Foursquare

Nearby Places

nearby_places

Read-onlyIdempotent

Return POIs sorted by distance from a lat/lon without a text query. Requires latitude+longitude; optional radius_m (default 500m) and numeric fsq_category_ids filter. Returns name, categories, address, distance, tel, website. rating/hours/popularity are Foursquare Premium fields — present only where enabled (see rating_included / rating_note).

Example tool call

This call uses example arguments supplied in the tool’s input schema.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "limit": 20,
      "latitude": 51.5074,
      "radius_m": 500,
      "longitude": -0.1278
    },
    "name": "nearby_places"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`limit`	No	Results (1-50, default 20)
`latitude`	Yes	Latitude
`radius_m`	No	1-100000 metres (default 500)
`longitude`	Yes	Longitude
`categories`	No	OPTIONAL numeric fsq_category_id values only (from a prior result). Do NOT invent IDs; unknown IDs are ignored.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`count`	Yes	Number of results returned
`center`	Yes
`results`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed1 schema field changedJun 21, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / categories / description

Previous value: -"Comma-separated category IDs"New value: +"OPTIONAL numeric fsq_category_id values only (from a prior result). Do NOT invent IDs; unknown IDs are ignored."

Changed2 schema fields changedMay 22, 2026

addedInput schema / examples

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "latitude": 51.5074,
+    "limit": 20,
+    "longitude": -0.1278,
+    "radius_m": 500
+  },
+  {
+    "categories": "13000,13001",
+    "latitude": 35.6762,
+    "limit": 15,
+    "longitude": 139.6503,
+    "radius_m": 2000
+  }
+]

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "properties": {
+    "center": {
+      "properties": {
+        "latitude": {
+          "description": "Search centre latitude",
+          "type": "number"
+        },
+        "longitude": {
+          "description": "Search centre longitude",
+          "type": "number"
+        }
+      },
+      "required": [
+        "latitude",
+        "longitude"
+      ],
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "count": {
+      "description": "Number of results returned",
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "results": {
+      "items": {
+        "properties": {
+          "address": {
+            "description": "Formatted address",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "categories": {
+            "description": "Place category names",
+            "items": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "type": "array"
+          },
+          "category_ids": {
+            "description": "Foursquare category IDs",
+            "items": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "type": "array"
+          },
+          "chain": {
+            "description": "Chain name if applicable",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "country": {
+            "description": "Country name",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "description": {
+            "description": "Place description",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "distance_m": {
+            "description": "Distance in metres from search centre",
+            "type": [
+              "number",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "foursquare_url": {
+            "description": "Foursquare profile URL",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "fsq_place_id": {
+            "description": "Foursquare place ID",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "hours": {
+            "description": "Hours of operation display text",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "latitude": {
+            "description": "Latitude coordinate",
+            "type": [
+              "number",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "locality": {
+            "description": "City or locality name",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "longitude": {
+            "description": "Longitude coordinate",
+            "type": [
+              "number",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "name": {
+            "description": "Place name",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "open_now": {
+            "description": "Whether place is open now",
+            "type": [
+              "boolean",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "popularity": {
+            "description": "Popularity score",
+            "type": [
+              "number",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "postcode": {
+            "description": "Postal code",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "price": {
+            "description": "Price level",
+            "type": [
+              "number",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "rating": {
+            "description": "Place rating",
+            "type": [
+              "number",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "region": {
+            "description": "State or region",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "tel": {
+            "description": "Phone number",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "timezone": {
+            "description": "Time zone",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "website": {
+            "description": "Place website URL",
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          }
+        },
+        "type": "object"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "center",
+    "count",
+    "results"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

First observedMay 12, 2026

TDQS

A4.2/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already cover read-only/idempotent/open-world safety, but the description adds real behavioral context beyond them: the return fields, the premium-field caveat (rating/hours/popularity only where enabled, keyed by rating_included/rating_note), and the default radius. It omits pagination/truncation behavior, so it is not fully complete.

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

Conciseness4/5

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

Three tight sentences, front-loaded with the core capability and scoping constraint before requirements and return details. Dense but every clause carries information; only the parenthetical caveats add slight clutter.

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

Completeness5/5

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

For a 5-parameter read tool with full schema coverage, annotations and an output schema, the description covers purpose, prerequisites, defaults, filter constraints and the premium-field caveat that the schema cannot express. Nothing an agent needs to call it correctly is missing.

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

Parameters3/5

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

Schema description coverage is 100%, so the schema already documents limit, radius_m, coordinates and the categories filter. The description restates radius default and the numeric-category filter but adds no syntax or format detail the schema lacks (and even uses 'fsq_category_ids' for the 'categories' parameter), so it sits at the baseline.

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

Purpose5/5

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

States a specific verb and resource ('Return POIs sorted by distance') plus the defining constraint ('without a text query'), which cleanly separates it from search_places and search_within. An agent can pick this tool without opening any schema.

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 'without a text query' clause and the required latitude+longitude prerequisite give clear context for when this tool applies versus a text-search sibling. It stops short of explicitly naming search_places/search_within as the alternative, so it is strong but not fully explicit routing.

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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