Crisis monitoring on this API is two sources on one name: news volume and news sentiment. Send both on one get_growth POST. Read both source_results blocks before anyone pages. POST https://api.trendsapi.ai/api. On-call runbooks should link the API reference next to the page rule. Search is a weak proxy for tone. Notes: the Google Trends guide. Decode body before comparing the two blocks.
The pair, even when the live pull fails
POST https://api.trendsapi.ai/api
Authorization: Bearer <api_key>
Content-Type: application/json
{"mode":"get_growth","source":"news volume, news sentiment","keyword":"tesla","percent_growth":["7D","1M"]}
Those two sources 504'd on MCP in this session (27 Aug 2026). The request shape is still the contract. Do not replace a missing tone with google search growth. Search interest can rise on a good keynote and on a recall. Tone is the column that tells them apart.
MPIS-style monitoring notes still describe a volume anomaly (a brand that usually sees tens of mentions jumping to hundreds) as a flag that can precede a sentiment alert. Other 2026 crisis posts argue the opposite: tone and velocity move first, and volume is late. Store both series. Write the desk rule in the runbook, not in the API client.
Headline fallback
get_top_trends type Google News Top News, snapshot 2026-08-27T18:01:38Z, led with Nepal and Tibet aid, a murder trial, a Lake Ontario rename, Tropical Storm Dolly. A crisis row that watches tesla or nike would treat this snapshot as quiet for those names. Quiet is a result. Do not infer a tone from a quiet board.
source google news is press-search interest for the phrase. It is closer to "are people searching the name on Google News" than to "how many articles ran." Keep it as a third series when the pair is down. Do not page on it alone.
A 429 from this product is a plan or burst signal. Read pricing. It is not the crisis.