---
title: Google Image (API)
description: "Google Image (API) searches Google Images through **Programmable Search Engine** (Custom Search JSON API). You must provide your own **Search engine ID** and **API key**. It is **not the default source anymore**. In version 7 the default photo bank is…"
url: "https://magic-post-thumbnail.com/docs/google-image-api/"
updated: "2026-08-16"
category: Image Databases
---

# Google Image (API)

Google Image (API) searches Google Images through **Programmable Search Engine** (Custom Search JSON API). You must provide your own **Search engine ID** and **API key**.

It is **not the default source anymore**. In version 7 the default photo bank is **Bing Images** (no key required). Keep Google Image (API) in the chain only if you want Google results and you have a working CSE + key.

**Free.** Available on the Free plan.

Source badge: **Photos**.

**Gutenberg:** not available as a block search tab. Photo-bank tabs in Gutenberg are Openverse, Flickr, Pixabay, and (Pro) YouTube, Unsplash and Pexels. Google Image (API) and AI generators are Source / automatic generation only.

## Open the bank in Source

In version 7, banks are configured from **Magic Post Thumbnail → Source**. Click the bank in the left column (or tick it to add it to the chain), then click **Configure**. The **Banks Settings** panel opens on the right. Save when you are done.

The left column is the **Automatic generation chain** used by the editor button, bulk generation, cron and imports. Drag to set priority: the first bank is tried first. Unchecked banks sit below the chain.

![Google Image (API) bank settings](https://magic-post-thumbnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/panel-google_image-1.png)

## Get a Search engine ID and API key

Both values are required. Follow Google’s [Custom Search JSON API prerequisites](https://developers.google.com/custom-search/json-api/v1/overview#prerequisites).

1. In [Google Cloud Console → Credentials](https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/credentials), create an **API key**.
2. Open **Library**, find **Custom Search API**, and enable it.
3. Create a search engine at [Programmable Search Engine](https://programmablesearchengine.google.com/). Give it a name.
4. Edit the engine. Under **Sites to search**, remove the default site. If you leave your own domain there, results are limited to that site instead of the whole web.
5. Copy the **Search engine ID** and paste it into the plugin together with the API key.

There is no “API testing” button on this panel. After Save, the key badge on Source shows Ready / No key / Untested / Key OK / Key failed.

## Options

- **Custom Search Engine ID** — CSE identifier (`cx`).
- **Google API Key** — Custom Search API key.
- **Choose the language** — many languages; English is the default.
- **Specified color predominantly** (experimental) — Default, or Black, Blue, Brown, Gray, Green, Pink, Purple, Teal, White, Yellow.
- **Filetype** — Default, jpg, png, gif, bmp, webp.
- **Rights** — optional license filters (cumulative). Choosing them can reduce relevance but helps restrict results to free-to-use images:
  - Publicdomain
  - Attribute
  - Sharealike
  - Noncommercial
  - Nonderived
- **Image size** — Default, icon, small, medium, large, xlarge, xxlarge, huge.
- **Image Type** — Default, Face, Photo, Clipart, Lineart.
- **Safety level** — Moderate (default), Active, Off.