Google Programmable Search Is Changing: What It Means for Your Site Search, and How to Move Forward
Google is narrowing what their Programmable Search product does, and some setups need a new home by January 1, 2027. Read on as we break down exactly what’s changing, how to tell if you’re affected, and what moving to Cludo looks like, one step at a time, with our team beside you the whole way.
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Key takeaways
- Google is capping free Programmable Search (formerly Google Custom Search) at 50 domains.
- Engines that search more than 50 domains or the whole web must move to an alternative by January 1, 2027.
- The Custom Search JSON API is being retired. It’s already closed to new customers, and existing integrations must move by January 1, 2027.
- It’s a good moment to upgrade from a list of links to search that gives real answers.
- Switching doesn’t have to be stressful. Cludo guides you through every step, and your current search keeps running while we set up.
If your site search runs on Google Programmable Search Engine (still often called Google Custom Search), it may need a new home soon. The good news: this isn’t a switch you have to flip overnight, and you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Below, we cover what’s changing, how to tell if you’re affected, and what moving to Cludo looks like, one step at a time. And if you’re reading this after the deadline and your search has already stopped working? The steps below still apply, and we can still help.
What exactly is changing with Google Programmable Search?
On January 20, 2026, Google announced it is reshaping Programmable Search Engine into a narrower, more focused product. In plain terms, four things are happening:
Capped at 50 domains
The “Sites to search” feature stays free, but you can designate a maximum of 50 domains.
Full-web search goes away
Engines covering more than 50 domains, or set to search the whole web, must move. Google’s separate full-web product is quote-only, with no published pricing.
The JSON API is closing
The Custom Search JSON API is closed to new customers. Google points existing users to Vertex AI Search in Google Cloud.
New engines are restricted
Since January 2026, every new engine must use “Sites to search.” Only existing engines keep the full-web option until the deadline.
If this feels familiar, it should. Google retired Google Site Search in 2018 and discontinued the Google Search Appliance before that, and it already shut down the Site Restricted JSON API in January 2025. Site search has never been Google’s core business, and each change has sent organizations looking for something built for the job.
Am I affected? A quick check
The answer depends on how your search is set up today. Start by asking your web team one question: how many domains and subdomains does our search cover?
| Your current setup | What happens | By when |
|---|---|---|
| Search Element, 50 or fewer domains | Keeps working on the free tier, with Google’s ads and branding unless you pay to remove them | No deadline today |
| Search Element, more than 50 domains or “Search the entire web” | Must move to an alternative | Jan 1, 2027 |
| Custom Search JSON API (custom-built search) | API is retired; must move to an alternative | Jan 1, 2027 |
| Creating a new engine | Limited to 50 domains from day one | Already in effect |
And even if you’re safely under the cap, it’s worth asking whether a free tool with ads on your results, limited analytics and no roadmap commitment is the experience you want visitors to have.
Who feels this most?
The 50-domain cap sounds generous until you count. Organizations that grew their web presence one department, campus or campaign at a time often run dozens of separate sites and subdomains. A single search box is the only thing that ties them together, and that’s exactly what the cap breaks.
Higher education
Every school, department, library, research center and athletics program tends to get its own site, plus admissions, alumni and giving portals.
What’s at stake: prospective students who can’t find a program, deadline or cost, and leave.
Cities, counties and agencies
Parks, utilities, libraries, courts, police and public health often live on separate sites, sometimes on different platforms run by different teams.
What’s at stake: residents who can’t find a service online, and call or visit instead.
Tourism boards and large enterprises
Regional sites, language versions, event and campaign microsites, help centers and product docs add up quickly.
What’s at stake: visitors and customers who can’t find what they came for, and book or buy somewhere else.
Organizations like these are a big part of who we work with, from Boise State University to the City of Reykjavik and Visit Scotland. A web estate spread across many sites isn’t an edge case for us. It’s the starting point.
Not sure which group you’re in?
Tell us how your search is set up today, and we’ll tell you exactly what the change means for your site.
Talk to a search expertDon’t just replace your search. Upgrade it.
Google’s tool was built to return a list of links. That was fine a decade ago. Today, your visitors are used to asking AI tools a question and getting an answer back. They expect the same from your website.
So while you have to make a change anyway, it’s the right moment to ask a bigger question: what should search on our site actually do?
Answer engines beat search engines. Your visitors don’t want ten blue links. They want to know when the library opens, how to apply for a permit, or which program fits them.
Same question, two experiences. Ads and an old meeting agenda at the top, versus a direct answer built from the city’s own pages, with the right service first. Illustrative example with a fictional city.
A move away from Google Programmable Search is your chance to get:
- Answers, not just links, generated from your own trusted content
- Control over what’s indexed and when, what ranks, what’s promoted and what’s left out
- No third-party ads sitting on top of your own results
- Insight into what people search for, and what they search for but can’t find
How Cludo helps you move on from Google Programmable Search
Cludo is AI-powered site search built for content-heavy websites, the kind that never fit neatly inside a 50-domain box. We power search on more than 1,000 websites in 43 languages, for organizations like Boise State University, the City of Reykjavik, Visit Scotland and the Bank of England.
Here’s what you get when you switch:
- AI Search. Hybrid vector and keyword search that understands what people mean, not just the words they type. Fewer “no results” pages, more right answers.
- AI Summary. A clear, generated answer at the top of your results, built only from your own content. After adding it, the City of Reykjavik saw 46% fewer support chats.
- AI Mode. Conversational search that lets visitors ask follow-up questions and get answers in context.
- One search across all your sites. We crawl and index your content across domains and subdomains, so visitors don’t need to know which site holds the answer.
- You control what’s indexed, and when. With Google, your results depend on Google’s own index, and you have little say in which pages make it in or when they’re re-crawled. Cludo’s crawler indexes your pages and files on a schedule you set, and you choose which sections, file types and pages are included or left out.
- Analytics that tell you what to fix. See what people search for, what they click, and the gaps where they come up empty. Your search bar is your most honest feedback channel.
- Built for marketers and web teams. Manage synonyms, promoted results and AI settings in MyCludo, no developer needed.
- Enterprise-grade and privacy-first. 99.99% uptime, GDPR compliance and EU-hosted AI for organizations that need it.
Whatever your setup, whether it’s a simple embedded search box or a custom interface built on the JSON API, we’ll help you map it to a Cludo setup that fits. A light-touch setup or fully API-driven, your call.
Will my Google features carry over?
Yes. The features teams use most in Google Programmable Search all have a home in Cludo, and most of them get simpler.
| In Google Programmable Search | In Cludo |
|---|---|
Site-only searches (site:) | Filter by domain, folder path or any indexed field |
| Separate engines scoped to one section (e.g. a handbook’s own search box) | One index with filters |
| Promotions (pinned results) | Banners, page rankings and quick links |
| Refinements (news, video, people) | Separate engines or filters behind one search box |
| Google Analytics | Integrates with Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, plus Cludo’s own search analytics |
What switching looks like, step by step
Changing your site search can sound like a big project. With Cludo, it’s a guided one. We stay with you from the first call to launch day and beyond.
- A conversation about where you are.Tell us how your search works today, which sites it covers and what isn’t working.
- A look at your search, on your content.We’ll show you what Cludo looks like on your own website, so you can see the difference before you commit.
- Setup and indexing.We crawl and index your sites, across every domain you need. Your current search keeps running while we do.
- Configuration, together.We match the look and feel of your site, set up results, filters and any AI features you want, and train your team in MyCludo.
- Launch.Swap the search box, test it, and go live. No downtime for your visitors.
- Ongoing optimization.After launch, our support team helps you read your analytics, close content gaps and keep improving. Our customers rate our support 100% satisfaction.
The key point: you don’t need to have everything figured out before you reach out. Start the conversation now, and we’ll build the plan with you.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Programmable Search Engine shutting down?
Not entirely. The free Search Element remains for engines covering 50 or fewer domains. What’s ending is the full-web option for existing engines and the Custom Search JSON API, both by January 1, 2027.
Is Google Custom Search the same as Programmable Search Engine?
Yes. Google renamed Custom Search Engine to Programmable Search Engine, and many teams still use the old name.
What happens if I miss the January 1, 2027 deadline?
If your engine searches more than 50 domains or the whole web, or you use the JSON API, you should expect that setup to stop working as it does today. If you’re already past the date, reach out and we’ll help you get search back up.
How long does it take to switch to Cludo?
It depends on how many sites you have and which features you want. We’ll give you a realistic timeline in our first conversation, and your current search keeps running until the new one is ready.
Do I need a developer to move to Cludo?
A developer will be required to do the initial installation of Cludo on your site, using one of our implementation methods. After that, you don’t need a developer to run Cludo: your marketing or web team manages results, synonyms, banners and AI settings in MyCludo.
What are Cludo’s implementation methods?
There are three main ways to add Cludo to your site, depending on how much control you want:
- Rich Inline Template (RIT): the quickest route. MyCludo generates a JavaScript and HTML snippet that your developer pastes into your site, and you style it to match with CSS. Cludo maintains the template, so you can launch in days.
- React library: for teams building in React. Cludo’s React Search Core handles search state and communication with Cludo, and pre-built components help your developers build a fully custom search page.
- REST APIs: for full control in any environment. Your developers call Cludo’s search, AI, content and reporting APIs and build the experience their way, a natural fit if you built custom search on the Custom Search JSON API.
Can Cludo search across multiple domains and subdomains?
Yes. We crawl and index content across all the sites you need, in one search experience.
Let’s plan your move, together
The Google deadline is real, but your next step is a small one: a conversation. We’ll show you Cludo on your own site and map out a transition plan that fits your timeline and budget.
Book a demoKeep exploring
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