Search Database via Google Custom Search? Attached Google CSE to (SQL/NoSQL) Database for website?

Question

TOPIC - Google Search Engine / Custom Search - with Database

References

Search for "Google Search Engine" and "Google Custom Search" (New to StackOverflow; just joined the other day.I'm limited to 2 links I can post right now).

NOTE: I have not YET decided/committed to any specific coding language, framework, etc. Not until I figure out how to accomplish my question (below).

BACKGROUND INFO

What I'm trying to do (for now) is add a "search-box/ search engine" to a simple website I'm building out. Before I get too far into it (planning ahead) I would like to use Google CSE if all possible (which can do A LOT of things and works well). However, I will have a database (not sure on type YET. Will depend on what my options and I can do with CSE) of "items" that I want to be able to quickly search (in the search-box) i.e. like Amazon.com.

QUESTION:

Is there any way at all, to use Google Custom Search and or Custom Search API to search/attach a database (SQL, NoSQL, or others)? I would HIGHLY prefer being able to do all of this in Google Cloud Platform, and use one of their storage/database products.

Answer 1

If I get what you try to do, Google CSE is enough.

From the google doc you linked :

#Defining a Custom Search Engine in Control Panel

In the Sites to search section, add the pages you want to include in your search engine. You can include any sites you want, not just the sites you own. You can include whole site URLs or individual pages URLs. You can also use URL patterns.

#Enabling Autocomplete

[...]you can enable or disable autocomplete feature using enableAutoComplete attribute.

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For the Is there any way at all [..] to search a database, I'll said not directly, but it's not a big problem.

Google CSE work on "indexable web pages", so it'll not work again a raw DB, restricted internet, or custom network not under http(s)://.

But in your case, if you make a DB, I suppose you'll have to make web page to display the data you store inside to your users ? (like products pages on Amazon)

If yes, then you'll run Google CSE again these pages by adding your http://[server ip] or http://[domain name] in the white list.

Answer 2

As far as I know, custom search won't guarantee all your content will be indexed.

You probably want to try exporting a full sitemap.xml, a RSS feed and if the custom search results from either of these won't satisfy you, you will probably want to look at the google search appliance product.

There's also http://sphinxsearch.com/ by the way.