# Yellow Pages API: Search businesses > Finds local US businesses on Yellow Pages by name or category and a city, state or ZIP. Returns listings with phone numbers in Yellow Pages order, excluding labeled ads; contact details, ratings and hours appear when listed. Unofficial. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Yellow Pages. - Page: https://fous.com/methods/yellowpages.com/search-businesses - Method: `yellowpages.com/search_businesses`, version 1 - Website: yellowpages.com - Returns: name, categories, phone, street address, city, state, ZIP, website, years in business, rating, review count, opening hours or status, Yellow Pages link - Effect: read (it gets data and changes nothing) - Sign-in: none needed - Cost: 1 credit per completed run (1¢ with pay as you go); failed runs are free - Verified: Nov 2, 2026 ## Inputs | Field | Type | Required | In the run below | Description | |---|---|---|---|---| | `sort` | string | no | `"name"` | Result order, for example distance. One of "best_match", "distance", "average_rating", "name". Default "best_match". | | `what` | string | yes | `"coffee"` | Business type or name, for example electrician. | | `where` | string | yes | `"10001"` | US city and state or ZIP, for example Dallas, TX or 10001. | | `max_results` | integer | no | `35` | Maximum number of businesses, for example 30. Default 30. | ## Output From a run on Oct 31, 2026, shortened. Its input: ```json { "sort": "name", "what": "coffee", "where": "10001", "max_results": 35 } ``` Its output: ```json { "businesses": [ { "zip": "10001", "city": "New York", "name": "{Petite} Maman", "state": "NY", "rating": null, "website": "https://mamannyc.com/locations/moynihan-station", "categories": [ "Coffee Shops", "Beverages", "Coffee & Tea" ], "phone_number": "(786) 918-5933", "review_count": null, "street_address": "441 8th Ave Concourse Level - Food Hall", "years_in_business": null, "yellow_pages_link": "https://www.yellowpages.com/new-york-ny/mip/petite-maman-575765966", "opening_hours_or_status": "closed now" }, { "zip": "10169", "city": "New York", "name": "{Petite} Maman", "state": "NY", "rating": null, "website": "https://mamannyc.com/locations/grand-central", "categories": [ "Coffee Shops", "Beverages", "Coffee & Tea" ], "phone_number": "(646) 449-0299", "review_count": null, "street_address": "230 Park Ave", "years_in_business": null, "yellow_pages_link": "https://www.yellowpages.com/new-york-ny/mip/petite-maman-575110538", "opening_hours_or_status": "closed now" }, { "zip": "10022", "city": "New York", "name": "{Petite} Maman", "state": "NY", "rating": null, "website": "https://mamannyc.com/locations/the-hugh", "categories": [ "Coffee Shops", "Beverages", "Coffee & Tea" ], "phone_number": "(929) 686-3047", "review_count": null, "street_address": "601 Lexington Ave", "years_in_business": 12, "yellow_pages_link": "https://www.yellowpages.com/new-york-ny/mip/petite-maman-575089502", "opening_hours_or_status": "closed now" } ] } ``` ## Run it From code, with a Fous API key in `FOUS_API_KEY`; the answer's `data` holds the output: ```bash curl https://api.fous.com/v1/runs \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_API_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"method":"yellowpages.com/search_businesses","input":{"sort":"name","what":"coffee","where":"10001","max_results":35}}' ``` From an AI agent connected to the Fous MCP server: its `run` with the same method and input. To connect one, give it `set up https://fous.com/SKILL.md`. ## Ask your agent - Find plumbers in Tucson, AZ with their phone numbers and addresses - Look up 24-hour locksmiths near ZIP 60614 on Yellow Pages, sorted by distance - I need a list of the top-rated Italian restaurants in Providence, RI — show ratings, review counts and hours - Get me up to 50 roofing contractors around Charlotte, NC from yellowpages.com, including how many years each has been in business - Is there a Joe's Auto Repair in 33101? Give me its phone number, website and whether it's open now ## Input schema ```json { "type": "object", "required": [ "what", "where" ], "properties": { "sort": { "enum": [ "best_match", "distance", "average_rating", "name" ], "type": "string", "default": "best_match", "description": "Result order, for example distance." }, "what": { "type": "string", "description": "Business type or name, for example electrician." }, "where": { "type": "string", "description": "US city and state or ZIP, for example Dallas, TX or 10001." }, "max_results": { "type": "integer", "default": 30, "maximum": 90, "minimum": 1, "description": "Maximum number of businesses, for example 30." } } } ``` ## Output schema ```json { "type": "object", "required": [ "businesses" ], "properties": { "businesses": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "object", "required": [ "name", "categories", "phone_number", "street_address", "city", "state", "zip", "website", "years_in_business", "rating", "review_count", "opening_hours_or_status", "yellow_pages_link" ], "properties": { "zip": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "ZIP code when listed." }, "city": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "City when listed." }, "name": { "type": "string", "description": "Business name." }, "state": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "State abbreviation when listed." }, "rating": { "type": [ "number", "null" ], "description": "Displayed rating out of 5, when shown." }, "website": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "Business website when shown." }, "categories": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Listed business categories." }, "phone_number": { "type": "string", "description": "Listed business phone number." }, "review_count": { "type": [ "integer", "null" ], "description": "Displayed number of reviews, when shown." }, "street_address": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "Street address when listed." }, "years_in_business": { "type": [ "integer", "null" ], "description": "Years in business when shown." }, "yellow_pages_link": { "type": "string", "description": "Yellow Pages listing link." }, "opening_hours_or_status": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "Opening hours or current open status when shown." } }, "additionalProperties": false }, "description": "Businesses in search result order without ads." } }, "additionalProperties": false } ``` ## See more - [Google API: Search places](https://fous.com/methods/google.com/search-places.md): Finds businesses and places near a location on Google Maps, in Google Maps order, with rating, hours, contact details and links when shown. - [Google API: Get place](https://fous.com/methods/google.com/get-place.md): Looks up a public Google Maps place by name and location and returns its profile: address, rating, hours, phone, website and photos. - [OpenStreetMap API: Search places](https://fous.com/methods/openstreetmap.org/search-places.md): Finds named places or kinds of places in a city or area, in search order, using OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Results may be fewer than requested. Data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). - [BBB API: Get business profile](https://fous.com/methods/bbb.org/get-business-profile.md): Finds the best-matching Better Business Bureau profile for a business name and city/state or ZIP code, with its BBB rating, accreditation, customer reviews, complaint counts and alerts. BBB ratings are not customer review scores. - [AutoZone API: Search stores near a location](https://fous.com/methods/autozone.com/search-stores.md): Finds the AutoZone stores nearest a US ZIP code, city or street address, with contact details, opening hours, whether each is open now, distance and store page links. - [BBB API: Get business complaints](https://fous.com/methods/bbb.org/get-business-complaints.md): Finds a business near a city and state or ZIP code on the Better Business Bureau and reads its published complaints, newest first, with the three-year complaint total. The three-year total may exceed the publicly displayed complaint details. - [Google API: Get place reviews](https://fous.com/methods/google.com/get-place-reviews.md): Finds a place on Google Maps by name and location and returns its public reviews in the chosen order. - [Apartments.com API: Search apartments](https://fous.com/methods/apartments.com/search-apartments.md): Searches Apartments.com rentals by city, neighborhood, or ZIP code, with optional rent, bedroom, pet, and page filters. Rent and availability wording is returned when displayed; missing details are null.