SerpApi's workaround blocked: Google restricts Light Fast API to three results - PPC Land

SerpApi, a leading search API provider, faces a major disruption after Google restricted their Google Light Fast API to return only three organic search results instead of 100.

This represents the second blow to SerpApi since Google eliminated the num=100 parameter on September 14, 2025, forcing companies to make 10 separate requests instead of one to retrieve 100 search results. SerpApi had developed the Light Fast API as a workaround solution, but Google blocked this endpoint after just two weeks of operation. The restriction affects hundreds of thousands of daily API calls and impacts SEO platforms, marketing professionals, and digital agencies who rely on comprehensive search data for keyword research and competitor analysis.

• Google's parameter elimination multiplied operational costs by 10x for SEO tools industry-wide
• The restriction coincides with ChatGPT's 52% drop in referral traffic and citation pattern changes
• Major platforms like Semrush and SISTRIX have confirmed significant operational impacts
• SerpApi is actively exploring solutions but faces ongoing technical constraints from Google's monitoring systems