Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Google Places Lookup agent skill (goplaces)
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The goplaces skill lets an AI agent look up businesses and locations on Google Places by running the goplaces command-line tool. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for place searches in plain language, and what you need before it works. By the end you will be able to install the skill, set up a Google Places API key, and run example searches.
Google Places Lookupspinabot/brigade · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download and unzip the skill. Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it so that SKILL.md sits in a skill folder.
- 2Place the folder. Move the folder to ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or to .claude/skills/ inside a project. Or upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
- 3Install goplaces. Run brew install steipete/tap/goplaces in a terminal.
- 4Set your API key. Export GOOGLE_PLACES_API_KEY with your Google Places API (New) key.
- 5Ask in plain language. Describe the place, location and filters you want, such as open now and a minimum rating.
- 6Review results. Check the returned names, ratings and details, and request JSON if a script will read the output.
What is an agent skill and what does goplaces do?
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file that teaches an AI agent how to use a particular tool. When the skill is installed and relevant to your request, the agent reads these instructions and uses the tool for you.
The goplaces skill teaches the agent to use the goplaces CLI to query the Google Places API (New). The agent can run text searches such as coffee shops near a point, filter results by open-now or minimum rating, resolve a place name to a place ID, and fetch place details and reviews. Output can be human-readable or JSON for scripts.
- Text search for places, with optional open-now, minimum rating and result limit filters
- Location bias around a latitude and longitude with a radius in metres
- Resolve a place name such as Soho, London to a place ID
- Place details, optionally including reviews
- JSON output for scripts
How do you install the goplaces skill?
Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it. The skill folder contains SKILL.md. Place the unzipped folder in one of these locations, depending on how you use your agent:
To make the skill available across your own projects, unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/. To make it available only inside one project, unzip it into that project's .claude/skills/ folder.
If you use the Claude apps, you can instead upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal: ~/.claude/skills/
- Single project: .claude/skills/ inside the project folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
How do you install the goplaces command-line tool?
The skill needs the goplaces command installed on your computer. The source gives Homebrew as the install route. The skill itself does not install the tool for you unless your agent environment handles that step from the install metadata.
Run the following in a terminal:
brew install steipete/tap/goplacesHow do you set up your Google Places API key?
goplaces needs a Google Places API (New) key, supplied through the GOOGLE_PLACES_API_KEY environment variable. Without it the tool cannot run. Google may bill usage to the key, so check your Google Cloud account settings before you start.
An optional GOOGLE_PLACES_BASE_URL variable can point the tool at a test endpoint or a proxy. Most people can leave it unset.
- GOOGLE_PLACES_API_KEY: required, your Places API (New) key
- GOOGLE_PLACES_BASE_URL: optional, for testing or proxying
export GOOGLE_PLACES_API_KEY="your-api-key"How do you trigger the skill with natural requests?
You do not need to type commands yourself. Ask the agent in plain language and mention what you want: a type of place, a location, and any filters such as open now or a rating threshold. The agent will decide whether the skill applies and run the matching goplaces command.
If you want structured output for a script, say so explicitly, for example asking for JSON.
- Find coffee shops near me that are open now with at least 4 stars
- Find pizza places within 3 km of 40.8, -73.9
- Look up the place ID for Soho, London
- Get details and reviews for this place ID
- Give me sushi restaurants as JSON for my script
What do the main commands look like?
The agent uses these commands behind the scenes. You can run them yourself to test your setup. The skill source lists them as follows.
- Search with filters: goplaces search "coffee" --open-now --min-rating 4 --limit 5
- Bias results to a location: goplaces search "pizza" --lat 40.8 --lng -73.9 --radius-m 3000
- Next page of results: goplaces search "pizza" --page-token "NEXT_PAGE_TOKEN"
- Resolve a name to a place: goplaces resolve "Soho, London" --limit 5
- Details with reviews: goplaces details <place_id> --reviews
- JSON output: goplaces search "sushi" --json
goplaces search "coffee" --open-now --min-rating 4 --limit 5What safety and privacy points should you know?
This skill runs scripts and uses the network. Every query is sent to Google's Places API, so the place names or coordinates you search for are shared with Google. If you need offline work or non-Google map data, this skill is not the right tool.
Price levels in results are numbered 0 to 4, from free to very expensive. The type filter sends only the first --type value, because the API accepts one type. To turn off ANSI colour in output, use --no-color or set NO_COLOR.
- Each search sends the queried place or coordinates to Google
- Usage may be billed to your Google Places API key
- Requires the goplaces tool and a GOOGLE_PLACES_API_KEY
What people use it for
- Finding coffee shops or restaurants near a point that are open now and rated 4 or higher
- Resolving a place name to a place ID for later detail lookups
- Fetching place details and reviews for a shortlist
- Getting JSON output from place searches to feed a script that builds a list or map
Frequently asked questions
What is the goplaces skill?
It is an agent skill that teaches an AI agent to use the goplaces command-line tool to query the Google Places API (New). It supports text search, place details, resolving place names and reviews. Output can be readable text or JSON.
Do I need a Google Places API key to use goplaces?
Yes. The tool cannot run without a Google Places API (New) key, which you provide through the GOOGLE_PLACES_API_KEY environment variable. Google may bill usage to that key.
How do I install the goplaces skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps you can upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
How do I install the goplaces command?
The source gives Homebrew as the install route: run brew install steipete/tap/goplaces. You also need a Google Places API key set in GOOGLE_PLACES_API_KEY.
Is goplaces free to use?
The source does not state pricing. It notes that Google may bill usage to your API key, so check Google's current Places API pricing and your account settings before use.
Can goplaces work offline or with non-Google map data?
No. Every query goes to Google's Places API, so it is not suitable for offline use or for map data from other providers. Choose a different tool for those needs.
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Our verdict
Choose the goplaces skill if you already have a Google Places API (New) key and want an agent to search places, check ratings and open hours, or return JSON for scripts. Skip it if you have no API key, need offline maps, or do not want place queries sent to Google.
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