SerpApi gives every new account 250 free searches a month, but before you can use them it asks you to verify an email address and a phone number. If you'd rather not hand your own number to an API provider, you can verify with a UK number from smsvar.com for 5.99 TL (well under a dollar) and read the code on your order screen. Because the same number can receive more SMS at no extra cost, one number is enough to verify 3-4 SerpApi accounts.
What SerpApi is and what the free plan includes
SerpApi scrapes search engine result pages, including Google, Bing, YouTube and Google Maps, and returns them as structured JSON. Developers use it for SEO and rank tracking, price monitoring, data pipelines and AI agents that need live web results. Every search you run counts as one credit against your plan.
| Plan | Price per month | Searches per month | Searches per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 250 | 50 |
| Starter | $25 | 1,000 | 200 |
| Developer | $75 | 5,000 | 1,000 |
Figures are from SerpApi's pricing page at the time of writing. For a side project, a prototype or a personal tool, the free plan is often enough.
Why SerpApi asks for a phone number
You can sign up with GitHub, with Google, or with your name, email and a password. New accounts then verify their email address and their phone number. The phone step sends an SMS like "123456 is your verification code. SerpApi will never ask for this code." Enter it on SerpApi's verification screen and the account is ready.
A one-time virtual number handles this step if you don't want your personal number on file with yet another service, or you don't have a separate line for every account. Our guide to temporary phone numbers for verification explains when that makes sense.
Getting a SerpApi number on smsvar.com
- Create a free smsvar.com account and top up your balance with at least the price of one number.
- In Get Number, search for SerpApi and choose United Kingdom. It cost 5.99 TL when we wrote this; the prices page shows the current price.
- Copy the number and enter it on SerpApi's phone verification screen with the +44 country code. If the field has a country picker, choose the United Kingdom and type the rest of the number.
- Request the code in SerpApi. It appears on your Received Numbers screen as soon as it arrives; copy it into SerpApi.
- If no code arrives within 20 minutes, the order is cancelled and the price goes back to your balance.
If UK numbers are out of stock, Indonesia is also listed for SerpApi (13.99 TL).
One number, 3-4 SerpApi accounts
After the first code arrives, you can ask for another SMS on the same order, and the extra messages cost nothing. In our test, one UK number received three separate SerpApi codes in a row, so a single 5.99 TL order can verify 3-4 accounts.
- Sign up for the first SerpApi account and verify it with the number.
- On Received Numbers, press Get New SMS on that number's row.
- Enter the same number in the second account and request a code; the new code shows up on the same row.
- Repeat for the third and fourth accounts.
Two things matter. The order stays open for 20 minutes, so prepare your email addresses and passwords first and sign up back to back. And don't press the green finish button until you have every code you need: it closes the order, and the number can't receive new SMS after that.
Each account has its own 250 searches a month, so four accounts give you 1,000 free searches a month in total.
An email address for each account
SerpApi needs a different email address for every account and sends a confirmation message after sign-up. If you don't want to use your own addresses, you can use the temporary Gmail service at www.emailnator.com. It generates real @gmail.com addresses, and SerpApi's confirmation email lands in the inbox on that site.
Know the trade-offs before you rely on it:
- The free inbox is public: anyone who knows the address can read its messages.
- Addresses and messages are deleted after 24 hours. Save your password and API key straight away; if you forget the password, you can't recover the account.
- Use an email you own for any account you plan to upgrade or keep long term.
Your API key and a first search
Once you're verified, your key is on the Api Key page of your SerpApi dashboard. You can try it straight from the browser:
https://serpapi.com/search.json?engine=google&q=coffee&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY
The dashboard also shows how many searches you have left this month. The free plan allows at most 50 searches an hour, so spread batch jobs out over time. Building an AI agent on OpenAI's API too? Our OpenAI phone verification guide covers that sign-up.
If the code doesn't arrive
- Check that you entered the +44 country code and didn't add an extra leading 0.
- Don't request codes over and over; give it a minute or two.
- If SerpApi rejects the number, don't keep retrying it. Get a new one; an order with no code is refunded to your balance after 20 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Is SerpApi free?
Yes. The free plan includes 250 searches a month, with a limit of 50 an hour. Paid plans start at $25 a month.
How many SerpApi accounts can I verify with one number?
You can request new SMS on the same number for the 20 minutes the order is open. In our test, one number received three separate codes, so in practice one number covers 3-4 accounts.
Do extra SMS cost more?
No. Extra messages on the same order are free; you only pay for the number.
What happens if no code arrives?
After 20 minutes without a code, the order is cancelled and the price is refunded to your balance.
Can SerpApi close my account?
SerpApi's terms let it limit accounts per person and end the service at its discretion; that decision is SerpApi's. Our price covers the number and the verification codes it receives, and orders that received a code aren't refunded.
Check stock on our UK virtual number page, then pick SerpApi in your dashboard and get your number.