Google Maps MCP Server for AI Agents

FetchLayer runs a single Model Context Protocol (MCP) server at https://mcp.fetchlayer.dev that gives any MCP-compatible AI agent direct access to public Google Maps reviews for any business or place — no scraper code, no Google Places API billing to set up. The same server also exposes tools for FetchLayer’s other live platforms (Reddit, X/Twitter, App Store, YouTube, Google Play Store), so an agent already connected to FetchLayer for one platform has Google Maps available on the same connection.

This page covers what the Google Maps tool does, how to connect it in the clients developers use most, and what to ask your agent once it’s wired up.

What the server can do

Point it at a place by name, address, or Maps URL, and it returns structured review data — rating, review text, author, date — for whatever business or location you’re looking at. That’s enough for an agent to pull a location’s review history, compare it to a competitor’s, or watch for new reviews over time, without your agent scraping Maps’ HTML or managing a Google Cloud billing account for the Places API.

Get an API key

Every client needs a FetchLayer API key. Get one free — no credit card required.

Connect it to your client

Every client below uses the same server URL (https://mcp.fetchlayer.dev) and the same Authorization: Bearer ss-your-api-key header. Only the config file location changes.

Claude Desktop

Edit (or create) claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fetchlayer": {
      "url": "https://mcp.fetchlayer.dev",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ss-your-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Fully restart Claude Desktop (not just close the window) so it picks up the new server.

Cursor

Cursor reads MCP configs from mcp.json, either globally (~/.cursor/mcp.json) or per-project (.cursor/mcp.json). Add:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fetchlayer": {
      "url": "https://mcp.fetchlayer.dev",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ss-your-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Reload the window afterward. If you already have other MCP servers configured, add the "fetchlayer" block alongside them rather than replacing the file.

Claude Code

Fastest path — add it via the CLI:

claude mcp add fetchlayer \
  --transport streamable-http \
  https://mcp.fetchlayer.dev \
  -- --header "Authorization: Bearer ss-your-api-key"

This saves to ~/.claude/settings.json globally. Add --scope project before the URL to scope it to .mcp.json in the current project instead. You can also edit either file by hand with the same mcpServers block shown above for Claude Desktop.

Other MCP clients (Windsurf, VS Code, etc.)

Any client that supports the MCP Streamable HTTP transport works the same way: point it at https://mcp.fetchlayer.dev with the same Bearer header. The config file location is the only thing that differs — check your client’s MCP documentation for where it lives.

What to ask your agent

A few things worth trying once it’s connected:

• “Pull the recent reviews for [business name] and tell me the most common complaint.” The agent calls scrape_google_maps_reviews, reads the returned JSON, and can summarize recurring themes without you reading through reviews one by one.
• “Compare the reviews for these two competing businesses and tell me what each does better.” Run the tool twice, once per place, and let the agent do the comparison.
• “Watch this location’s reviews and flag anything under 3 stars.” Useful as a repeated check inside an agent workflow rather than a one-off lookup — pair it with your own scheduling since the MCP tool itself just returns current review data each time it’s called.

Because the tool returns structured JSON rather than a Maps page, the agent doesn’t need to parse or scroll anything — it goes straight from “check this business’s reviews” to reasoning about what’s in them.

Pricing

MCP usage is billed the same as the REST API: a free tier with no credit card required (50 requests/month via MCP), then pay-as-you-go at $1.99 per 1,000 requests, or a monthly subscription starting at $25/mo if your usage is predictable. See the full pricing page for subscription tiers.

Common issues

• Tools not showing up in your client? Double-check the config file path for your OS/tool, validate the JSON (watch for trailing commas), and fully restart the app rather than just reloading a window.
• “Invalid API key” errors? Confirm the key starts with ss- and was copied in full from the FetchLayer dashboard.
• Need REST instead of MCP? See the Google Maps Reviews API reference for direct HTTP access to the same data.

What’s Next

• MCP for every FetchLayer platform — the full server overview, all 6 platforms in one place
• Google Maps Reviews API — the underlying REST API and endpoint reference
• Reddit MCP Server — the same setup pattern for Reddit data