Google Reverse Image scraper

The Google Reverse Image scraper allows one to retrieve the results of images.google.com for a set of image URLs. The resulting CSV file contains the web locations on which the image is found. The images will always be similar, but may have different dimensions. The CSV file will include fields with the webpage title, description, the image URL in the result page, image dimensions, dates and more.

Search by daterange

Under advanced options, the most important option allows one to restrict by a particular date range. Only when one specifies a date range will the CSV file guarantee to contain dates for webpages. This is identical to the behaviour of the Google Images interface.

Sidenotes

Total image results are an estimate by Google. The CSV file simply returns what Google reports as an estimate on the first search result page. Google will return a maximum of about 700 results per image, even if the estimate is higher. Again, this is identical to the normal interface.

The tool is quite slow, as Google only provides 10 results per page. The tool thus have to make a lot of requests to Google.

Research browser

Note that this tool makes use of the DMI Toolbar so that the requests to Google happen via your own browser. Your own browser and Google settings may thus interfere. Please make sure to use a clean browser by deleting all cookies or, preferably, download a new browser for research purposes. See https://wiki.digitalmethods.net/Dmi/FirefoxToolBar for more information on how to properly set up your browser and Google settings for research.