Nearby Places Tool

Search for places near a location using Google Places API.

How It Works

This skill provides instructions for the Show Nearby Places (gmaps_nearby_places) tool node. Connect the Show Nearby Places node to Zeenie's input-tools handle to enable place search.

show_nearby_places Tool

Search for places near GPS coordinates.

Schema Fields

Field	Type	Required	Description
lat	float	Yes	Center latitude for search
lng	float	Yes	Center longitude for search
radius	int	No	Search radius in meters (default: 500, max: 50000)
type	string	No	Place type to search for (default: "restaurant")
keyword	string	No	Keyword to filter results

Place Types

Food & Drink:

•restaurant - Restaurants
•cafe - Coffee shops
•bar - Bars and pubs
•bakery - Bakeries
•meal_takeaway - Takeout restaurants

Shopping:

•store - General stores
•supermarket - Grocery stores
•shopping_mall - Shopping centers
•clothing_store - Clothing shops
•convenience_store - Convenience stores

Services:

•bank - Banks
•atm - ATMs
•gas_station - Gas/petrol stations
•pharmacy - Pharmacies
•post_office - Post offices

Health:

•hospital - Hospitals
•doctor - Doctor's offices
•dentist - Dental clinics

Transport:

•bus_station - Bus stations
•train_station - Train stations
•airport - Airports
•taxi_stand - Taxi stands
•parking - Parking lots

Entertainment:

•movie_theater - Cinemas
•gym - Fitness centers
•park - Parks
•museum - Museums
•zoo - Zoos

Accommodation:

•hotel - Hotels
•lodging - All lodging types

Examples

Find nearby restaurants:

json

{
  "lat": 40.7484,
  "lng": -73.9857,
  "radius": 500,
  "type": "restaurant"
}

Find coffee shops:

json

{
  "lat": 37.7749,
  "lng": -122.4194,
  "type": "cafe",
  "radius": 1000
}

Find specific chain:

json

{
  "lat": 37.7749,
  "lng": -122.4194,
  "type": "cafe",
  "keyword": "starbucks"
}

Find gas stations:

json

{
  "lat": 34.0522,
  "lng": -118.2437,
  "type": "gas_station",
  "radius": 2000
}

Find hotels:

json

{
  "lat": 51.5074,
  "lng": -0.1278,
  "type": "hotel",
  "radius": 1000
}

Response Format

json

{
  "success": true,
  "type": "restaurant",
  "search_parameters": {
    "location": {"lat": 40.7484, "lng": -73.9857},
    "radius": 500,
    "type": "restaurant"
  },
  "results": [
    {
      "name": "Example Restaurant",
      "vicinity": "123 Main St, New York",
      "rating": 4.5,
      "user_ratings_total": 150,
      "price_level": 2,
      "geometry": {
        "location": {"lat": 40.7485, "lng": -73.9860}
      },
      "types": ["restaurant", "food", "establishment"],
      "opening_hours": {"open_now": true}
    }
  ],
  "total_results": 10,
  "status": "OK"
}

Response Fields

Field	Description
name	Place name
vicinity	Address or location description
rating	Average rating (1-5)
user_ratings_total	Number of reviews
price_level	Price level (0-4, 0=free, 4=very expensive)
geometry.location	Place coordinates
types	Place type categories
opening_hours.open_now	Whether currently open

Error Response

json

{
  "error": "lat and lng are required for nearby places search"
}

Price Level Guide

Level	Meaning
0	Free
1	Inexpensive ($)
2	Moderate ($$)
3	Expensive ($$$)
4	Very Expensive ($$$$)

Common Workflows

Find places near an address

•Use geocoding tool to convert address to coordinates
•Use nearby_places with the lat/lng from step 1

Find best-rated places

•Search with appropriate type and radius
•Sort results by rating in response
•Filter by minimum rating threshold

Find open places now

•Search with desired type
•Check opening_hours.open_now in results

Radius Guidelines

Radius	Use Case
100-500m	Walking distance
500-1000m	Short walk
1000-2000m	5-10 min walk
2000-5000m	Driving distance
5000-50000m	City-wide search

Tips

•Use specific types: "cafe" not "coffee"
•Add keywords: Filter by chain name or cuisine
•Adjust radius: Start small, expand if needed
•Check ratings: Higher ratings usually mean better quality
•Verify open_now: Important for time-sensitive searches

Setup Requirements

•Connect the Show Nearby Places (gmaps_nearby_places) node to Zeenie's input-tools handle
•Google Maps API key must be configured in Credentials
•Places API must be enabled in Google Cloud Console