Toronto · search query: "landscaper" · API result cap: 20
Most place-search APIs return at most 20 results per query. If you search a dense area, you don't know how many results you missed — only that you hit the wall.
The fix: if a query returns the cap, split the bounding box into four equal quadrants and re-query each. Recurse on any quadrant that still hits the cap. Stop subdividing once a region returns under the cap — that means you've seen everything in it.
In this example, a single citywide search finds 20 of 85 landscapers. Recursion finds all 85 in 13 API calls. The cost scales with density, not area — empty quadrants resolve in one call.