Call this tool when the user's request is to find places, businesses, addresses, locations, points of interest, or any other Google Maps related search. Input Requirements (CRITICAL): 1. text_query (string - MANDATORY): The primary search query. This must clearly define what the user is looking f...
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AI agents call search_places to retrieve information from Mcp without modifying any data. This is common in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows where the agent needs context before taking action. Because read operations don't change state, they are generally safe to allow without restrictions -- but you may still want rate limits to control API costs.
Even though search_places only reads data, uncontrolled read access can leak sensitive information or rack up API costs. An agent caught in a retry loop could make thousands of calls per minute. A rate limit gives you a safety net without blocking legitimate use.
Read-only tools are safe to allow by default. No rate limit needed unless you want to control costs.
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"search_places": {}
}
}See the full Mcp policy for all 5 tools.
These attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access search_places gives an agent. Each links to the full case and the policy that stops it:
Other read tools across the catalogue. The same approach applies to each: allow, with a rate cap to control cost.
Call this tool when the user's request is to find places, businesses, addresses, locations, points of interest, or any other Google Maps related search. Input Requirements (CRITICAL): 1. text_query (string - MANDATORY): The primary search query. This must clearly define what the user is looking for. * Examples: 'restaurants in New York', 'coffee shops near Golden Gate Park', 'SF MoMA', '1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View, CA, USA', 'pets friendly parks in Manhattan, New York', 'date night restaurants in Chicago', 'accessible public libraries in Los Angeles'. * For specific place details: Include the requested attribute (e.g., 'Google Store Mountain View opening hours', 'SF MoMa phone number', 'Shoreline Park Mountain View address'). 2. location_bias (object - OPTIONAL): Use this to prioritize results near a specific geographic area. * Format: {"location_bias": {"circle": {"center": {"latitude": [value], "longitude": [value]}, "radius_meters": [value (optional)]}}} * Usage: * To bias to a 5km radius: {"location_bias": {"circle": {"center": {"latitude": 34.052235, "longitude": -118.243683}, "radius_meters": 5000}}} * To bias strongly to the center point: {"location_bias": {"circle": {"center": {"latitude": 34.052235, "longitude": -118.243683}}}} (omitting radius_meters). 3. language_code (string - OPTIONAL): The language to show the search results summary in. * Format: A two-letter language code (ISO 639-1), optionally followed by an underscore and a two-letter country code (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2), e.g., en, ja, en_US, zh_CN, es_MX. If the language code is not provided, the results will be in English. 4. region_code (string - OPTIONAL): The Unicode CLDR region code of the user. This parameter is used to display the place details, like region-specific place name, if available. The parameter canaffect results based on applicable law. * Format: A two-letter country code (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2), e.g., US, CA. Instructions for Tool Call: * Location Information (CRITICAL): The search must contain sufficient location information. If the location is ambiguous (e.g., just "pizza places"), *you must* specify it in the text_query (e.g., "pizza places in New York") or use the location_bias parameter. Include city, state/province, and region/country name if needed for disambiguation. * Always provide the most specific and contextually rich text_query possible. * Only use location_bias if coordinates are explicitly provided or if inferring a location from a user's known context is appropriate *and* necessary for better results. * The grounded output must be attributed to the source using the information from the attribution field when available.. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Mcp MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_places: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Mcp. Nothing to install.
search_places is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the search_places rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for search_places. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
search_places is provided by the MCP server (https://mapstools.googleapis.com/mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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