Google Programmable Search Engine (Formerly Google Co-op): How to Add Custom Search to Your Site in 2026

Google Co-op, the tool that let bloggers build their own custom Google search engine, still exists. It’s now called Google Programmable Search Engine (it was Google Custom Search in between), and it’s still free. You can use it to add a Google-powered search box to your blog or website, search a hand-picked set of sites, and even earn money from search ads. Here’s how to set one up in 2026, plus the important changes Google announced this year.

Quick answer: Go to programmablesearchengine.google.com, sign in with your Google account, click Add, enter your site’s address under “Sites to search”, then copy the code it gives you and paste it into your site. New engines can search up to 50 domains.

From Google Co-op to Programmable Search Engine

Google launched Co-op in 2006 so anyone could create a “custom search engine” limited to the sites they chose, and invite others to help improve the results. It was later renamed Google Custom Search, and in 2020 it became Programmable Search Engine. The core idea hasn’t changed: you decide which sites Google searches, and you put the search box on your own pages.

What’s changing in 2026 (read this first)

In January 2026, Google announced a big shake-up of Programmable Search Engine:

• New engines can only search specific sites. Since January 20, 2026, the “Search the entire web” option is gone for new engines. You must list the sites to search, up to 50 domains.
• Existing whole-web engines have a deadline. Older engines that search the entire web, or more than 50 domains, keep working until January 1, 2027. After that they need to move to Google’s separate full web search solution.
• The Custom Search JSON API is being retired for the same date. Developers who call it from code are being moved to Vertex AI Search (for up to 50 domains) or the full web search product.

For a typical blogger who just wants a search box for their own site, nothing changes. Searching your own domain, or a few related sites, is exactly what the free tool is now designed for.

How to create a Programmable Search Engine (step by step)

1. Create the engine and add your sites

1. Open the Programmable Search Engine control panel and click Add.
2. Give your search engine a name, such as “QuickOnlineTips Search”.
3. Under Sites to search, enter your domain, for example www.yourblog.com/*. You can add several of your own blogs, or trusted sites in your niche, up to 50 domains.
4. Choose your preferences, such as image search and SafeSearch, then click Create.

Tip: you can narrow results to part of a site with URL patterns, such as yourblog.com/archives/* or a single page.

2. Add refinements (optional)

Refinements still work much as they did in the Co-op days. They appear as labels or tabs above the results, such as “Tutorials”, “Reviews” or “SEO”, so visitors can filter the results with one click. Set them up under Search features → Refinements in the control panel.

3. Customise the look and feel

Under Look and feel, choose a layout. Overlay shows results in a pop-up over your page, Two page sends visitors to a separate results page, and Full width shows results under the search box. Then pick colours and fonts to match your theme.

4. Add the search box to your website

Click Get code on the Overview page and copy the two lines of code: a script tag and a gcse-search tag. Paste them where you want the search box to appear.

On WordPress: add a Custom HTML block or widget to your sidebar or a page, and paste the code. If you use the “Two page” layout, create a separate “Search results” page and paste the results code there.

5. Share management (optional)

The old Co-op “collaborate” idea lives on: in the control panel you can add other Google accounts as users who can help manage and improve the engine. That’s useful if you run a site with a team.

Can you make money from your search engine?

Yes. Programmable Search Engine works with AdSense for Search. Search ads appear above your results, and you earn a share when visitors click them. To set it up:

1. Sign in to your AdSense account.
2. Create a new Search engine ad unit. You can’t add monetization to an existing engine later.
3. Paste the code AdSense gives you into your site.

You only earn when people search through the box on your own site. Searches on Google’s hosted public page, or clicks on “Search on Google”, don’t count. If you also show display ads, see our guide to AdSense Auto Ads.

Is Programmable Search Engine better than WordPress search?

WordPress’s built-in search only matches words in your posts and isn’t great at ranking the best result first. Google’s engine gives visitors familiar, well-ranked results, handles spelling mistakes and can include images. The trade-offs are that Google only shows pages it has indexed, results may include Google’s own branding, and you have less control over the design.

If you’d rather keep search inside WordPress, plugins like Relevanssi improve the built-in search, and paid services like Jetpack Search or Algolia offer instant results.

Frequently asked questions

Is Google Programmable Search Engine free?

Yes, for searching up to 50 domains with Google’s search box on your site. The paid Business Edition from the Co-op days is long gone; larger and whole-web searches now go through Google’s separate paid products.

Can I still create a search engine that searches the whole web?

Not for new engines since January 2026. New engines must list up to 50 sites. Existing whole-web engines keep working until January 1, 2027.

Is Google Custom Search the same as Programmable Search Engine?

Yes. Google Co-op became Google Custom Search, which was renamed Programmable Search Engine in 2020.

This guide was first written for QOT in 2008 by guest author S. Maheshwaran, and has been fully updated for 2026.