Biz-Scrape-Python

Overview

Biz-Scrape-Python is a REST API built with FastAPI that scrapes business information using Google Places API. It allows users to find business details by specifying a business type, location (latitude/longitude + radius), and returns structured business information.

Features

• 📍 Search businesses by latitude/longitude + radius
• 🔎 Filter results by business type (Hotels, Restaurants, Lawyers, etc.)
• 📦 Store business data in a database for future updates
• 📊 Return structured JSON containing:
  • Name
  • Website (if available)
  • Email (if available)
  • Place ID
  • Address
  • Phone number (if available)
  • Rating and reviews
  • Opening hours

Prerequisites

Before running the application, you'll need:

1. Python 3.8 or higher
2. Google Places API credentials (see API Keys Setup)
3. pip or another package manager

API Keys Setup

This project requires Google Places API credentials to function. We support two authentication methods:

1. API Key (simpler, good for development)
2. Service Account (more secure, recommended for production)

The project includes a keys directory structure for managing these credentials:

keys/
├── google/
│   ├── service-account.json  # Your Google service account key (if using service account)
│   └── README.md            # Detailed setup instructions
└── README.md                # General keys management info

Follow these steps to set up your credentials:

1. Copy .env.example to .env:

   cp .env.example .env

2. Choose your authentication method:

   • For API Key: Add your key to .env
   • For Service Account: Place your JSON key file in keys/google/

Detailed setup instructions can be found in:

• keys/README.md - General credentials management
• keys/google/README.md - Google-specific setup instructions

Installation & Setup

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/your-repo/biz-scrape-python.git
   cd biz-scrape-python

2. Create a virtual environment

   python -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows use: venv\Scripts\activate

3. Install dependencies

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Set up your API credentials (see API Keys Setup)

5. Run the FastAPI server

   uvicorn main:app --reload

6. Access API documentation

   • Swagger UI: http://127.0.0.1:8000/docs
   • ReDoc: http://127.0.0.1:8000/redoc

Security Notes

• Never commit API keys or service account files to version control
• Use different credentials for development and production
• Regularly rotate your credentials
• Consider using a secrets management service in production

Contributing

Feel free to submit pull requests or open issues for suggestions and improvements. 🚀

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.