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Google unleashes new API’s (and is going to put the Base API to sleep?)

2 minute read

On Friday 17th of December, from The Google Merchant Blog, Google announced New Shopping APIs and Deprecation of the Base API

The new Shopping Application Programming Interfaces ( API’s) have two main components : Content and Search. As part of this launch, we’re are (sic) also sunsetting the Base API and replacing it with these new shopping API’s.

Sunsetting the Base API ! Not only sunsetting but…

We are deprecating the Base API and will fully decommission it on June 1, 2011.

And they go on to say…

There are a few non-shopping data types that won’t be supported with new Shopping APIs, such as jobs, real estate, events, and activities. We hope this won’t cause too much disruption, …

So, is this it Google and Real Estate ( other than being a search engine) ?

Will they still be accepting Real Estate feeds in to Base but not allowing them out?

Have they decided Real Estate is a white elephant from within, or has there been some outside pressure applied?

There are so many questions to ask…

I guess it’s up to Google, they way they want to run their business, and we just accept their conclusions, but I do find it interesting they have chosen to not pursue two highly active markets such as Jobs and Real Estate.

The strange thing is though,  recently out of the blue was a new look Google Real Estate look which like the Loch Ness Monster appeared in my browser and within hours was gone again. It distinctively showed a a cleaner look and gave me the impression that they were about to get more serious with Real Estate.

and then it was gone…but i did get a photo !

Was is it a bluff?

Are they serious?

What do you think?