# Search along route

To use [Text Search (New)](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/places/web-service/text-search.md.txt) to search along a route, pass the precalculated route
from the [Routes API](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/routes/compute_route_directions.md.txt) in
the request as a polyline. The response contains places that match the search
criteria and are also located near the specified route.

To search along a route:

1. Use the Routes API to calculate a route that [returns a route's encoded
   polyline](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/routes/traffic_on_polylines) in the response.

   > [!NOTE]
   > **Note:** You can also encode your own polyline as described in [Encoded
   > Polyline Algorithm Format](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/utilities/polylinealgorithm).

2. Use the `searchAlongRouteParameters.polyline.encodedPolyline` parameter to
   pass the route's encoded polyline to Text Search (New) to bias the search
   results to the route. The response then contains places that match the
   search criteria and are also located near the specified route.

The APIs Explorer lets you make live requests so that you can get familiar with
the API and the API options:
[Try it!](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/places/web-service/search-along-route.md.txt#try_it)

By default, Text Search (New) performs the search along the entire route from
the origin to the destination as defined by the polyline. In the following
example, the polyline defines the route from:

- **Origin**: 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA
- **Destination**: 24 Willie Mays Plaza, San Francisco, CA

The trip's encoded polyline for this route is represented by the string:

```yaml
wblcFptchVIFOd@G@EVw@Ms@dHKR}ApNA`AF~@Hf@TjAb@bBb@~@n@p@^Rd@~@Vz@HVz@nDLt@?d@Kr@c@~@mD`G?`@aEfGkCnDuChDm`@bb@[`@{GhHeEdEciBnnBkC`DkC~DaClEuKjT_Z|l@Qb@iR~_@}EzJ_AdB_Und@kAfCaOjZkg@vcAqBzD_]rr@iBlEaBxEgArD}AlG}AhHsA`IeAnH{@dIq@dJgL~iBq@rHu@vGgAtHwArHaBhHkBzG_DpJ}Nbc@iBhGkA|EgC|LcIjb@oAhG_AvDgAdDkApC_BzCiBpCsFvGii@vn@scAxlAmLjNgSzUeRjT{TzWqExEmG|FuNlMmMhLaRvPqOlNmbAl}@mFlF{PlOmJfIoElE}LtMiSbU_H`I}}@jcAwl@vp@oAbBqA~BeAhCm@tBg@fCWrBQ~BI|DaB~rBO~D[bEa@`Dm@pDaAdE{@vC_BbEkB~Def@|z@sEzHKJeS~]}K`S{\\~l@cXpe@sBpDm@bAuCxDkBrBiC~BwCtByBnAcBx@}Bt@{Bn@gh@|LaOpDeFhAoDj@aE^kVrA_E^iEr@yD~@uBr@gMjF_EnAcCh@eFr@_DRsAD}@Jsu@xCWDqIV}BCeCOyDm@cBa@_DmA}JeE_CwAsBcBiBoBuAqBmOoX{CuEkB_CoDqDkVoUoD{CeE_DkEkC_FeCqB}@sDuAoDgAeCe@cCW}CK}BDaDTeOlBcuBrYaNlBq@Dyd@rGyFt@yBb@eBf@oCnAoBlAkIpGkAp@wBbAaCt@oFdAwKjBoGxA{FbByIjC_HfB_@KmNdDuC|@uFzBcH|C{@\\[?sBv@}@VaBVoA@y@EmAQcA[w@]aBkAeAkA}BuDUKs@uAqBsCwBcCgAiAiN_MyKsJsG{GkBaBiBuA{BwAwDkBcOaHiC_AiCg@}BQcCAcBHqBVkB`@qEjAu@LgCVgAHwG@sG?mABsH^eNr@mBXy@NqBt@uAt@aBlAkAlA}BtCyApBiAdB_BxB{A`B}@j@oAf@s@PeCVcIf@gAAkAQy@YiAo@_A{@_DgEgJqM_DeEaM}PoBiCzAsBw@kAdAGVk@f@q@z@C
```

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** Search along route only supports an encoded polyline, which can be passed as a string and includes compression with minimal lossiness. This is the Routes API default output. For more information, see [Request route
> polylines](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/routes/traffic_on_polylines).

The following example uses the route's encoded polyline to bias the search
results:

```
  curl -X POST -d '{
    "textQuery" : "Spicy Vegetarian Food",
    "searchAlongRouteParameters": {
      "polyline": {
        "encodedPolyline": "ROUTE_POLYLINE"
      }
    }
  }' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H 'X-Goog-Api-Key: API_KEY' \
  -H 'X-Goog-FieldMask: places.displayName,places.formattedAddress,places.priceLevel' \
  'https://places.googleapis.com/v1/places:searchText'
```

The response contains the places that match the search criteria, biased to the
route:

```yaml
  {
    "places": [
      {
        "formattedAddress": "60 Morris St, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA",
        "priceLevel": "PRICE_LEVEL_MODERATE",
        "displayName": {
          "text": "Umami Express",
          "languageCode": "en"
        }
      },
      {
        "formattedAddress": "1130 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA",
        "priceLevel": "PRICE_LEVEL_MODERATE",
        "displayName": {
          "text": "House of Tadu Ethiopian Kitchen",
          "languageCode": "en"
        }
      },
      {
        "formattedAddress": "1602 El Camino Real Ste A, Belmont, CA 94002, USA",
        "priceLevel": "PRICE_LEVEL_MODERATE",
        "displayName": {
          "text": "Eats Meets West Bowls",
          "languageCode": "en"
        }
      },
      /.../
    ]
  }
```

You don't have to bias the results to the entire route. For example, you might
already be halfway along the route before you perform the search. In this case,
you can specify an explicit routing origin to the search to override the origin
defined in the encoded polyline. In the following example, you specify the
latitude and longitude coordinates of San Mateo, CA, which is approximately
halfway along the route polyline:

```
  curl -X POST -d '{
    "textQuery" : "Spicy Vegetarian Food",
    "searchAlongRouteParameters": {
      "polyline": {
        "encodedPolyline": "ROUTE_POLYLINE"
      }
    },
    "routingParameters": {
      "origin": {
        "latitude": 37.56617,
        "longitude": -122.30870
      }
    }
  }' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -H 'X-Goog-Api-Key: API_KEY' \
  -H 'X-Goog-FieldMask: places.displayName,places.formattedAddress,places.priceLevel' \
  'https://places.googleapis.com/v1/places:searchText'
```

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** Because search along route returns places with minimal detour times from origin to destination, in cases where the route origin and destination are the same or close to one another, search along route may not return any results.

## Try it!

The APIs Explorer lets you make sample requests so
that you can get familiar with the API and the API options.

1. Select the API icon api
   on the right side of the page.

2. Optionally edit the request parameters.

3. Select the **Execute** button. In the dialog, choose the account
   that you want to use to make the request.

4. In the APIs Explorer panel, select the fullscreen icon
   fullscreen to expand the APIs Explorer window.