Step 2: Connect SerpApi Search and Place Discovery

This step queries Google Maps and determines whether the response is a single place or a list of local results.

1. Configure Define Review Cap to set review_limit to 50.
2. In Lookup Maps Places, set Operation to google_maps and Query to italian restaurants in austin tx.
3. In Lookup Maps Places, set Additional Fields → json_restrictor to local_results,place_results.
4. Configure Detect Single vs List with the condition {{ $json.place_results }} to detect whether a single place result exists.
5. Connect Detect Single vs List true output to Initialize Review State and false output to Expand Local Listings.

Credential Required: Connect your SerpApi credentials in Lookup Maps Places.

Step 3: Initialize State and Batch Processing

This step prepares the global state, expands local listings, and iterates through multiple places when needed.

1. In Initialize Review State, keep the JavaScript code as provided to initialize review_limit, place_id, place_name, is_single_business, num, count, and next_page_token.
2. Configure Expand Local Listings with Field to Split Out set to local_results.
3. Connect Expand Local Listings to Iterate Places Batch, and ensure Iterate Places Batch continues to Initialize Review State when iterating through multiple places.

Step 4: Fetch Reviews and Expand Review Items

This step retrieves reviews, checks availability, and splits each review into its own item for insertion into the sheet.

1. In Set Page Size Value, keep the JavaScript code that sets num to 20.
2. Configure Fetch Place Reviews with Operation set to google_maps_reviews and place_id set to {{ $json.place_id }}.
3. In Fetch Place Reviews, set Additional Fields → num to {{ $json.num }} and Additional Fields → next_page_token to {{ $json.next_page_token }}.
4. Configure Check Review Availability with the boolean condition {{ !!$json.reviews || $('Initialize Review State').item.json.is_single_business}}.
5. In Explode Review Items, set Field to Split Out to reviews, and include Fields to Include as place_info.title.

Credential Required: Connect your SerpApi credentials in Fetch Place Reviews.

Step 5: Append Reviews to Google Sheets

This step writes each exploded review item to your Google Sheet with mapped fields.

1. Open Append Rows to Sheet and set Operation to append.
2. Select your target spreadsheet in Document ID and choose the destination tab in Sheet Name.
3. Map columns using expressions: rating → {{ $json.reviews.rating }}, snippet → {{ $json.reviews.extracted_snippet.original }}, iso_date → {{ $json.reviews.iso_date }}, place_name → {{ $('Initialize Review State').first().json.place_name }}.

Credential Required: Connect your Google Sheets credentials in Append Rows to Sheet.

Step 6: Configure Pagination Logic

This step updates counters and routes the workflow to fetch more pages or move to the next place.

1. In Update Count & Page Token, keep the JavaScript code that increments count and updates next_page_token from Fetch Place Reviews.
2. Configure Route Pagination Logic with three rules using these expressions: {{ !!$json.next_page_token && ($json.review_limit > $json.count + 20)}} for “Get More Pages,” {{ $json.is_single_business && (!$json.next_page_token || $json.review_limit < $json.count + 20 ) }} for “End Workflow,” and {{ !$json.is_single_business && (!$json.next_page_token || $json.review_limit < $json.count + 20 ) }} for “Get Next Place.”
3. Connect the “Get More Pages” output to Set Page Size Value, and the “Get Next Place” output to Iterate Places Batch.

Step 7: Test and Activate Your Workflow

Run a full test to confirm reviews are retrieved, expanded, and appended to your sheet.

1. Click Execute Workflow to run Manual Start Trigger and observe the node-by-node execution.
2. Verify that Append Rows to Sheet writes rows with rating, snippet, iso_date, and place_name in your Google Sheet.
3. Confirm pagination continues until the review_limit is reached or no next_page_token remains.
4. When results look correct, toggle the workflow to Active for production use.