Google Places API Details request not returning photos array

Question

As stated in the documentation, a "details" request should return a "photos" array, with photo references I should use to get up to 10 place photos.

Why am I not getting the photos array in the result? I have tried with various places.

This is the request url (details of New York):

https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/details/json?sensor=false&key=MY_API_KEY&reference=CkQzAAAAPElvIu2p9kjSSszAkpyP75LJ_AJUcKDZAifsRJw7_RFnSQ0cR2fjfa7MxQsvU0ct-fjUu6H7r7j4torvd0p5YhIQxyAtJFyY_kUH03Yomxt67BoUQDFZd2WonLfujVVzlUEm5V5Eh4Q

And this is the result:

    {
   "debug_info" : [],
   "html_attributions" : [],
   "result" : {
      "address_components" : [
         {
            "long_name" : "New York",
            "short_name" : "New York",
            "types" : [ "locality", "political" ]
         },
         {
            "long_name" : "New York",
            "short_name" : "NY",
            "types" : [ "administrative_area_level_1", "political" ]
         },
         {
            "long_name" : "United States",
            "short_name" : "US",
            "types" : [ "country", "political" ]
         }
      ],
      "adr_address" : "\u003cspan class=\"locality\"\u003eNew York\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan class=\"region\"\u003eNY\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan class=\"country-name\"\u003eUSA\u003c/span\u003e",
      "formatted_address" : "New York, NY, USA",
      "geometry" : {
         "location" : {
            "lat" : 40.7143528,
            "lng" : -74.00597309999999
         },
         "viewport" : {
            "northeast" : {
               "lat" : 40.9152555,
               "lng" : -73.700272
            },
            "southwest" : {
               "lat" : 40.496006,
               "lng" : -74.25573489999999
            }
         }
      },
      "icon" : "http://maps.gstatic.com/mapfiles/place_api/icons/geocode-71.png",
      "id" : "7eae6a016a9c6f58e2044573fb8f14227b6e1f96",
      "name" : "New York",
      "reference" : "CoQBdAAAAPo9DMqO2AGw5LN5rohSnnCMGPCv3Lff6tR7HUbe00ka-_Unq4blHt3zkn_tyCvnRRuLBv9-S0FGghJwtXe2veG5fQKAa_2GVm38L5RucayjBDURlLcOF986c9rmk0nlppCgc5QL9zgPBnKV_ZT01mdTu8n7m7ceOY3BSaII41bKEhCW5Ldw4ioRZp_EChzdtZazGhRRYOblvpy3eEc9OjE0QDD3e3sXyw",
      "types" : [ "locality", "political" ],
      "url" : "https://maps.google.com/maps/place?q=New+York,+NY,+USA&ftid=0x89c24fa5d33f083b:0xc80b8f06e177fe62",
      "vicinity" : "New York"
   },
   "status" : "OK"
}

Answer 1

I ran into this same issue. I found that it's to do with how you're retrieving the reference ID. I was doing a text search on address only, and when I pulled details on the resulting reference ID, there were no photos or reviews.

However, I then did another text search off the name of the place (along with address) and you get back a different reference ID. Pulling details on this contains the missing elements.

Even though both locations pointed to the same address, they were in fact different reference IDs.