Google Maps Business Extractor – User Guide
Getting Started: Installation
What You’ll Need First
Before diving in, make sure you’ve got: - Python 3.10 or newer — grab it from [Link]
if you don’t have it yet - Windows (that’s what we’ve tested on, so it’s your best bet) - A
solid internet connection — you’re going to be talking to Google Maps, after all
Installation Steps
Alright, let’s get this thing up and running. Follow along:
1. Extract the Project
Grab the project folder and put it somewhere on your computer. Maybe C:\
GoogleMapsExtractor — wherever feels right to you.
2. Open a Terminal
Pop open PowerShell or Command Prompt and navigate to your project folder.
3. Set Up a Virtual Environment
Think of this as a sandboxed space just for this project. Type:
python -m venv venv
4. Activate It
Now turn it on:
venv\Scripts\activate
You should see (venv) pop up at the start of your terminal line. Nice! That means it’s
working.
5. Install the Goods
This installs all the Python packages the tool needs:
pip install -r [Link]
6. Grab the Browser
The tool uses Playwright to automate Chromium. Install it with:
playwright install
This downloads the browser engine — it might take a minute or two, so grab a coffee ☕.
Done! You’re all set.
Time to Extract Some Data
Fire Up the Server
Make sure you’re still in your project folder with the virtual environment active (remember
that (venv) in your terminal?). Type this:
uvicorn api:app --reload --host [Link] --port 8080
You’ll see some text saying the server is running. That’s your signal to move on.
Using the Web Interface (The Easy Way)
1. Open your web browser and head to:
[Link]
2. You’ll see a clean, simple interface with a search box. That’s it.
3. Type in what you’re looking for. Examples: - “Dentists in Chennai” - “Pizza restaurants
near me” - “Plumbers in Bangalore”
4. Hit Start Extraction.
5. Behind the scenes, a Chromium browser will open up and start digging through Google
Maps. It’ll click through results, scroll down, and grab all the juicy details.
6. Once it’s done (usually takes a few minutes), your CSV file downloads automatically.
Check your downloads folder!
Running It from the Command Line (If You’re Feeling Terminal-y)
If you’d rather not use the web interface, you can run it directly:
python [Link]
It’ll ask you to type a keyword, then dump the results into the output/ folder as CSV, Excel,
and JSON files. Your pick!
What You Actually Get: The CSV File
After extraction, you’ll have a CSV file with all this info for each business:
Field What It Is Example
lead_name Auto-generated ID (first 3 words + Annapoorani Vegetarian
“Lead”) Lead
name Business name from Google Maps Annapoorani Vegetarian
Restaurant
category What kind of business it is Vegetarian Restaurant
Field What It Is Example
rating Star rating out of 5 4.2
reviews How many people reviewed it 1523
address Where they’re located 15, Main Rd, Avadi, Chennai
phone Their contact number 044 2638 1234
website Their website URL [Link]
hours When they’re open Open - Closes 10 PM
google_maps_url Direct link to their Google Maps [Link]
listing maps/place/…
latitude GPS coordinates (north-south) 13.1145
longitude GPS coordinates (east-west) 80.1032
Quick Notes: - If something isn’t listed on Google Maps, that field will be blank — no big
deal. - We automatically remove duplicates before saving, so you won’t get the same
business twice. - Files get saved to the output/ folder as google_maps_results.csv.
What to Watch Out For (Limitations)
Google Maps Changes
If Google decides to redesign their website (they do this sometimes), the tool might stop
working until we update it. It’s not a permanent issue — just something to be aware of.
Rate Limiting
If you do a ton of extractions back-to-back, Google might start slowing things down or
blocking requests. The tool already includes built-in pauses to avoid this, but don’t go
crazy. Be cool to Google, and Google will be cool to you.
The Result Count Cap
Google Maps typically shows about 120-200 results per search. We’ll grab all of them, but
we can’t magically make Google show more. So if you search for “restaurants” and there are
5,000+ matches, you’ll only get the first batch.
You Need Internet
Seriously, keep your internet connection stable during extraction. If you disconnect
halfway through, you’ll get incomplete data.
How Accurate Is This?
The data is only as good as what businesses put on their Google Maps profiles. If someone’s
Google listing is outdated or missing info, that’s what you’ll see in the export. We’re just
pulling what’s there.
The Browser Window
By default, you’ll see a browser window pop up and do its thing. If that bothers you (or
you’re running this on a server), open the .env file and change HEADLESS=False to
HEADLESS=True. No more window.
How Long Does This Take?
Depends on how many results there are. A typical search with 50-100 businesses usually
takes 3-5 minutes. Bigger searches might take longer.
One Keyword at a Time
Each job processes a single search. If you need data from multiple keywords, just run
separate extractions. No problem!
Handy Command Reference
Forget how to do something? Here’s a quick cheat sheet:
What You Want Type This
Turn on the virtual environment venv\Scripts\activate
Install all dependencies pip install -r
[Link]
Install the Chromium browser playwright install
Start the server uvicorn api:app --reload --
host [Link] --port 8080
Open the web interface [Link] in your
browser
See API documentation [Link]
Run extraction from terminal python [Link]
Troubleshooting Quick Fixes
“playwright install didn’t work”
Try running it with elevated permissions. Open Command Prompt as Administrator and
run it again.
“Port 8080 is already in use”
Something else is using that port. Either close whatever’s using it, or change the port
number in the command:
uvicorn api:app --reload --host [Link] --port 8081
“The extraction timed out”
Try a more specific search. “Dentists in Chennai” works better than just “business”. Also
check your internet connection.
“No results were extracted”
Make sure Google Maps actually shows results for your search. Try the same keyword in
Google Maps manually to verify.
Version Info
Google Maps Business Extractor v1.0
Built with Python, FastAPI, and Playwright
Last Updated: 2024
Questions? Stuck on something? Check the [Link] file or look at the API docs at
/docs.
Happy extracting! 🎯