Bbox MCP Server

The geospatial toolkit for AI agents — query, convert, and verify spatial data with zero config. 6 tools for bounding boxes, coordinate projection

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What is the Bbox MCP server?

The geospatial toolkit for AI agents — query, convert, and verify spatial data with zero config. 6 tools for bounding boxes, coordinate projection, H3 indexing, OpenStreetMap queries, and shareable map verification links. The bbox mcp server wraps that behind the Model Context Protocol, so an assistant can use it through 8 defined tools rather than through you.

What it actually does

The geospatial toolkit for AI agents. 6 tools, zero config — give any LLM the ability to find, query, convert, and aggregate spatial data using open data. No API keys or signups required to start.

Its toolset

Everything the assistant can do here goes through one of these:

  • get_bounds — Convert and project a bbox across formats and coordinate systems
  • get_h3_indices — Generate H3 hex cell indices covering a bbox
  • generate_share_url — Create a shareable map link for a bbox
  • search_overpass — Query OpenStreetMap via Overpass QL within a bbox or radius
  • list_osm_tags — Look up correct OSM tags for a category
  • aggregate_overpass_h3 — Run an Overpass query and bin results into H3 hexagons
  • Logging — Structured JSON logs go to stderr (stdout is reserved for MCP protocol). Each entry includes timestamp, level, and context
  • OpenStreetMap — The OpenStreetMap tool exposed by this server

Adding it to your client

Installation goes through your MCP client rather than a global install: point it at bbox-mcp-server on npm and it is fetched when the client starts. The copy-paste blocks for Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor are further down this page.

Configuration

You will need 2 environment variables: MAPBOX_ACCESS_TOKEN, OVERPASS_API_URL. The server will not start without them, which is usually why the tools fail to appear on a first run. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than in a file you might commit.

When to reach for it

Plenty of monitoring and observability servers cover similar ground. The differences that matter in practice are scope of access and how much setup stands between you and a working tool call. Bbox's toolset — get_bounds, get_h3_indices, generate_share_url and 5 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by iamvibhorsingh; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

SyncDev reviews every entry in this directory against the project's own documentation before publishing, and revisits them as servers change.

Caveats

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • Missing credentials fail quietly in some clients — if no tools show up, check the environment block first.
  • MCP clients confirm each tool call by default. Leave that on until you have watched what the bbox mcp server does with a few real requests.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
get_boundsConvert and project a bbox across formats and coordinate systems
get_h3_indicesGenerate H3 hex cell indices covering a bbox
generate_share_urlCreate a shareable map link for a bbox
search_overpassQuery OpenStreetMap via Overpass QL within a bbox or radius
list_osm_tagsLook up correct OSM tags for a category
aggregate_overpass_h3Run an Overpass query and bin results into H3 hexagons
LoggingStructured JSON logs go to **stderr** (stdout is reserved for MCP protocol). Each entry includes timestamp, level, and context.
OpenStreetMapThe OpenStreetMap tool exposed by this server.

How to install the Bbox MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bbox": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "bbox-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
MAPBOX_ACCESS_TOKENCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
OVERPASS_API_URLEndpoint or connection string the server talks to.Yes

Example prompts to try

  • Use Bbox to get bounds.
  • Use Bbox to get h3 indices.
  • Use Bbox to generate share url.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Bbox to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 8 tools (get_bounds, get_h3_indices, generate_share_url, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Bbox directly.