Add initial Markdown support

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 # Changelog
+ * [Unreleased] Add Markdown search and archive output support
  * [2026-02-23] 1.0.3 Enhance error object #16
  * [2025-11-17] 1.0.2 Implement `inspect` functions for client #13
  * [2025-07-18] 1.0.1 Add support for old Ruby versions (2.7, 3.0)

README.md

@@ -55,10 +55,34 @@ client.close
 
 - [Asynchronous searches](./demo/demo_async.rb) for submitting non-blocking jobs and retrieving completed results from the Search Archive API.
 - [Persistent connections and connection pooling](./demo/demo_thread_pool.rb) for reusing HTTP connections across searches.
-- JSON responses as Ruby hashes with `search`, or raw search-engine HTML with `html`.
+- Search results as Ruby hashes with `search`, token-efficient Markdown with `md`, or raw search-engine HTML with `html`.
 - SDK methods for the [Location API](https://serpapi.com/locations-api), [Search Archive API](https://serpapi.com/search-archive-api), and [Account API](https://serpapi.com/account-api).
 - Configurable HTTP timeouts and symbolized or string JSON keys.
 
+## Response formats
+
+Use `search` for structured results decoded into a Ruby `Hash`:
+
+```ruby
+results = client.search(q: "coffee")
+```
+
+Use `md` for a token-efficient Markdown `String` optimized for LLMs and AI agents:
+
+```ruby
+markdown = client.md(q: "coffee")
+```
+
+Use `html` when you need the raw search-engine response:
+
+```ruby
+raw_html = client.html(q: "coffee")
+```
+
+Archived results are also available as Markdown with `client.search_archive(search_id, :md)`.
+
+Learn more about [SerpApi Markdown output](https://serpapi.com/markdown-output).
+
 ## Configuration
 
 Set defaults when creating a client, then override search parameters in individual calls:

README.md.erb

@@ -55,10 +55,34 @@ client.close
 
 - [Asynchronous searches](./demo/demo_async.rb) for submitting non-blocking jobs and retrieving completed results from the Search Archive API.
 - [Persistent connections and connection pooling](./demo/demo_thread_pool.rb) for reusing HTTP connections across searches.
-- JSON responses as Ruby hashes with `search`, or raw search-engine HTML with `html`.
+- Search results as Ruby hashes with `search`, token-efficient Markdown with `md`, or raw search-engine HTML with `html`.
 - SDK methods for the [Location API](https://serpapi.com/locations-api), [Search Archive API](https://serpapi.com/search-archive-api), and [Account API](https://serpapi.com/account-api).
 - Configurable HTTP timeouts and symbolized or string JSON keys.
 
+## Response formats
+
+Use `search` for structured results decoded into a Ruby `Hash`:
+
+```ruby
+results = client.search(q: "coffee")
+```
+
+Use `md` for a token-efficient Markdown `String` optimized for LLMs and AI agents:
+
+```ruby
+markdown = client.md(q: "coffee")
+```
+
+Use `html` when you need the raw search-engine response:
+
+```ruby
+raw_html = client.html(q: "coffee")
+```
+
+Archived results are also available as Markdown with `client.search_archive(search_id, :md)`.
+
+Learn more about [SerpApi Markdown output](https://serpapi.com/markdown-output).
+
 ## Configuration
 
 Set defaults when creating a client, then override search parameters in individual calls:

lib/serpapi/client.rb

@@ -7,14 +7,17 @@ module SerpApi
   #  features:
   #  * async non-block search
   #  * persistent HTTP connection
-  #  * search API
+  #  * search API with JSON, HTML, and Markdown output
   #  * location API
   #  * account API
   #  * search archive API
   #
   class Client
     # Backend service URL
     BACKEND = 'serpapi.com'.freeze
+    # SerpApi errors are JSON even when HTML or Markdown output was requested.
+    # Decode the actual Content-Type so structured errors and successful JSON responses become Hashes.
+    CONTENT_TYPE_DECODERS = { 'application/json' => :json, 'text/html' => :html, 'text/markdown' => :md }.freeze
 
     # HTTP timeout requests
     attr_reader :timeout,
@@ -108,7 +111,7 @@ def initialize(params = {})
     #                 thus, most of the compute power is on the backsdend and not on the client side.
     # @param [Hash] params includes engine, api_key, search fields and more..
     #                this override the default params provided to the constructor.
-    # @return [Hash] search results formatted as a Hash.
+    # @return [Hash|String] search results formatted as a Hash or raw text.
     def search(params = {})
       get('/search', :json, params)
     end
@@ -118,11 +121,22 @@ def search(params = {})
     #  it is useful for training AI models, RAG, debugging
     #   or when you need to parse the HTML yourself.
     #
-    # @return [String] raw html search results directly from the search engine.
+    # @return [String] raw HTML search results.
     def html(params = {})
+      params = params.reject { |key, _| key.to_s == 'output' }.merge(output: 'html') if params.instance_of?(Hash)
       get('/search', :html, params)
     end
 
+    # Perform a search using SerpApi.com and return results optimized for LLMs and AI agents.
+    # The output contains Markdown tables, links, and YAML frontmatter.
+    #
+    # @param [Hash] params includes engine, api_key, search fields and more.
+    # @return [String] search results formatted as Markdown.
+    def md(params = {})
+      params = params.reject { |key, _| key.to_s == 'output' }.merge(output: 'md') if params.instance_of?(Hash)
+      get('/search', :md, params)
+    end
+
     # Get location using Location API
     #
     # example: spec/serpapi/location_api_spec.rb
@@ -146,10 +160,10 @@ def location(params = {})
     # doc: https://serpapi.com/search-archive-api
     #
     # @param [String|Integer] search_id from original search `results[:search_metadata][:id]`
-    # @param [Symbol] format :json or :html [default: json, optional]
-    # @return [String|Hash] raw html or JSON / Hash
+    # @param [Symbol] format :json, :html, or :md [default: json, optional]
+    # @return [String|Hash] raw HTML, Markdown, or JSON / Hash
     def search_archive(search_id, format = :json)
-      raise SerpApiError, 'format must be json or html' unless [:json, :html].include?(format)
+      raise SerpApiError, 'format must be json, html, or md' unless [:json, :html, :md].include?(format)
 
       get("/searches/#{search_id}.#{format}", format)
     end
@@ -195,6 +209,8 @@ def query(params)
 
       # merge default params with custom params
       q = @params.clone.merge(params)
+      q.delete('output') if params.key?(:output)
+      q.delete(:output) if params.key?('output') && !params.key?(:output)
 
       # do not pollute default params with custom params
       q.delete(:symbolize_names) if q.key?(:symbolize_names)
@@ -211,12 +227,14 @@ def persistent?
     # Perform HTTP GET request to the SerpApi.com backend endpoint.
     #
     # @param [String] endpoint HTTP service URI
-    # @param [Symbol] decoder type :json or :html
+    # @param [Symbol] decoder type :json, :html, or :md
     # @param [Hash] params custom search inputs
-    # @return [String|Hash] raw HTML or decoded response as JSON / Hash
+    # @return [String|Hash] raw text or decoded response as JSON / Hash
     def get(endpoint, decoder = :json, params = {})
       response = execute_request(endpoint, params)
-      handle_response(response, decoder, endpoint, params)
+      handle_response(response, response_decoder(response, decoder), endpoint, params)
+    ensure
+      response&.flush if persistent?
     end
 
     def execute_request(endpoint, params)
@@ -228,14 +246,19 @@ def execute_request(endpoint, params)
       end
     end
 
+    def response_decoder(response, default)
+      content_type = response.headers['Content-Type'].to_s.split(';').first
+      CONTENT_TYPE_DECODERS.fetch(content_type, default)
+    end
+
     def handle_response(response, decoder, endpoint, params)
       case decoder
       when :json
         process_json_response(response, endpoint, params)
-      when :html
-        process_html_response(response, endpoint, params)
+      when :html, :md
+        process_text_response(response, endpoint, params, decoder)
       else
-        raise SerpApiError, "not supported decoder: #{decoder}, available: :json, :html"
+        raise SerpApiError, "not supported decoder: #{decoder}, available: :json, :html, :md"
       end
     end
 
@@ -249,13 +272,13 @@ def process_json_response(response, endpoint, params)
         raise_parser_error(response, endpoint, params)
       end
 
-      response.flush if persistent?
       data
     end
 
-    def process_html_response(response, endpoint, params)
-      raise_http_error(response, nil, endpoint, params, decoder: :html) if response.status != 200
-      response.body
+    def process_text_response(response, endpoint, params, decoder)
+      raise_http_error(response, nil, endpoint, params, decoder: decoder) if response.status != 200
+
+      response.body.to_s
     end
 
     def validate_json_content!(data, response, endpoint, params)

lib/serpapi/error.rb

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ module SerpApi
   # - search_params: Hash of search parameters used (optional)
   # - response_status: Integer HTTP or response status code (optional)
   # - search_id: String id returned by the service for the search (optional)
-  # - decoder: Symbol representing the decoder/format used (optional) (e.g. :json)
+  # - decoder: Symbol representing the decoder/format used (optional) (e.g. :json or :md)
   class SerpApiError < StandardError
     attr_reader :serpapi_error, :search_params, :response_status, :search_id, :decoder
 
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ class SerpApiError < StandardError
     # @param search_params [Hash, nil] optional hash of the search parameters used
     # @param response_status [Integer, nil] optional HTTP or response status code
     # @param search_id [String, nil] optional id returned by the service for the search
-    # @param decoder [Symbol, nil] optional decoder/format used (e.g. :json)
+    # @param decoder [Symbol, nil] optional decoder/format used (e.g. :json or :md)
     def initialize(message = nil,
                    serpapi_error: nil,
                    search_params: nil,

spec/serpapi/client/client_spec.rb

@@ -25,9 +25,49 @@
     expect(results.keys).to include('search_metadata'), 'search_metadata should be present in the results'
   end
 
+  it 'selects the decoder from the output parameter' do
+    json = client.search(q: 'Coffee', location: 'Austin, TX', output: 'json')
+    html = client.search(q: 'Coffee', location: 'Austin, TX', output: 'html')
+    markdown = client.search(q: 'Coffee', location: 'Austin, TX', output: 'md')
+
+    expect(json).to be_a(Hash)
+    expect(html).to match(/coffee/i)
+    expect(markdown).to be_a(String)
+    expect(markdown).to start_with('---')
+  end
+
+  it 'ignores output parameters passed to format shortcut methods' do
+    html = client.html(q: 'Coffee', location: 'Austin, TX', output: 'json')
+    markdown = client.md(q: 'Coffee', location: 'Austin, TX', 'output' => 'html')
+
+    expect(html).to match(/\A<!doctype html>/i)
+    expect(markdown).to start_with('---')
+  end
+
   it 'search for coffee in Austin, TX and receive raw HTML' do
     results = client.html(q: 'Coffee', location: 'Austin, TX')
-    expect(results).to match(/coffee/i)
+
+    expect(results).to be_a(String)
+    expect(results).to match(/\A<!doctype html>/i)
+  end
+
+  it 'search for coffee in Austin, TX and receive Markdown' do
+    results = client.md(q: 'Coffee', location: 'Austin, TX')
+
+    expect(results).to be_a(String)
+    expect(results).to start_with('---')
+    expect(results).to include('## Organic Results')
+  end
+
+  it 'decodes JSON errors and reuses the persistent connection' do
+    expect {
+      client.md
+    }.to raise_error(SerpApi::SerpApiError) do |error|
+      expect(error.decoder).to eq(:json)
+      expect(error.serpapi_error).to include('Missing query')
+    end
+
+    expect(client.md(q: 'Coffee')).to start_with('---')
   end
 
   it 'missing query' do
@@ -80,7 +120,7 @@
     begin
       client.send(:get, '/invalid', :json, {})
     rescue SerpApi::SerpApiError => e
-      expect(e.message).to include('JSON parse error')
+      expect(e.message).to include('HTTP request failed with status: 404')
     rescue => e
       raise("wrong exception: #{e}")
     end

spec/serpapi/client/search_archive_api_spec.rb

@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@
       client = SerpApi::Client.new(api_key: client.api_key, engine: 'google')
       results = client.search_archive(search_id)
       expect(archive_search).to eq(results)
+
+      markdown = client.search_archive(search_id, :md)
+      expect(markdown).to be_a(String)
+      expect(markdown).to start_with('---')
     else
       client = SerpApi::Client.new(api_key: client.api_key, engine: 'google')
       allow(client).to receive(:get) { search_response_mock }