Google has axed the web services API used by many developers to its search engine. The move was made with limited notice with visitors now being advised that the SOAP API is no longer supported by Google.Google SOAP API service was launched in 2002, allowing web/software developers limited access to data from Google’s main search index. Rivals such as Amazon.com followed shortly afterwards with its own web services interface weeks later both using SOAP, or Simple Object Access Protocol.One of the drawbacks with Google’s API has been the restrictions, namely; the number of queries using the API was 1,000 searches a day, and 10 results per query, and more recently the validity of the data.

Google is now advising developers to use the AJAX API instead.”The AJAX Search API is better suited for search-based web applications and supports additional features like Video, News, Maps, and Blog search results,” Google said.