Google Maps MCP Server

Give your AI agent the ability to understand the physical world —
geocode, route, search, and reason about locations.

English | 繁體中文

• 18 tools — 14 atomic + 4 composite (explore-area, plan-route, compare-places, local-rank-tracker)
• 3 modes — stdio, StreamableHTTP, standalone exec CLI
• Agent Skill — built-in skill definition teaches AI how to chain geo tools (skills/google-maps/)

vs Google Grounding Lite

	This project	Grounding Lite
Tools	18	3
Geocoding	Yes	No
Step-by-step directions	Yes	No
Elevation	Yes	No
Distance matrix	Yes	No
Place details	Yes	No
Timezone	Yes	No
Weather	Yes	Yes
Air quality	Yes	No
Map images	Yes	No
Composite tools (explore, plan, compare)	Yes	No
Open source	MIT	No
Self-hosted	Yes	Google-managed only
Agent Skill	Yes	No

Quick Start

# stdio (Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.)
npx @cablate/mcp-google-map --stdio

# exec CLI — no server needed
npx @cablate/mcp-google-map exec geocode '{"address":"Tokyo Tower"}'

# HTTP server
npx @cablate/mcp-google-map --port 3000 --apikey "YOUR_API_KEY"

Special Thanks

Special thanks to @junyinnnn for helping add support for streamablehttp.

Available Tools

Tool	Description
maps_search_nearby	Find places near a location by type (restaurant, cafe, hotel, etc.). Supports filtering by radius, rating, and open status.
maps_search_places	Free-text place search (e.g., "sushi restaurants in Tokyo"). Supports location bias, rating, open-now filters.
maps_place_details	Get full details for a place by its place_id — reviews, phone, website, hours. Optional maxPhotos param returns photo URLs.
maps_geocode	Convert an address or landmark name into GPS coordinates.
maps_reverse_geocode	Convert GPS coordinates into a street address.
maps_distance_matrix	Calculate travel distances and times between multiple origins and destinations. Driving mode supports avoid_tolls and avoid_highways.
maps_directions	Get step-by-step navigation between two points with route details. Driving mode supports avoid_tolls and avoid_highways.
maps_elevation	Get elevation (meters above sea level) for geographic coordinates.
maps_timezone	Get timezone ID, name, UTC/DST offsets, and local time for coordinates.
maps_weather	Get current weather conditions or forecast — temperature, humidity, wind, UV, precipitation.
maps_air_quality	Get air quality index, pollutant concentrations, and health recommendations by demographic group.
maps_static_map	Generate a map image with markers, paths, or routes — returned inline for the user to see directly.
maps_batch_geocode	Geocode up to 50 addresses in one call — returns coordinates for each.
maps_search_along_route	Search for places along a route between two points — ranked by minimal detour time.
Composite Tools
maps_explore_area	Explore what's around a location — searches multiple place types and gets details in one call.
maps_plan_route	Plan an optimized multi-stop route — uses Routes API waypoint optimization (up to 25 stops) for efficient ordering. Driving mode supports avoid_tolls and avoid_highways.
maps_compare_places	Compare places side-by-side — searches, gets details, and optionally calculates distances.
maps_local_rank_tracker	Track a business's local search ranking across a geographic grid — like LocalFalcon. Supports up to 3 keywords for batch scanning. Returns rank at each point, top-3 competitors, and metrics (ARP, ATRP, SoLV).

All tools are annotated with readOnlyHint: true and destructiveHint: false — MCP clients can auto-approve these without user confirmation.

Prerequisite: Enable Places API (New) and Routes API in Google Cloud Console before using place-related and routing tools.

Installation

Method 1: stdio (Recommended for most clients)

Works with Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, and any MCP client that supports stdio:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-maps": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@cablate/mcp-google-map", "--stdio"],
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Reduce context usage — If you only need a subset of tools, set GOOGLE_MAPS_ENABLED_TOOLS to limit which tools are registered:

{
  "env": {
    "GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY",
    "GOOGLE_MAPS_ENABLED_TOOLS": "maps_geocode,maps_directions,maps_search_places"
  }
}

Omit or set to * for all 18 tools (default).

Method 2: HTTP Server

For multi-session deployments, per-request API key isolation, or remote access:

npx @cablate/mcp-google-map --port 3000 --apikey "YOUR_API_KEY"

# Bind to all interfaces for remote access (e.g. Docker, LAN)
npx @cablate/mcp-google-map --host 0.0.0.0 --port 3000 --apikey "YOUR_API_KEY"

Then configure your MCP client:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-maps": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://localhost:3000/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Server Information

• Transport: stdio (--stdio) or Streamable HTTP (default)
• Tools: 18 Google Maps tools (14 atomic + 4 composite) — filterable via GOOGLE_MAPS_ENABLED_TOOLS

CLI Exec Mode (Agent Skill)

Use tools directly without running the MCP server:

npx @cablate/mcp-google-map exec geocode '{"address":"Tokyo Tower"}'
npx @cablate/mcp-google-map exec search-places '{"query":"ramen in Tokyo"}'

All 18 tools available: geocode, reverse-geocode, search-nearby, search-places, place-details, directions, distance-matrix, elevation, timezone, weather, air-quality, static-map, batch-geocode-tool, search-along-route, explore-area, plan-route, compare-places, local-rank-tracker. See skills/google-maps/ for the agent skill definition and full parameter docs.

To use the Agent Skill without MCP:

1. Install the entire skills/google-maps/ folder in your agent's Skills directory, following that client's instructions. Keep SKILL.md and references/ together. Clients that support .skill imports can use the bundled SKILL.skill archive instead. Installing the npm package alone does not register a Skill with an agent.
2. Make Node.js 18+ and npx available to the agent, and set GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY in its environment. Prefer the environment variable to --apikey, which can expose a key in shell history or process listings.
3. Ask the agent a location question. The Skill guides it to call the standalone CLI, for example npx -y @cablate/mcp-google-map exec geocode '{"address":"Tokyo Tower"}'. No MCP server or MCP client configuration is needed.

You can verify the CLI is available with npx -y @cablate/mcp-google-map exec --help before making a billable API call.

For a reproducible no-MCP walkthrough, see the Agent Skill demo. If your agent or app displays Places reviews, photos, or AI summaries, follow the content attribution and storage guidance; the tool preserves source/disclosure metadata but does not render a compliant UI for you.

Batch Geocode

Geocode hundreds of addresses from a file:

npx @cablate/mcp-google-map batch-geocode -i addresses.txt -o results.json
cat addresses.txt | npx @cablate/mcp-google-map batch-geocode -i -

Input: one address per line. Output: JSON with { total, succeeded, failed, results[] }. Default concurrency: 20 parallel requests.

API Key Configuration

API keys can be provided in three ways (priority order):

1. HTTP Headers (Highest priority)

   {
     "mcp-google-map": {
       "transport": "streamableHttp",
       "url": "http://localhost:3000/mcp",
       "headers": {
         "X-Google-Maps-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
       }
     }
   }
   

2. Command Line

   mcp-google-map --apikey YOUR_API_KEY
   

3. Environment Variable (.env file or command line)

   GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
   MCP_SERVER_PORT=3000
   MCP_SERVER_HOST=0.0.0.0
   

Development

Local Development

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/cablate/mcp-google-map.git
cd mcp-google-map

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Set up environment variables
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your API key

# Build the project
npm run build

# Start the server
npm start

# Or run in development mode
npm run dev

Testing

# Run smoke tests (no API key required for basic tests)
npm test

# Run full E2E tests (requires GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY)
npm run test:e2e

Project Structure

src/
├── cli.ts                        # CLI entry point
├── config.ts                     # Tool registration and server config
├── index.ts                      # Package exports
├── core/
│   └── BaseMcpServer.ts          # MCP server with streamable HTTP transport
├── services/
│   ├── NewPlacesService.ts       # Google Places API (New) client
│   ├── PlacesSearcher.ts         # Service facade layer
│   ├── RoutesService.ts          # Google Routes API client (directions, distance matrix, waypoint optimization)
│   └── toolclass.ts              # Google Maps API client (geocoding, timezone, elevation, static map)
├── tools/
│   └── maps/
│       ├── searchNearby.ts       # maps_search_nearby tool
│       ├── searchPlaces.ts       # maps_search_places tool
│       ├── placeDetails.ts       # maps_place_details tool
│       ├── geocode.ts            # maps_geocode tool
│       ├── reverseGeocode.ts     # maps_reverse_geocode tool
│       ├── distanceMatrix.ts     # maps_distance_matrix tool
│       ├── directions.ts         # maps_directions tool
│       ├── elevation.ts          # maps_elevation tool
│       ├── timezone.ts           # maps_timezone tool
│       ├── weather.ts            # maps_weather tool
│       ├── airQuality.ts         # maps_air_quality tool
│       ├── staticMap.ts          # maps_static_map tool
│       ├── batchGeocode.ts       # maps_batch_geocode tool
│       ├── searchAlongRoute.ts   # maps_search_along_route tool
│       ├── exploreArea.ts        # maps_explore_area (composite)
│       ├── planRoute.ts          # maps_plan_route (composite)
│       ├── comparePlaces.ts      # maps_compare_places (composite)
│       └── localRankTracker.ts   # maps_local_rank_tracker (composite)
└── utils/
    ├── apiKeyManager.ts          # API key management
    └── requestContext.ts         # Per-request context (API key isolation)
tests/
└── smoke.test.ts                 # Smoke + E2E test suite
skills/
├── google-maps/                  # Agent Skill — how to USE the tools
│   ├── SKILL.md                  # Tool map, recipes, invocation
│   ├── SKILL.skill               # Importable archive of this Skill
│   └── references/
│       ├── tools-api.md          # Tool parameters + scenario recipes
│       ├── travel-planning.md    # Travel planning methodology
│       └── local-seo.md          # Local SEO / Google Business Profile ranking analysis
└── project-docs/                 # Project Skill — how to DEVELOP/MAINTAIN
    ├── SKILL.md                  # Architecture overview + onboarding
    └── references/
        ├── architecture.md       # System design, code map, 9-file checklist
        ├── google-maps-api-guide.md  # API endpoints, pricing, gotchas
        ├── geo-domain-knowledge.md   # GIS fundamentals, Japan context
        └── decisions.md          # 10 ADRs (design decisions + rationale)

Tech Stack

• TypeScript - Type-safe development
• Node.js - Runtime environment
• @googlemaps/places - Google Places API (New) for place search and details
• Google Routes API - Directions, distance matrix, and waypoint optimization via REST
• @googlemaps/google-maps-services-js - Geocoding, timezone, elevation
• @modelcontextprotocol/sdk - MCP protocol implementation (v1.27+)
• Express.js - HTTP server framework
• Zod - Schema validation

Security

• API keys are handled server-side
• Per-session API key isolation for multi-tenant deployments
• DNS rebinding protection available for production
• Input validation using Zod schemas

For enterprise security reviews, see Security Assessment Clarifications — a 23-item checklist covering licensing, data protection, credential management, tool contamination, and AI agent execution environment verification.

To report a vulnerability, see SECURITY.md.

Roadmap

Recent Additions

Tool / Feature	What it unlocks	Status
maps_static_map	Map images with pins/routes — multimodal AI can "see" the map	Done
maps_air_quality	AQI, pollutants — health-aware travel, outdoor planning	Done
maps_batch_geocode	Geocode up to 50 addresses in one call — data enrichment	Done
maps_search_along_route	Find places along a route ranked by detour time — trip planning	Done
maps_explore_area	One-call neighborhood overview (composite)	Done
maps_plan_route	Optimized multi-stop itinerary (composite)	Done
maps_compare_places	Side-by-side place comparison (composite)	Done
maps_local_rank_tracker	Geographic grid rank tracking — local SEO analysis (composite)	Done
GOOGLE_MAPS_ENABLED_TOOLS	Filter tools to reduce context usage	Done

Planned

Feature	What it unlocks	Status
maps_place_photo	Place photos for multimodal AI — "see" the restaurant ambiance	Planned
Language parameter	Multi-language responses (ISO 639-1) across all tools	Planned
MCP Prompt Templates	/travel-planner, /neighborhood-scout slash commands in Claude Desktop	Planned
Geo-Reasoning Benchmark	10-scenario test suite measuring LLM geospatial reasoning accuracy	Research

Use Cases We're Building Toward

These are the real-world scenarios driving our tool decisions:

• Travel planning — "Plan a day trip in Tokyo" (geocode → search → directions → weather)
• Real estate analysis — "Analyze this neighborhood: schools, commute, flood risk" (search-nearby × N + elevation + distance-matrix)
• Logistics optimization — "Route these 12 deliveries efficiently from the warehouse" (plan-route)
• Field sales — "Visit 6 clients in Chicago, minimize drive time, find lunch spots" (plan-route + search-nearby)
• Disaster response — "Nearest open hospitals? Am I in a flood zone?" (search-nearby + elevation)
• Content creation — "Top 5 neighborhoods in Austin with restaurant density and airport distance" (explore-area + distance-matrix)
• Accessibility — "Wheelchair-accessible restaurants, avoid steep routes" (search-nearby + place-details + elevation)
• Local SEO — "Audit my restaurant's ranking vs competitors within 1km" (search-places + compare-places + explore-area)

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for version history.

License

MIT

Contributing

Community participation and contributions are welcome! Please read CONTRIBUTING.md for development setup, coding guidelines, and the pull request process.

• Submit Issues: Report bugs or provide suggestions
• Create Pull Requests: Submit code improvements
• Documentation: Help improve documentation

Contact

• Email: reahtuoo310109@gmail.com
• GitHub: CabLate

Star History