The Google Places API is a service that returns information about places using HTTP requests. Places are defined within this API as establishments, geographic locations, or prominent points of interest.
The following place requests are available:
- Place Search returns a list of places based on a user's location or search string.
- Place Details returns more detailed information about a specific place, including user reviews.
- Place Photos provides access to the millions of place-related photos stored in Google's Place database.
- Place Autocomplete automatically fills in the name and/or address of a place as users type.
- Query Autocomplete provides a query prediction service for text-based geographic searches, returning suggested queries as users type.
Each of the services is accessed as an HTTP request, and returns either an JSON or XML response. All requests to a Places service must use the https:// protocol, and include an API key.