Does Markdown cost more than JSON?

No. Every format costs the same credits; only the packaging changes.

How accurate is X-Tokens-Estimate?

It's characters divided by four, an approximation rather than your model's tokenizer. Real counts vary by model and language.

Can I get page contents in Markdown too?

Yes. include_content on /v1/search adds each top result's page as Markdown, and the Webpage to Markdown API reads any URL.

Do errors come back as Markdown?

No. Errors are always JSON with the usual error shape, so check the status code first.

format=markdown

LLM-ready search results

Search results shaped for a context window: a Markdown page for prompts, compact JSON for tool results, field projection to drop what you don't read, and a token estimate on every response.

Get a free API key Output formats reference

How it works

Markdown or compact JSON, field projection and token estimates.

Raw SERP JSON is built for code, not for models: thumbnails, tracking data and nested objects cost tokens and add nothing to an answer. Every SerpKite search endpoint can answer in three formats that contain the same search: json (the full envelope), compact (the same results, trimmed for models) and markdown (a readable page with Content-Type: text/markdown).

fields keeps only the dot paths you list, for example results.title,results.link,knowledge_graph.title, and request and meta always stay. Every response carries X-Tokens-Estimate, so you can check the size before it goes into a prompt.

All three formats cost the same credits. Compare them on your own query with the SERP token counter.

Markdown for a prompt

cURL

TypeScript

Python

curl https://api.serpkite.com/v1/search \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SERPKITE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"q":"best espresso machine 2026","country":"us","format":"markdown"}'

format=markdown · illustrative

# best espresso machine 2026

## Results
1. **The Best Espresso Machines of 2026, Tested and Reviewed** — example.com
   https://www.example.com/best-espresso-machines
   We pulled more than 1,200 shots on 42 machines to find the best espresso makers for every budget.
2. **Espresso Machine Buying Guide (2026)** — coffee.example.org
   https://coffee.example.org/guides/espresso
   Single boiler, heat exchanger or dual boiler? What the specs mean.
3. **r/espresso: What machine would you buy in 2026?** — reddit.com
   https://www.reddit.com/r/espresso/comments/abc123/

## People also ask
- **What is the #1 rated espresso machine?** Reviewers most often rank dual-boiler machines with PID control at the top…
- **Is a $500 espresso machine worth it?** For daily drinkers, a mid-range machine usually pays for itself within a year…

## Related searches
best espresso machine under $500 · best espresso machine for beginners · dual boiler vs heat exchanger

Which format to use

Which format to use
format	Content type	Best for
`json` (default)	application/json	Apps and pipelines that parse specific fields.
`compact`	application/json	Agent tool results your code post-processes: short snippets, no positions, thumbnails or tracking data.
`markdown`	text/markdown	Putting the whole results page straight into an LLM prompt.

Why it matters

What you get

Markdown that reads well

Headings per section (results, People also ask, related searches), links kept.

Compact JSON

The same results key and snake_case names, minus positions, thumbnails, sitelinks and tracking data.

Fields projection

Up to 50 dot paths, 4 levels deep. Arrays are traversed, so results.title keeps every title.

X-Tokens-Estimate

An approximate token count of the body on every response, to budget context before reading it.

FAQ