How to Parse Json URL request in PHP Google Places Not Working

Question

I trying to retrieve the ID from a Google Places API request URL. I'm using PHP and would like to see if there's a way to do it in PHP so I can save it as a variable to use later.

I need to get the URL and then parse it getting the "place_id".

$url = "https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/nearbysearch/json?location=-33.8670522,151.1957362&radius=500&types=food&name=cruise&key=MY-API-KEY";
$json = file_get_contents($url);
$json_data = json_decode($json, true);
echo  $json_data["alt_ids"]["place_id"];

This doesn't seem to work. It's not returning anything.

It would return this if it was working.

{
   "html_attributions" : [],
   "results" : [
      {
         "geometry" : {
            "location" : {
               "lat" : -33.870775,
               "lng" : 151.199025
            }
         },
         "icon" : "http://maps.gstatic.com/mapfiles/place_api/icons/travel_agent-71.png",
         "id" : "21a0b251c9b8392186142c798263e289fe45b4aa",
         "name" : "Rhythmboat Cruises",
         "opening_hours" : {
            "open_now" : true
         },
         "photos" : [
            {
               "height" : 270,
               "html_attributions" : [],
               "photo_reference" : "CnRnAAAAF-LjFR1ZV93eawe1cU_3QNMCNmaGkowY7CnOf-kcNmPhNnPEG9W979jOuJJ1sGr75rhD5hqKzjD8vbMbSsRnq_Ni3ZIGfY6hKWmsOf3qHKJInkm4h55lzvLAXJVc-Rr4kI9O1tmIblblUpg2oqoq8RIQRMQJhFsTr5s9haxQ07EQHxoUO0ICubVFGYfJiMUPor1GnIWb5i8",
               "width" : 519
            }
         ],
         "place_id" : "ChIJyWEHuEmuEmsRm9hTkapTCrk",
         "scope" : "GOOGLE",
         "alt_ids" : [
            {
               "place_id" : "D9iJyWEHuEmuEmsRm9hTkapTCrk",
               "scope" : "APP"
            }
         ],
         "reference" : "CoQBdQAAAFSiijw5-cAV68xdf2O18pKIZ0seJh03u9h9wk_lEdG-cP1dWvp_QGS4SNCBMk_fB06YRsfMrNkINtPez22p5lRIlj5ty_HmcNwcl6GZXbD2RdXsVfLYlQwnZQcnu7ihkjZp_2gk1-fWXql3GQ8-1BEGwgCxG-eaSnIJIBPuIpihEhAY1WYdxPvOWsPnb2-nGb6QGhTipN0lgaLpQTnkcMeAIEvCsSa0Ww",
         "types" : [ "travel_agency", "restaurant", "food", "establishment" ],
         "vicinity" : "Pyrmont Bay Wharf Darling Dr, Sydney"
      },
      {
         "geometry" : {
            "location" : {
               "lat" : -33.866891,
               "lng" : 151.200814
            }
         },
         "icon" : "http://maps.gstatic.com/mapfiles/place_api/icons/restaurant-71.png",
         "id" : "45a27fd8d56c56dc62afc9b49e1d850440d5c403",
         "name" : "Private Charter Sydney Harbour Cruise",
         "photos" : [
            {
               "height" : 426,
               "html_attributions" : [],
               "photo_reference" : "CnRnAAAAL3n0Zu3U6fseyPl8URGKD49aGB2Wka7CKDZfamoGX2ZTLMBYgTUshjr-MXc0_O2BbvlUAZWtQTBHUVZ-5Sxb1-P-VX2Fx0sZF87q-9vUt19VDwQQmAX_mjQe7UWmU5lJGCOXSgxp2fu1b5VR_PF31RIQTKZLfqm8TA1eynnN4M1XShoU8adzJCcOWK0er14h8SqOIDZctvU",
               "width" : 640
            }
         ],
         "place_id" : "ChIJqwS6fjiuEmsRJAMiOY9MSms",
         "scope" : "GOOGLE",
         "reference" : "CpQBhgAAAFN27qR_t5oSDKPUzjQIeQa3lrRpFTm5alW3ZYbMFm8k10ETbISfK9S1nwcJVfrP-bjra7NSPuhaRulxoonSPQklDyB-xGvcJncq6qDXIUQ3hlI-bx4AxYckAOX74LkupHq7bcaREgrSBE-U6GbA1C3U7I-HnweO4IPtztSEcgW09y03v1hgHzL8xSDElmkQtRIQzLbyBfj3e0FhJzABXjM2QBoUE2EnL-DzWrzpgmMEulUBLGrtu2Y",
         "types" : [ "restaurant", "food", "establishment" ],
         "vicinity" : "Australia"
      },
      {
         "geometry" : {
            "location" : {
               "lat" : -33.870943,
               "lng" : 151.190311
            }
         },
         "icon" : "http://maps.gstatic.com/mapfiles/place_api/icons/restaurant-71.png",
         "id" : "30bee58f819b6c47bd24151802f25ecf11df8943",
         "name" : "Bucks Party Cruise",
         "opening_hours" : {
            "open_now" : true
         },
         "photos" : [
            {
               "height" : 600,
               "html_attributions" : [],
               "photo_reference" : "CnRnAAAA48AX5MsHIMiuipON_Lgh97hPiYDFkxx_vnaZQMOcvcQwYN92o33t5RwjRpOue5R47AjfMltntoz71hto40zqo7vFyxhDuuqhAChKGRQ5mdO5jv5CKWlzi182PICiOb37PiBtiFt7lSLe1SedoyrD-xIQD8xqSOaejWejYHCN4Ye2XBoUT3q2IXJQpMkmffJiBNftv8QSwF4",
               "width" : 800
            }
         ],
         "place_id" : "ChIJLfySpTOuEmsRsc_JfJtljdc",
         "scope" : "GOOGLE",
         "reference" : "CoQBdQAAANQSThnTekt-UokiTiX3oUFT6YDfdQJIG0ljlQnkLfWefcKmjxax0xmUpWjmpWdOsScl9zSyBNImmrTO9AE9DnWTdQ2hY7n-OOU4UgCfX7U0TE1Vf7jyODRISbK-u86TBJij0b2i7oUWq2bGr0cQSj8CV97U5q8SJR3AFDYi3ogqEhCMXjNLR1k8fiXTkG2BxGJmGhTqwE8C4grdjvJ0w5UsAVoOH7v8HQ",
         "types" : [ "restaurant", "food", "establishment" ],
         "vicinity" : "37 Bank St, Pyrmont"
      },
      {
         "geometry" : {
            "location" : {
               "lat" : -33.867591,
               "lng" : 151.201196
            }
         },
         "icon" : "http://maps.gstatic.com/mapfiles/place_api/icons/travel_agent-71.png",
         "id" : "a97f9fb468bcd26b68a23072a55af82d4b325e0d",
         "name" : "Australian Cruise Group",
         "opening_hours" : {
            "open_now" : true
         },
         "photos" : [
            {
               "height" : 242,
               "html_attributions" : [],
               "photo_reference" : "CnRnAAAABjeoPQ7NUU3pDitV4Vs0BgP1FLhf_iCgStUZUr4ZuNqQnc5k43jbvjKC2hTGM8SrmdJYyOyxRO3D2yutoJwVC4Vp_dzckkjG35L6LfMm5sjrOr6uyOtr2PNCp1xQylx6vhdcpW8yZjBZCvVsjNajLBIQ-z4ttAMIc8EjEZV7LsoFgRoU6OrqxvKCnkJGb9F16W57iIV4LuM",
               "width" : 200
            }
         ],
         "place_id" : "ChIJrTLr-GyuEmsRBfy61i59si0",
         "scope" : "GOOGLE",
         "reference" : "CoQBeQAAAFvf12y8veSQMdIMmAXQmus1zqkgKQ-O2KEX0Kr47rIRTy6HNsyosVl0CjvEBulIu_cujrSOgICdcxNioFDHtAxXBhqeR-8xXtm52Bp0lVwnO3LzLFY3jeo8WrsyIwNE1kQlGuWA4xklpOknHJuRXSQJVheRlYijOHSgsBQ35mOcEhC5IpbpqCMe82yR136087wZGhSziPEbooYkHLn9e5njOTuBprcfVw",
         "types" : [ "travel_agency", "restaurant", "food", "establishment" ],
         "vicinity" : "32 The Promenade, King Street Wharf 5, Sydney"
      }
   ],
   "status" : "OK"
}

If you have any ideas I would love to hear them!

basic debugging: var_dump($json, $json_data) to see what you REALLY got back. — Marc B
– Marc B, Commented Jun 23, 2015 at 16:53

Kevin Seifert · Accepted Answer · 2015-06-23 17:01:15Z

1

Your returned data does not contain:

 echo  $json_data["alt_ids"]["place_id"];

try this instead to see the structure:

 print_r($json_data);

answered Jun 23, 2015 at 17:01

Kevin Seifert

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2 Comments

Eric S Griffin Over a year ago

Thanks for the help! Turns out for some reason the API key wasn't being accepted.

Eric S Griffin Over a year ago

Everything is working now. $json_data[results][0][place_id];

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