“We’re simplifying and modernizing our offerings so you can choose the best tool for your goals.”

“Simplifying” is doing a lot of work here. Google is taking what was a free, open tool and carving it into three tiers: a hobbled free version limited to 50 domains, an expensive enterprise AI product, and full web search available only by application. Translation: if you built anything useful on Programmable Search Engine, prepare to pay up or rebuild. The January 2027 deadline gives you a year to migrate to their preferred revenue streams.