Google Search API alternative — the TutuSoo API

Own index + web fallback, structured JSON, a free tier, stronger Chinese.

Google Programmable Search (Custom Search JSON API) bills per query with limited daily quota. If you want more flexible, cost-controllable retrieval for AI apps, TutuSoo is a viable alternative.

TutuSoo returns structured JSON with source attribution, supports llms.txt, and tokenizes Chinese with jieba — real-time retrieval for RAG, agents and AI apps, with clear per-key limits and a free public tier.

TutuSoo vs Google Custom Search

AspectTutuSooGoogle Custom Search
Result focusAI-friendly structured + sourcesGeneral web results
llms.txt✅ Supported
CJK tokenizer✅ jiebaGeneric
Free trial✅ Public per-IP tierSmall daily free, then billed
Source attribution✅ local / brave

Key features

AI-facing results

title/snippet/url/source ready to use, llms.txt supported — a natural fit for RAG and agents.

Chinese-first

jieba tokenization improves Chinese recall where generic engines struggle on long-tail queries.

Source attribution

Each result tagged local / brave for judgement and citation.

Free trial

Try the public per-IP tier without wiring up billing first.

How to use

  1. 1
    Get an API key
    Request a key on the developer page.
  2. 2
    Make a request
    GET /api/v1/search?q=…, read X-RateLimit-* for remaining quota.
  3. 3
    Integrate
    Wire structured results into your search box or AI retrieval layer.

FAQ

How is it different from Google Custom Search?
TutuSoo returns AI-facing structured results + source attribution + llms.txt, tuned for Chinese with jieba; the public tier is free to try.
Are there quota caps?
With a key it counts per-key rate_limit with X-RateLimit-* headers; the public tier is per client IP.
How good is Chinese?
jieba tokenization gives better long-tail Chinese recall.
Can results be traced to a source?
Yes, each result carries a source tag.

Integrate the TutuSoo API now

Free tier · structured results from one request · llms.txt supported