NearbySearch MCP Server

An MCP server for nearby place searches with IP-based location detection.

Local serverstdioPython

What is the NearbySearch MCP server?

An MCP server for nearby place searches with IP-based location detection. That is what the nearbysearch mcp server brings to an AI assistant: the same capability, reachable through the Model Context Protocol rather than a separate app or dashboard.

The short version

  • IP-based Location Detection — Uses ipapi.co to determine your current location
  • Google Places Integration — Searches for nearby places based on keywords and optional type filters
  • Simple Interface — Single tool endpoint with customizable radius

Getting it running

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

What it needs from you

Configuration is passed through the environment: GOOGLE_API_KEY. Treat anything key-shaped as a real credential — scope it to the minimum the server needs, and rotate it if it ever lands in a shared config.

  • Python 3.10+ - Google Cloud Platform API Key with Places API enabled - Internet connection

Things to watch

  • 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.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

How it compares

Plenty of developer tooling 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. It is maintained by kukapay; 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.

How to install the NearbySearch MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nearby-search": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": ["--directory", "path/to/nearby-search-mcp", "run", "main.py"],
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_API_KEY": "your google api key"
      }
    }
  }
}

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

Configuration

  • Python 3.10+ - Google Cloud Platform API Key with Places API enabled - Internet connection
VariableDescriptionRequired
GOOGLE_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes

Frequently asked questions

Python 3.10 or higher, a Google Cloud Platform API key with Places API enabled, and an internet connection.