Google is readying to move the Google App Engine Search API from experimental to preview status with plans to charge for operations and storage. The news comes from an email sent by a Google product manager to developers experimenting with the Search API. He asked just one thing in the email: to keep the news confidential until the public release in a few weeks.

And of course, what follows? A developer leaks the letter.

The search API, released about a year ago, allows developers to add full-text search to their apps. Features include searching specific fields and ranges as well as more advanced features like scoring and snippeting.

In the email sent today, Google App Engine Product Marketing Manager Chris Ramsdale said that there will be few if any changes to the API before it goes into GA. He states that Google will be improving the robustness of the API so they can offer an attractive service level agreement (SLA). And finally, he writes, Google will start charging for storage and operations with the preview release.

Here’s the pricing that Ramsdale includes in the email:

 A free quota will be offered as a promotion for search users. 

Google App Engine has had a string of news since Google I/O. On Monday it announced the launch of its Mobile Backend Starter that allows Android developers to deploy a basic cloud infrastructure for their apps that runs on Google’s App Engine.

We reached out to Google’s spokespeople for this story. We will update the post with their comments when we hear back from them.

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