How to Use the Nominatim MCP in Claude

Q: How do I configure the Nominatim MCP Server in Claude Desktop?

Open your claudedesktopconfig.json file and add the server configuration under the mcpServers key. Once you save and restart Claude Desktop, the tools will be visible via the hammer icon in your chat window.

Q: Does Nominatim on Claude Desktop support localized address searches?

Yes, the search tool accepts country codes and viewbox parameters. You can tell Claude Desktop to prioritize results within a specific bounding box to get faster, more accurate local matches.

Q: How do I verify if the geographic service is online?

Your agent runs getstatus to check the current response latency of the server. This ensures the endpoint is fully operational before you begin bulk geocoding tasks.

Get raw OpenStreetMap spatial data and coordinates right inside Claude Desktop without managing API keys.

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Connect Nominatim MCP to Claude Desktop

Create your Vinkius account to connect Nominatim to Claude Desktop and route execution through our secure gateway. The platform manages server hosting, runtime updates, and security layers. Configuration requires no manual server provisioning.

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Setup Nominatim with Claude Desktop

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Geocode addresses directly in Claude Desktop

`search` runs structured queries to turn raw address strings into exact coordinates inside your Claude Desktop chat. If you paste a list of physical stores, your agent initiates a viewbox-bounded lookup to pin down their exact lat-long coordinates. This Nominatim MCP Server handles the 1-request-per-second rate limit automatically. You get structured address components, bounding boxes, and OpenStreetMap identifiers without writing a single line of Python to parse geographic strings.

Reverse geocode coordinates in your chat window

`reverse_geocode` translates raw latitude and longitude pairs into readable street addresses directly inside Claude Desktop. When you drop GPS coordinates from a mobile app into the chat, your agent queries the server to extract the county, state, and postal code. You control the detail granularity by telling Claude Desktop to adjust the zoom level parameters of the query. The tool returns the nearest physical structure or administrative boundary based on those exact coordinates.

Inspect detailed OpenStreetMap node data

`get_details` pulls the complete parent place hierarchy and Wikipedia links for any specific OpenStreetMap object you inspect in Claude Desktop via this MCP setup. Your agent uses this tool to check the importance score and extra tags of a target location. If you only have the raw OSM identifier, `lookup_osm` fetches the display name and bounding box for multiple nodes or relations at once. This lets Claude Desktop map out complex geographic relationships without leaving your workspace.

Setup guide

Set up Nominatim MCP in Claude Web or Desktop

1

Open Claude Settings

Go to claude.ai, click your profile icon, then navigate to Customize → Connectors.
2

Add Custom Connector

Click the "+" button and select Add custom connector. Paste your Vinkius endpoint URL: https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your token from cloud.vinkius.com. For OAuth-protected servers, expand Advanced settings to add credentials.
3

Start a conversation

Open a new chat. The Nominatim MCP tools are available immediately — no restart needed.

Endpoint URL

https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp

No configuration file needed — paste the URL directly in the Claude web interface.

Available on Free (1 connector), Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans.

Prerequisites

Claude Desktop installed (macOS or Windows)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open Claude Desktop Settings

Click the menu icon at the top-left corner, go to Settings → Developer → Edit Config. This opens claude_desktop_config.json in your default text editor.
2

Paste the Nominatim MCP configuration

Copy the JSON snippet on the right into the mcpServers object. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com.
3

Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen the application. Claude needs a full restart to load new MCPs — refreshing a conversation is not enough.
4

Verify the connection

Open a new conversation. Click the 🔌 icon at the bottom of the message input. You should see tools listed under nominatim-mcp.

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nominatim-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Get your connection token →

Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by Nominatim. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.

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Common questions about Nominatim MCP in Claude Desktop

Open your `claude_desktop_config.json` file and add the server configuration under the `mcpServers` key. Once you save and restart Claude Desktop, the tools will be visible via the hammer icon in your chat window.

The public endpoint has a strict limit of one request per second. When using this MCP Server inside Claude Desktop, the tool queues requests to respect this threshold, preventing your IP from getting blocked.

Yes, the `search` tool accepts country codes and viewbox parameters. You can tell Claude Desktop to prioritize results within a specific bounding box to get faster, more accurate local matches.

Your agent runs `get_status` to check the current response latency of the server. This ensures the endpoint is fully operational before you begin bulk geocoding tasks.

Your address strings and coordinates are sent directly to the public OpenStreetMap Nominatim API for processing. No geographic data is stored or cached by Vinkius, ensuring your location queries remain private.

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