# GET /v1/location/search: Location search API

Finds places by name (q), or the places around a point (lat and lng).

- Call: `GET https://storiesfly.com/api/v1/location/search`
- Price **1 request**
- Answers up to **24 hours** old

## Parameters

All parameters go in the query string.

| Name | Type | Sent | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `q` | string | optional | Place name to look for, 1 to 100 characters. Send this, or lat and lng. |
| `lat` | string | optional | Latitude, from -90 to 90. Send with lng, instead of q. |
| `lng` | string | optional | Longitude, from -180 to 180. Send with lat, instead of q. |

## Example request

Put your own key in the header.

### cURL

```bash
curl "https://storiesfly.com/api/v1/location/search?q=coffee" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: sf_live_your_key"
```

### JavaScript

```javascript
const res = await fetch(
  "https://storiesfly.com/api/v1/location/search?q=coffee",
  { headers: { "X-Api-Key": process.env.STORIESFLY_KEY } }
);
const data = await res.json();
```

### Python

```python
import os
import requests

r = requests.get(
    "https://storiesfly.com/api/v1/location/search",
    params={"q": "coffee"},
    headers={"X-Api-Key": os.environ["STORIESFLY_KEY"]},
)
data = r.json()
```

## Example response

200 OK · X-Units-Charged: 1

```json
{
  "locations": [
    {
      "id": "106256377723342",
      "name": "Coffee Time",
      "address": null,
      "city": null,
      "lat": 40.75267612,
      "lng": -73.97777108
    },
    {
      "id": "242744966653060",
      "name": "Ralph's Coffee",
      "address": null,
      "city": null,
      "lat": null,
      "lng": null
    }
  ],
  "next_cursor": null,
  "has_more": false
}
```

A real answer, shortened: lists are cut to two items and long texts to 160 characters.

## Price and freshness

A call takes 1 request. Free requests are spent first, then your balance. The [pricing](https://storiesfly.com/developers/pricing) page has the rates.

Answers are kept for up to 24 hours. Asking again inside that time returns the same answer and takes 1 request again.

## Errors

A failed call answers with an HTTP status and a body `{error, code}`. These are the codes this endpoint gives. [Errors and what is charged](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs#errors) covers all of them.

| Status | Code | When |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `400` | `bad_request` | A parameter is missing or wrong. `fields` lists the names. Free. |
| `401` | `unauthorized` | The `X-Api-Key` header is missing or the key is wrong. Free. |
| `402` | `credits_exhausted` | The free requests and the balance are used up. Top up in the [dashboard](https://storiesfly.com/developers/dashboard). Free. |
| `403` | `telegram_required` | The account behind the key is not linked to Telegram. The answer has a `link_url` to do it. Free. |
| `429` | `rate_limited` | More requests in a second than your level allows. Wait for the `Retry-After` header. Free. |
| `500` | `internal_error` | A fault on our side. Retry shortly. Refunded. |
| `503` | `upstream_unavailable` | Our side failed or timed out. Retry shortly. Refunded. |

## Questions about this endpoint

### How do I search around a point?

Send `lat` and `lng` together instead of `q`. Send `q`, or the pair, and not both.

### How is this different from search/places?

[search/places](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/search-places) finds places by name only. This also finds the places around a point.

### Is the result paged?

No. The places come in one answer, so `next_cursor` is `null` and there is no `cursor` to send.

## Related endpoints

- [GET /v1/location](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/location): Place name, address, city and coordinates
- [GET /v1/location/posts](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/location-posts): Posts tagged at a place: top or recent
- [GET /v1/search/places](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/search-places): Find places by name

## Links

- [This page on the site](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs/location-search)
- [Instagram data API](https://storiesfly.com/developers): what the API is and what it returns
- [Pricing](https://storiesfly.com/developers/pricing): rates, examples and billing rules
- [Documentation](https://storiesfly.com/developers/docs): quick start, authentication, errors and every endpoint
- [OpenAPI file](https://storiesfly.com/openapi.json): the whole API in one file
- [API dashboard](https://storiesfly.com/developers/dashboard): get a key and top up
- [Changelog](https://storiesfly.com/developers/changelog): what changed and when