Google Maps

search_places

Read-only

Call this tool when the user's request is to find places, businesses, addresses, locations, points of interest, or any other Google Maps related search.

Input Requirements (CRITICAL):

text_query (string - MANDATORY): The primary search query. This must clearly define what the user is looking for.
- Examples: 'restaurants in New York', 'coffee shops near Golden Gate Park', 'SF MoMA', '1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View, CA, USA', 'pets friendly parks in Manhattan, New York', 'date night restaurants in Chicago', 'accessible public libraries in Los Angeles'.
- For specific place details: Include the requested attribute (e.g., 'Google Store Mountain View opening hours', 'SF MoMa phone number', 'Shoreline Park Mountain View address').
location_bias (object - OPTIONAL): Use this to prioritize results near a specific geographic area.
- Format: {"location_bias": {"circle": {"center": {"latitude": [value], "longitude": [value]}, "radius_meters": [value (optional)]}}}
- Usage:
  - To bias to a 5km radius: {"location_bias": {"circle": {"center": {"latitude": 34.052235, "longitude": -118.243683}, "radius_meters": 5000}}}
  - To bias strongly to the center point: {"location_bias": {"circle": {"center": {"latitude": 34.052235, "longitude": -118.243683}}}} (omitting radius_meters).
language_code (string - OPTIONAL): The language to show the search results summary in.
- Format: A two-letter language code (ISO 639-1), optionally followed by an underscore and a two-letter country code (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2), e.g., en, ja, en_US, zh_CN, es_MX. If the language code is not provided, the results will be in English.
region_code (string - OPTIONAL): The Unicode CLDR region code of the user. This parameter is used to display the place details, like region-specific place name, if available. The parameter canaffect results based on applicable law.
- Format: A two-letter country code (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2), e.g., US, CA.

Instructions for Tool Call:

Location Information (CRITICAL): The search must contain sufficient location information. If the location is ambiguous (e.g., just "pizza places"), you must specify it in the text_query (e.g., "pizza places in New York") or use the location_bias parameter. Include city, state/province, and region/country name if needed for disambiguation.
Always provide the most specific and contextually rich text_query possible.
Only use location_bias if coordinates are explicitly provided or if inferring a location from a user's known context is appropriate and necessary for better results.
The grounded output must be attributed to the source using the information from the attribution field when available.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`pageSize`	No	Optional. The maximum number of places to return, up to 5. The service may return fewer than this value. The default value is 5.
`textQuery`	Yes	Required. The text query.
`regionCode`	No	Optional. The Unicode country/region code (CLDR) of the location where the request is coming from. This parameter is used to display the place details, like region-specific place name, if available. The parameter can affect results based on applicable law. For example, "US" for United States. For more information, see https://www.unicode.org/cldr/charts/latest/supplemental/territory_language_information.html. Note that 3-digit region codes are not currently supported.
`languageCode`	No	Optional. The language to request that the summary is returned in. If the language code is unspecified or unrecognized, the summary with a preference for English will be returned. For example, "en" for English. Current list of supported languages: https://developers.google.com/maps/faq#languagesupport.
`locationBias`	No	An optional region to bias the search results to. If an explicit location is in `text_query`, it will be used to bias the search results instead of this field.
`includeExtendedDetails`	No	Optional. Includes extended place details in the response. Set this field to `true` when the user request requires rich qualitative insights, real-time dynamics, or specialized entity attributes: - Qualitative reviews, customer sentiment, and feedback. - Specific offerings like menu items, dishes, food specialties, beverages, or business highlights. - Qualitative atmosphere, interior decor, aesthetic, ambience, or mood. - Real-time data and specialized facility specs, visitor policies/tips, wait times. Leave `false` (default) for standard discovery searches (e.g., cuisines, store types), location/address lookups, contact info, operating hours, and standard metadata/amenities. Enabling this field will incur higher latency.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`places`	No	Output only. The list of places that are mentioned in the summary.
`summary`	No	Output only. A natural language summary of the search results. The summary may contain zero-based citations like "[0]", "[1]", "[2]" etc. These citations map to the corresponding places in the `places` field.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed2 schema fields changedSep 9, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / includeExtendedDetails

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Optional. Includes extended place details in the response. Set this field to `true` when the user request requires rich qualitative insights, real-time dynamics, or specialized entity attributes: - Qualitative reviews, customer sentiment, and feedback. - Specific offerings like menu items, dishes, food specialties, beverages, or business highlights. - Qualitative atmosphere, interior decor, aesthetic, ambience, or mood. - Real-time data and specialized facility specs, visitor policies/tips, wait times. Leave `false` (default) for standard discovery searches (e.g., cuisines, store types), location/address lookups, contact info, operating hours, and standard metadata/amenities. Enabling this field will incur higher latency.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / pageSize

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Optional. The maximum number of places to return, up to 5. The service may return fewer than this value. The default value is 5.",
+  "format": "int32",
+  "type": "integer"
+}

Changed2 schema fields changedApr 20, 2026

addedOutput schema / $defs / Attribution

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Required attribution to show with maps content.",
+  "properties": {
+    "title": {
+      "description": "The title to display for the attribution.",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "url": {
+      "description": "The URL to link to for the attribution.",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

addedOutput schema / $defs / PlaceView / properties / attribution

Added value: +{
+  "$ref": "#/$defs/Attribution",
+  "description": "Required attribution to show with the place."
+}

First observedFeb 23, 2026

TDQS

A3.9/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already indicate a read-only, non-destructive operation. The description adds meaningful behavioral context: location bias behavior, language/region result effects, and attribution output requirements. It does not contradict annotations.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness3/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is well-organized with headers and front-loaded trigger conditions, but it is long and somewhat repetitive. Some content duplicates what the schema already states, and the inconsistent parameter naming adds confusion rather than clarity.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the tool's complexity, the description covers the critical decision areas: mandatory query specificity, ambiguity handling, location_bias usage, language/region codes, and attribution. The input schema covers field-level details and the output schema is present, so no major information is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3, but the description adds substantial value with query examples, explicit text_query composition guidance, location_bias JSON structure, and language/region formats. However, it uses snake_case names like text_query and location_bias while the schema uses camelCase (textQuery, locationBias), which could cause incorrect invocation.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the tool's purpose: searching for places, businesses, addresses, locations, and POIs. It distinguishes itself by domain from the sibling tools, though it does not explicitly name alternatives or exclusions, and 'any other Google Maps related search' is broad enough to risk overlap.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description gives explicit when-to-use guidance, critical location disambiguation rules, and conditional instructions for using location_bias. It does not explicitly say when not to use the tool or point to sibling tools, but the usage context is strong and actionable.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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