Response Behavior and Limits
- Target absent:
available=falsewithdata=[]is a valid response. - Conditional fields: A field may be null when the page does not display it; this does not automatically require rebuilding the Bot.
- Public access: The Bot reads a public Google Search page and requires no account login.
- Execution boundary: One run reads one selected search page and one target module.
- Destination pages: Returned links are not opened.
Use Cases
- Add the target search capability to an application without designing a browser workflow from scratch.
- Feed structured search data into monitoring, research, enrichment, or reporting systems.
- Compose this Bot with other BrowserAct templates through API, n8n, Make, Zapier, or MCP.
How to Build a New API-Ready Bot with Agent Built
Step 1: Define One Atomic Capability
Describe one public-web action, its user inputs, allowed navigation, output contract, and exact stopping point. Keep fixed URLs internal and give every visible input a working default.
Step 2: Let BrowserAct Explore the Capability Variants
Build the Bot against the live website and check representative positive triggers, one valid negative trigger, and at least one non-default dropdown path.
Step 3: Validate the Stable Contract
Publish the validated version, run it with the default inputs, and confirm the response envelope, actual output, execution time, credits, and API call before listing the template.
Automation and Export
BrowserAct produces structured data first. Use the completed result through Run Task, the JSON API, n8n, Make, Zapier, MCP-based agents, or an available export flow.
Need Help?
Cannot find the exact atomic capability you need, or need help composing several Bots?
Discord: BrowserAct Community
Email: service@browseract.com
