Find places like Google Maps search (Places API searchText shape): {places: [{id, displayName, formattedAddress, location, googleMapsUri, primaryTypeDisplayName, categories, rating, userRatingCount, internationalPhoneNumber, nationalPhoneNumber, websiteUri, priceLevel, priceRangeText, timeZone, currentOpeningHours, hoursStatusText, reservationLinks [{uri, provider}], menuUri}]}. reservationLinks are the booking sites Google lists (provider: the site's domain, e.g. sevenrooms.com), empty when none. Put the city in textQuery or pass latitude/longitude.

One place by id (Places API Place shape, same fields as maps_search_places), with currentOpeningHours for the next 7 days: dated periods, weekdayDescriptions, openNow, nextOpenTime/nextCloseTime and holidays, plus reservationLinks [{uri, provider}] and menuUri.

Travel time and distance through the stops in order (Routes API computeRoutes shape): {travelMode, routes: [{description, distanceMeters, duration, staticDuration, localizedValues, durationWithoutTraffic, durationRange, departureTime, arrivalTime, legs: [{distanceMeters, duration, staticDuration, startLocation, endLocation, localizedValues}]}], waypoints: [{query, displayName, formattedAddress, placeId, location}], googleMapsUri, condition, note}. duration is in traffic for DRIVE (now or at departureTime/arrivalTime), otherwise typical. includeSteps fills legs[].steps [{distanceMeters, staticDuration, startLocation, navigationInstruction {maneuver, instructions}, localizedValues, notices}] and legs[].segments [{instructions, distanceMeters, staticDuration, firstStepIndex, stepCount}]; includePolyline fills routes[].polyline {encodedPolyline}.

Duration and distance for every origin x destination pair, at most 25 pairs; each pair is one Google request (Routes API computeRouteMatrix element shape): {travelMode, elements: [{originIndex, destinationIndex, status, condition, distanceMeters, duration, staticDuration, localizedValues}]}. Identical origin and destination cost nothing.

A map image like the Static Maps API: an area (center + zoom), pins and/or a route line, drawn on Google Maps tiles. Without center or zoom the view fits the pins and route. Returns a JSON legend {center, zoom, size, maptype, markers [{label, query, displayName, location, …}], route {travelMode, condition, description, distanceMeters, duration, googleMapsUri}, missingTiles, attribution} and the JPEG.

Plan a multi-stop route: {travelMode, optimized, order (indices of stops in the chosen order), ordersCompared, savedVsGivenOrder, description, distanceMeters, duration, durationWithDwell, departureTime, arrivalTime, timeZone, stops [{label, role, inputIndex, query, displayName, formattedAddress, placeId, location, arrivalOffset, arrivalTime, dwellMinutes, departureTime, openingStatus {state, text, hours}, rating, category}], legs [{from, to, distanceMeters, duration, staticDuration}], warnings, googleMapsUri}. Without departureTime the plan starts now.

Show a route to the person as a card: interactive map with the route and lettered pins, total time and distance, the stops with arrival times and open/closed status, turn-by-turn steps per leg, and an "Open in Google Maps" button (claude.ai and ChatGPT draw it). Same facts as maps_plan_route. Use it whenever you give directions or a route.

Show places to the person as cards: photo, rating, category, open now, today's hours, holiday notices, address, phone, website, reserve, directions and Map links, your note, plus a map with lettered pins (claude.ai and ChatGPT draw them). Use it whenever you recommend or compare places; ids come from maps_search_places.

Version, daily request and tile budgets left, breaker, last error and cache size. With check=true, also {canary: {ok, code, checked_at, cached}}: one real route, one place read and one map tile, cached 55 min (5 min after a transient failure); ok is false on any error. Never fails.