MCP Google Map Server

A powerful Model Context Protocol (MCP) server providing comprehensive Google Maps API integration with streamable HTTP transport support and LLM processing capabilities.

🙌 Special Thanks

This project has received contributions from the community.
Special thanks to @junyinnnn for helping add support for streamablehttp.

✅ Testing Status

This MCP server has been tested and verified to work correctly with:

• Claude Desktop
• Dive Desktop
• MCP protocol implementations

All tools and features are confirmed functional through real-world testing.

Features

🆕 Latest Updates

• New Places API Integration: Updated to use Google's new Places API (New) instead of the legacy API to resolve HTTP 403 errors and ensure continued functionality.

🗺️ Google Maps Integration

• Location Search

  • Search for places near a specific location with customizable radius and filters
  • Get detailed place information including ratings, opening hours, and contact details

• Geocoding Services

  • Convert addresses to coordinates (geocoding)
  • Convert coordinates to addresses (reverse geocoding)

• Distance & Directions

  • Calculate distances and travel times between multiple origins and destinations
  • Get detailed turn-by-turn directions between two points
  • Support for different travel modes (driving, walking, bicycling, transit)

• Elevation Data

  • Retrieve elevation data for specific locations

🚀 Advanced Features

• Streamable HTTP Transport: Latest MCP protocol with real-time streaming capabilities
• Session Management: Stateful sessions with UUID-based identification
• Multiple Connection Support: Handle multiple concurrent client connections
• Echo Service: Built-in testing tool for MCP server functionality

Installation

⚠️ Important Notice: This server uses HTTP transport, not stdio. Direct npx usage in MCP Server Settings is NOT supported.

Method 1: Global Installation (Recommended)

# Install globally
npm install -g @cablate/mcp-google-map

# Run the server
mcp-google-map --port 3000 --apikey "your_api_key_here"

# Using short options
mcp-google-map -p 3000 -k "your_api_key_here"

Method 2: Using npx (Quick Start)

⚠️ Warning: Cannot be used directly in MCP Server Settings with stdio mode

Step 1: Launch HTTP Server in Terminal

# Run in a separate terminal
npx @cablate/mcp-google-map --port 3000 --apikey "YOUR_API_KEY"

# Or with environment variable
GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY npx @cablate/mcp-google-map

Step 2: Configure MCP Client to Use HTTP

{
  "mcp-google-map": {
    "transport": "http",
    "url": "http://localhost:3000/mcp"
  }
}

❌ Common Mistake to Avoid

// This WILL NOT WORK - stdio mode not supported with npx
{
  "mcp-google-map": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["@cablate/mcp-google-map"]
  }
}

Server Information

• Endpoint: http://localhost:3000/mcp
• Transport: HTTP (not stdio)
• Tools: 8 Google Maps tools available

API Key Configuration

API keys can be provided in three ways (priority order):

1. HTTP Headers (Highest priority)

   // MCP Client config
   {
     "mcp-google-map": {
       "transport": "streamableHttp",
       "url": "http://localhost:3000/mcp",
       // if your MCP Client support 'headers'
       "headers": {
         "X-Google-Maps-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY" 
       }
     }
   }

2. Command Line

   mcp-google-map --apikey YOUR_API_KEY

3. Environment Variable (.env file or command line)

   GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
   MCP_SERVER_PORT=3000

Available Tools

The server provides the following tools:

Google Maps Tools

1. search_nearby - Search for nearby places based on location, with optional filtering by keywords, distance, rating, and operating hours
2. get_place_details - Get detailed information about a specific place including contact details, reviews, ratings, and operating hours
3. maps_geocode - Convert addresses or place names to geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude)
4. maps_reverse_geocode - Convert geographic coordinates to a human-readable address
5. maps_distance_matrix - Calculate travel distances and durations between multiple origins and destinations
6. maps_directions - Get detailed turn-by-turn navigation directions between two locations
7. maps_elevation - Get elevation data (height above sea level) for specific geographic locations

Development

Local Development

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/cablate/mcp-google-map.git
cd mcp-google-map

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Set up environment variables
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your API key

# Build the project
npm run build

# Start the server
npm start

# Or run in development mode
npm run dev

Project Structure

src/
├── cli.ts                    # Main CLI entry point
├── config.ts                 # Server configuration
├── index.ts                  # Package exports
├── core/
│   └── BaseMcpServer.ts     # Base MCP server with streamable HTTP
└── tools/
    └── maps/                # Google Maps tools
        ├── toolclass.ts     # Google Maps API client
        ├── searchPlaces.ts  # Maps service layer
        ├── searchNearby.ts  # Search nearby places
        ├── placeDetails.ts  # Place details
        ├── geocode.ts       # Geocoding
        ├── reverseGeocode.ts # Reverse geocoding
        ├── distanceMatrix.ts # Distance matrix
        ├── directions.ts    # Directions
        └── elevation.ts     # Elevation data

Tech Stack

• TypeScript - Type-safe development
• Node.js - Runtime environment
• Google Maps Services JS - Google Maps API integration
• Model Context Protocol SDK - MCP protocol implementation
• Express.js - HTTP server framework
• Zod - Schema validation

Security Considerations

• API keys are handled server-side for security
• DNS rebinding protection available for production
• Input validation using Zod schemas
• Error handling and logging

License

MIT

Contributing

Community participation and contributions are welcome! Here's how you can contribute:

• ⭐️ Star the project if you find it helpful
• 🐛 Submit Issues: Report bugs or provide suggestions
• 🔧 Create Pull Requests: Submit code improvements
• 📖 Documentation: Help improve documentation

Contact

If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out:

• 📧 Email: [email protected]
• 💻 GitHub: CabLate
• 🤝 Collaboration: Welcome to discuss project cooperation
• 📚 Technical Guidance: Sincere welcome for suggestions and guidance

Changelog

v0.0.18 (Latest)

• Error response improvements: Now all error messages are in English with more detailed information (previously in Chinese)

v0.0.17

• Added HTTP Header Authentication: Support for passing API keys via X-Google-Maps-API-Key header in MCP Client config
• Fixed Concurrent User Issues: Each session now uses its own API key without conflicts
• Fixed npx Execution: Resolved module bundling issues
• Improved Documentation: Clearer setup instructions

v0.0.14

• Added streamable HTTP transport support
• Improved CLI interface with emoji indicators
• Enhanced error handling and logging
• Added comprehensive tool descriptions for LLM integration
• Updated to latest MCP SDK version

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