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oki602960

brave-search-mcp-server

by oki602960

brave_place_search

brave_place_search

Find points of interest, addresses, cities, and streets using Brave's place search. Anchor searches with coordinates or location names to get structured business data and more.

Instructions

Searches Brave's Place Search API. A single call may populate any combination of 'results' (POIs), 'cities', 'addresses', 'streets', and 'location' (the resolved search area), depending on the query's shape.

When to use:
    - POIs near coordinates or a named area (e.g. "coffee shops in Paris") -> 'results', each with structured business data (postal address, hours, contact, ratings, photos, categories, timezone).
    - Browsing general POIs (omit 'query'; supply 'latitude'+'longitude' or 'location').
    - Disambiguating a bare city name (e.g. "springfield") -> 'cities'.
    - Resolving a specific address (e.g. "350 5th avenue" with NYC coords) -> 'addresses' (often plus 'streets').
    - Looking up a street by name (e.g. "michigan avenue" with Chicago coords) -> 'streets'.

Inputs:
    - Anchor the search via 'latitude'+'longitude' or 'location' (or both). With neither, 'query' is required.
    - 'addresses' / 'streets' only surface when the query is address-/street-shaped AND geographically anchored.
    - 'location' format: US -- '<city> <state> <country>' (e.g. 'san francisco ca united states'); non-US -- '<city> <country>' (e.g. 'tokyo japan'). Capitalization and commas don't matter.
    - 'count' caps results (max 50, default 20). 'radius' (meters) biases toward closer results; it does NOT hard-limit the search area.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
countNoNumber of results to return. Maximum is 50. Default is 20.
queryNoQuery string. Shape influences the response: POI-like queries -> `results`; bare/ambiguous city names -> `cities`; address- or street-shaped queries with a geographic anchor -> `addresses` and/or `streets`. If omitted, returns general POIs in the supplied area.
unitsNoUnits of measurement for distance values. Defaults to 'metric'.
acceptNoThe default supported media type is application/json.
geolocNoOptional geolocation token used to refine results.
radiusNoBias toward results closer to the supplied coordinates, in meters. NOT a hard cutoff -- the API may still return more distant results. If omitted, the search is performed globally.
countryNoTwo-letter country code (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2) used to scope the search. Defaults to 'US'.
ui_langNoUser interface language for the response, usually of the form '<language>-<region>'. Defaults to 'en-US'.
latitudeNoLatitude of the geographical coordinates around which to search, in degrees (-90 to 90). Typically paired with `longitude`.
locationNoLocation string to search around, used as an alternative to `latitude` and `longitude`. For US locations prefer the form '<city> <state> <country name>' (e.g. 'san francisco ca united states'); for non-US locations use '<city> <country name>' (e.g. 'tokyo japan'). No commas or special characters needed; capitalization does not matter.
longitudeNoLongitude of the geographical coordinates around which to search, in degrees (-180 to 180). Typically paired with `latitude`.
safesearchNoSafe search level for the query results. 'off' - No filtering. 'moderate' - Filter out explicit content. 'strict' - Filter out explicit and suggestive content. Defaults to 'strict'.
spellcheckNoWhether to apply spellcheck before executing the search. Defaults to true.
user-agentNoThe user agent originating the request. Brave Search can utilize the user agent to provide a different experience depending on the device as described by the string. The user agent should follow the commonly used browser agent strings on each platform. For more information on curating user agents, see RFC 9110.
api-versionNoThe API version to use. This is denoted by the format YYYY-MM-DD. Default is the latest that is available. Read more about API versioning at https://api-dashboard.search.brave.com/documentation/guides/versioning.
search_langNoLanguage for the search results. Defaults to 'en'.
cache-controlNoBrave Search will return cached content by default. To prevent caching set the Cache-Control header to no-cache. This is currently done as best effort.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
typeYesTop-level response discriminator. Always "locations" for Place Search.
queryNo
citiesNoCity matches for the query. Typically populated when the query is a bare or ambiguous city name (e.g. "springfield", "san francisco").
resultsNoPoints of interest matching the search. Populated for POI-shaped queries.
streetsNoStreet matches. Typically populated when the query is a street name AND is geographically anchored via `latitude`+`longitude` or a specific `location`.
locationNoThe search area as resolved by the API (e.g. coordinates + city name). Useful for confirming the API interpreted the input as expected and for grounding follow-up queries.
addressesNoAddress matches. Typically populated when the query is a street + number AND is geographically anchored via `latitude`+`longitude` or a specific `location`.
Behavior3/5

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

The description discloses that radius is a bias not a hard limit and explains location format. However, it does not address rate limits, authentication, or other behavioral nuances, missing some transparency beyond the openWorldHint annotation.

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?

The description is well-structured with bullet points and front-loads the main purpose. While slightly lengthy, every sentence serves to clarify behavior or usage, with no wasted words.

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 17 parameters and output schema existence, the description covers essential usage patterns and constraints. It lacks error handling details but provides sufficient context for an AI agent to select and invoke the tool effectively.

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 baseline is 3. The description adds significant value by explaining inter-parameter dependencies (e.g., anchor required for addresses/streets, query behavior when omitted) and clarifying the radius's non-hard-limitation, going beyond the schema's individual parameter descriptions.

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?

The description uses specific verbs ('Searches Brave's Place Search API') and clearly differentiates the various result types (POIs, cities, addresses, streets, location) based on query shape, making the tool's purpose unambiguous.

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?

A dedicated 'When to use' section provides clear scenarios for each result type. It explains input requirements (anchor via lat/long or location) and constraints (addresses/streets require specific query shape), though it does not explicitly compare to sibling tools.

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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