Brave Search API now features Place Search, a new endpoint for map applications

Today, we’re announcing the release of Place Search via the Brave Search API, a new endpoint for granular map searches from our index of over 200 million points of interest. Place Search is available as part of the recently revamped Search plan of the Brave Search API and allows end users to find places (businesses, landmarks, parks, etc) in a geographic area by providing a center point, radius, and optionally a query.

For instance, end users of an app powered by the Place Search endpoint can now search for “restaurants in San Francisco within 5km.” Place Search gives API customers access to the same technology that powers “Search area” in the full map view of Brave Search.

Key advantages include:

• Granularity: The location where a user searches can be very granular, such as points of interest within a 500 yard radius from a certain latitude/longitude. Place Search can also search a radius of up to 13 miles (20 kilometers) from a given point.
• Relevance: With Place Search, users always get location results. In contrast, with a regular search, users get the “locations” key only if Brave Search considers that a common intent for the query is getting points of interest.
• Speed: Place Search is extremely fast (on average twice as fast as a regular search that returns locations), so API customers and their end users will experience less latency.
• New Explore Mode: Place Search allows users to put an empty query, called “Explore Mode,” which provides popular or interesting points of interest in the area. This is a new feature for the Brave Search API, making it more user friendly.

Place Search is enabled for all API customers who have subscribed to the Search plan, and is perfect for:

• Location-Based Apps: Help users discover nearby places
• Travel & Tourism: Find attractions, restaurants, and hotels in any destination
• Business Directories: Create local business listings and discovery features
• Mapping Apps: Populate maps with relevant points of interest
• Geofenced Recommendations: Suggest places based on user location

Get started today with Place Search by checking out our developer documentation and add geographic intelligence to your apps now.

If you’re not yet a Brave Search API customer, the API is available now with low-cost pay-as-you-go subscriptions and a monthly credit system that makes the API free for small-scale projects, trials, or proofs of concept.

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