> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://lobstr.crisp.help/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
> Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash).

# How do Geo Match and Category Match filters work in Google Maps Leads Scraper?

**Lobstr.io filters the results at the crawling level** to make sure you **only get relevant businesses—and only pay for what you actually need**.

### Why do you need geo and category match filters?

**Honestly, Google Maps is the problem.**

When you search for businesses on Google Maps, **the results don't always match what you need**.

![Example of filter mismatch](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/f3f3be820b67c800/image_1aemhp1.png)

When you **search for businesses on Google Maps**, you often get results that **don't match what you're looking for**.

**You often get wrong business type or wrong city/country.**

For example, if you search for plumbers in Alaska, you might get results for plumbing supply stores instead of actual plumbers.

![Result not matching the intent](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/f3f3be820b67c800/image_v27i0i.png)

Or you search for businesses in one city and **get results from another city or sometimes another country**.

Even if you search for businesses in a specific area, Google Maps might pull results from outside that region.

For example, if you're searching for plumbers in Alaska but Maps might also return businesses from Canada.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/f3f3be820b67c800/image_1m2tcio.png)

That's why our **Google Maps Leads Scraper** has **built-in filtering to automatically skip irrelevant results**.

### What is Filtering in Google Maps Leads Scraper?

To fix this problem, Google Maps Leads Scraper **automatically filters results at the crawling level using two smart filters**:

* **Geo Match Filter**
* **Category Match Filter**

### Geo Match Filter

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/3/f/3/f3f3be820b67c800/image_1i5mig4.png)

The **Geo Match filter** ensures all collected businesses are **within 50KM of your chosen location**.

If a business is outside this range, **the scraper automatically skips it**—it never makes it to your output file, and you're not charged for it.

### Category Match Filter

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/3/f/3/f3f3be820b67c800/image_clgrv2.png)


The **Category Match filter** makes sure every business **matches your search keyword or business category**.

It supports:

* **Translation matching**: Finds matching categories even if Google lists them in different languages
* **Fuzzy matching**: Catches variations and similar category names (e.g., "Plumbing Service" matches "Plumber")

If a business doesn't match your category, **it's skipped entirely**.

> **These filters work before results are added to your output file.**
> 
> That means **you only get clean, relevant data—and you're only billed for businesses that match your criteria**.

### How to Enable Filters in Your Scraper

You have full control over which filters to use.

**Here's how to access and enable them:**

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/3/f/3/f3f3be820b67c800/chromerryjdku9ly_1aqmuc6.gif)


1. Go to the Squid **Settings** tab
2. Find **Advanced Settings**
3. Toggle **Geo Match** and/or **Category Match** on or off

You can use one filter, both filters, or none—it's completely up to you.

### Why This Matters for Your Billing

> **You only pay for the unique results that pass your enabled filters**.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/f/3/f/3/f3f3be820b67c800/image_1gw9l2s.png)


If a business listing doesn't match your location or category criteria, **the scraper skips it at the crawling level**—which means:

* It never appears in your output file
* You're never charged for it
* You get a clean, ready-to-use dataset from the start