Google Maps Grounding Lite MCP server

Endpoint: https://mapstools.googleapis.com/mcp · Authentication: API key header

Searches places, looks up weather, and computes routes using Google Maps Platform data. Requires a Google Cloud API key with the Maps Grounding Lite API enabled, sent in the X-Goog-Api-Key header.

Test it live Run the release-readiness report

How do I authenticate?

Create a scoped API key with the provider and configure X-Goog-Api-Key in your client. Use the generated setup below; do not put the key in the endpoint URL.

Authentication and connection guide

Connection specification

Remote endpoint: https://mapstools.googleapis.com/mcp
Browser access: Not yet measured
Declared MCP transport: Streamable HTTP
Live-validated MCP transport: Streamable HTTP — Observed by the latest catalog validation
Declared authentication: API key
Detected authentication: API key detected or retained from publisher evidence
Protocol lifecycle: Stateful MCP · 2025-11-25
Required header: X-Goog-Api-Key — Google Cloud API key with Maps Grounding Lite enabled
Authorization server: https://accounts.google.com/
Category: Developer Tools

Product documentation · Official listing documentation

Provider guidance

Tool listing succeeded without credentials in the 2026-10-20 audit; tool calls require the API key. Google also documents OAuth 2.0 access.

More Developer Tools MCP servers · Browse all MCP servers · Test this endpoint in the MCP Playground

Authorization setup

API key required

Use the publisher-documented API key route. Keep the credential in protected client storage and replace only the named placeholder at connection time.

Safe header template: <GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY>. Replace only the named placeholder in protected client configuration.

Publisher documentation

Connect it

Live-validated endpoint: https://mapstools.googleapis.com/mcp · Streamable HTTP. API key authentication uses the publisher-documented header name when available.

Agent prompt for Claude Code or Codex

Add the Google Maps Grounding Lite MCP server to my MCP client configuration and verify that it works.

What it is: Searches places, looks up weather, and computes routes using Google Maps Platform data. Requires a Google Cloud API key with the Maps Grounding Lite API enabled, sent in the X-Goog-Api-Key header.
Server URL: https://mapstools.googleapis.com/mcp
Transport: Streamable HTTP (remote MCP server, no local install).
Authentication: API key. API key authentication uses the publisher-documented header name when available.
Tools: not yet observed by mcptest; tools/list will show them.
Reference: https://mcptest.io/servers/google-maps-grounding-lite/

Steps:
1. Work out which MCP client I use (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code or another) and add the server under the name "google-maps-grounding-lite" in that client's MCP configuration, user scope unless I ask otherwise.
   Claude Code: claude mcp add --transport http --scope user --header 'X-Goog-Api-Key: '"${GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY}" 'google-maps-grounding-lite' 'https://mapstools.googleapis.com/mcp'
   Other clients: use the setup for that client on the reference page.
2. Never write a credential value into a file that could be committed; reference an environment variable or the client's secret store, and ask me for any value you need.
3. Verify: connect to the server and call tools/list. Confirm the tools above are listed, and report any sign-in step I still have to complete.

Claude Code setup

Run in a terminal. This user-scoped entry is available across projects.

claude mcp add --transport http --scope user --header 'X-Goog-Api-Key: '"${GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY}" 'google-maps-grounding-lite' 'https://mapstools.googleapis.com/mcp'

Store GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY in your operating system keychain, secret manager, or protected environment; never commit the value. The X-Goog-Api-Key header syntax is <GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY>.

Codex CLI setup

Add to ~/.codex/config.toml, then securely set GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY_HEADER to the raw credential value, which is the complete X-Goog-Api-Key header value.

[mcp_servers.google-maps-grounding-lite]
url = "https://mapstools.googleapis.com/mcp"
env_http_headers = { "X-Goog-Api-Key" = "GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY_HEADER" }

Store GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY_HEADER in your operating system keychain, secret manager, or protected environment; never commit the value. Set it to the raw credential value, which is the complete X-Goog-Api-Key header value.

Cursor setup

Add to .cursor/mcp.json for this project, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json for all projects.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "google-maps-grounding-lite": {
      "url": "https://mapstools.googleapis.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-Goog-Api-Key": "${env:GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Store GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY in your operating system keychain, secret manager, or protected environment; never commit the value. The X-Goog-Api-Key header syntax is <GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY>.

VS Code setup

Add to .vscode/mcp.json, or run “MCP: Open User Configuration” for a private user-level entry.

{
  "servers": {
    "google-maps-grounding-lite": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mapstools.googleapis.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-Goog-Api-Key": "${input:google_maps_api_key}"
      }
    }
  },
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "google_maps_api_key",
      "description": "GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY for Google Maps Grounding Lite",
      "password": true
    }
  ]
}

VS Code requests GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY as a masked input; use a secret manager and do not put a default value in mcp.json. The X-Goog-Api-Key syntax remains <GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY>.

Claude setup

Add the endpoint above in Claude:

Customize > Connectors > Add custom connector
Team/Enterprise: Organization settings > Connectors > Add > Custom > Web

Claude Desktop setup

Add the endpoint above in Claude Desktop:

Remote: Customize > Connectors (same as claude.ai)
Local: Settings > Developer > Edit Config, or Settings > Extensions for .mcpb files
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows), local servers only

ChatGPT setup

Add the endpoint above in ChatGPT:

ChatGPT web: Plugins > Add custom MCP server, then configure authentication and accept the risk warning

Windsurf setup

Add the endpoint above in Windsurf:

~/.config/devin/mcp_config.json (%APPDATA%\devin\mcp_config.json on Windows), serverUrl or url
Cascade panel > ... > MCPs > Open MCP config file

Gemini CLI setup

Add the endpoint above in Gemini CLI:

gemini mcp add --transport http <name> <url>
~/.gemini/settings.json (user) or .gemini/settings.json (project), mcpServers

MCP SDK setup

Add the endpoint above in MCP SDK:

Programmatic: new Client(...).connect(new StreamableHTTPClientTransport(url))

Notes for every client

Provider guidance: Tool listing succeeded without credentials in the 2026-10-20 audit; tool calls require the API key. Google also documents OAuth 2.0 access.

Client compatibility

Client	Status	Why
Claude Code	Supported	Claude Code supports Streamable HTTP servers and API key headers.
Codex	Supported	Codex supports Streamable HTTP servers and API key headers.
Cursor	Supported	Cursor supports Streamable HTTP servers and API key headers.
VS Code	Supported	VS Code supports Streamable HTTP servers and API key headers.
Claude	Partial	Claude supports API key headers only in limited availability. static_headers: beta, for a limited set of organizations.
Claude Desktop	Partial	Claude Desktop supports API key headers only in limited availability. static_headers: beta, for a limited set of organizations.
ChatGPT	Not supported	ChatGPT does not support API key headers. ChatGPT cannot present custom API keys.
Windsurf	Supported	Windsurf supports Streamable HTTP servers and API key headers.
Gemini CLI	Supported	Gemini CLI supports Streamable HTTP servers and API key headers.
MCP SDK	Supported	MCP SDK supports Streamable HTTP servers and API key headers.

Computed from this server's validated transport, protocol and authentication against documented client support. Checks the catalog has not observed are not counted.

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Guides for this server

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Latest validation evidence

Validation status: Online when last tested
Validation checked at: Oct 26, 2026 at 11:06 AM
Validation detail: Negotiated stateful MCP 2025-11-25 at https://mapstools.googleapis.com/mcp; detected transport streamable-http; authentication api-key

Tool inventory

Requires authorization; inventory not observed

The catalog validator lists tools only on servers that answer without credentials. Google Maps Grounding Lite asks for an API key first, so its tools, resources and prompts were not observed. Connect in the Playground with your own credentials to list them.