What is a Google Maps MCP server?
A Google Maps MCP server is a Model Context Protocol server that gives an AI assistant tools for Google Maps data. Most of them wrap the Google Maps Platform APIs for geocoding, directions, and place lookups. MapsLeadExtractor's server is built for prospecting: it finds local businesses by category and city, checks their website status, and saves them as leads you can work.
Pick based on the job. If you are building a travel app or need driving times, a Maps Platform server with your own API key is the right tool. If you sell websites, local SEO, or marketing to local businesses and want a list of prospects you can follow up on, you need search results that persist as leads, with a status and notes. That second job is what this server does.
| Typical Maps Platform MCP server | MapsLeadExtractor MCP server | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is for | Geocoding, directions, place details, and other Maps Platform API calls | Building and working a list of local businesses to contact |
| How you sign in | Usually your own Google Cloud API key in the client config | OAuth 2.1 sign-in to your MapsLeadExtractor account, no keys to paste |
| What you get back | Raw place and location data for the current conversation | Leads saved to a project, with website status, rating, and contact fields |
| After the search | Nothing is stored; you export or copy results yourself | Track status, notes, and follow-up dates on each lead from the same chat |
| How usage is billed | Google Maps Platform API usage on your Cloud account | A free 3-lead daily preview, or credits from a MapsLeadExtractor plan |
What you can ask your assistant
Write requests the way you would brief a researcher. The assistant picks the right tool, asks you to clarify a city if the location is ambiguous, and reports back with the leads it found.
- Find independent dentists in Austin, Texas, and tell me which ones have no website.
- Create a project for roofers in Phoenix, Arizona, with 25 results, only businesses without a website.
- Show me the leads in my Miami project with a rating of 4.5 or higher.
- Mark the first two as contacted and add a note: called, follow up Friday.
The 11 tools it exposes
Six tools only read data. The others create searches or change leads, and they are marked as write actions so clients that support approvals ask you first. Every tool acts on your own account only. There are no admin, payment, or database tools.
| Tool | What it does | Access |
|---|---|---|
| list_projects | Lists your MapsLeadExtractor projects | Read |
| get_project | Shows one project and its search status | Read |
| create_project | Creates a search for a business type and location (3 to 50 results, radius up to 100 km, optional "without website" filter) | Write, paid plans |
| start_project_scrape | Runs the full Google Maps search for a project and uses plan credits | Write, paid plans |
| run_free_scan_preview | Returns up to 3 leads once every 24 hours, without credits | Free accounts |
| list_project_leads | Lists the leads a project found | Read |
| search_leads | Filters your leads by text, status, rating, or whether they have an email or phone | Read |
| get_lead | Shows one lead with its details | Read |
| update_lead | Changes a lead status (new, contacted, in negotiation, converted, not interested), contact details, or follow-up dates | Write |
| add_lead_note | Adds a note to a lead | Write |
| get_account_credits | Shows your current credit balance | Read |
Connect it to your AI client
Every client uses the same server URL. When you connect, the client opens MapsLeadExtractor so you can sign in and approve the permissions it requests. Start with a read-only request, such as listing your projects, to confirm the connection works.
Claude
Open Customize, then Connectors, and add a custom remote MCP connector with the server URL. Claude redirects you to MapsLeadExtractor to sign in and approve access.
ChatGPT
Turn on Developer Mode and create an MCP app with the server URL. ChatGPT sends you to MapsLeadExtractor to sign in and authorize the connection.
Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport http mapsleadextractor https://api.mapsleadextractor.com/mcp
claude mcp login mapsleadextractorCodex
codex mcp add mapsleadextractor --url https://api.mapsleadextractor.com/mcp
codex mcp login mapsleadextractorCursor
Add this to ~/.cursor/mcp.json, then start the OAuth connection from Cursor.
{
"mcpServers": {
"mapsleadextractor": {
"url": "https://api.mapsleadextractor.com/mcp"
}
}
}Other MCP clients
Any client that supports remote servers over Streamable HTTP with OAuth 2.1 sign-in can connect. Add a remote server and paste the URL above.
Menu names and account eligibility can change between client versions. Listing in the Claude or ChatGPT public directories is a separate review process from adding a custom connector.
Free and paid access
- Free account: a preview of up to 3 leads once every 24 hours. It does not use credits, and a failed scan gives the allowance back.
- Paid plans: full project searches with 3 to 50 results each, using your plan's credits. A paid account that runs out of credits does not fall back to the free preview.
Security
- OAuth 2.1 with PKCE. You approve access on MapsLeadExtractor, and the client refreshes tokens on its own.
- Each tool needs its own permission (projects, leads, searches, or account), and the backend checks it on every call.
- Locations are validated before any credits are reserved, and the assistant is told never to guess coordinates.
- You can disconnect the connector from your AI client at any time.
MCP server FAQ
What is a Google Maps MCP server?
It is a Model Context Protocol server that gives an AI assistant tools to read Google Maps data. Most open-source ones wrap the Google Maps Platform APIs for geocoding, directions, and place lookups. The MapsLeadExtractor server is built for prospecting instead: it searches for local businesses by category and city and saves them as leads you can work.
Do I need a Google Maps API key?
No. You sign in to MapsLeadExtractor through OAuth when you connect, and the searches run on MapsLeadExtractor. You never paste an API key, token, or password into Claude or ChatGPT.
Is the MCP server free?
Any account can connect. On the Free plan, the assistant can run a preview of up to 3 leads once every 24 hours, and it does not use credits. Full project searches with up to 50 results need a paid plan and use its credits.
Which AI clients work with it?
Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor have setup steps on this page. Any other client that supports remote MCP servers over Streamable HTTP with OAuth 2.1 can connect with the same URL.
Can the assistant spend my credits without asking?
The search tools are marked as write actions, so clients that show tool approvals ask you before they run. The tool instructions also tell the assistant to start a full search only when you explicitly ask for one, and locations are validated before any credits are reserved.