# Foursquare MCP > Foursquare gives you deep control over location data, letting your AI agent find, verify, and analyze any point of interest (POI) in the world. Search millions of venues using natural language; check operating hours, audit photo content, or map density within specific geographic areas like polygons or radii. It's geospatial intelligence built for conversation. ## Overview - **Category:** data-analytics - **Price:** Free - **Tags:** geospatial-data, poi-search, location-intelligence, venue-data, routing, mapping ## Description Connecting Foursquare lets your AI client handle complex location discovery without manual searches. Instead of clicking through dozens of tabs to verify a store’s details or check surrounding businesses, you just ask. You can run deep queries, finding what exists near a specific GPS pin, or mapping density across an entire neighborhood using custom boundaries. It retrieves rich data like operating hours and user ratings instantly. When you combine this with the Vinkius catalog, your agent gets access to one of the industry's deepest sets of location tools. You can even automatically predict search terms as you type, making any conversation about a physical place feel precise and immediate. ## Tools ### autocomplete_venues Provides fast suggestions for venues when a user types partial names or location keywords. ### list_venue_categories Exports the entire structured classification tree (taxonomy) used by Foursquare to categorize businesses. ### get_place_photos Retrieves direct media URLs for images associated with a specific location. ### get_place_details Gathers comprehensive information on a place, including its official hours and detailed schema properties. ### get_place_tips Collects raw user reviews and tips left by visitors about the venue. ### match_venue_exactly Runs a validation check to ensure that an ambiguous search query returns only one specific, confident location result. ### search_nearby_venues Finds venues located within a specified distance (radius) from a given GPS coordinate. ### search_within_polygon Searches for all points of interest contained entirely within a custom-drawn, multi-sided geographic boundary. ### search_within_radius Performs rich searches by defining a precise distance scope around a target coordinate. ### search_places Executes broad, general queries across the entire Foursquare POI graph to identify initial search results. ## Prompt Examples **Prompt:** ``` Find coffee shops near '40.71, -74.00' ``` **Response:** ``` Searching places... I found 10 coffee shops nearby. Top results include 'Blue Bottle Coffee' (0.2 miles away) and 'Everyman Espresso'. Would you like the detailed ratings or hours for 'Blue Bottle'? ``` **Prompt:** ``` What are the opening hours for 'Central Park Zoo'? ``` **Response:** ``` Retrieving details for Central Park Zoo... They are open today from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It is currently rated 4.5/5 by over 2,000 visitors. Would you like to see some recent photos of the zoo? ``` **Prompt:** ``` Show me user tips for 'The Met Museum' ``` **Response:** ``` Retrieving tips... Visitors recommend: 'Go early to avoid crowds', 'Don't miss the Egyptian wing', and 'The rooftop view is incredible'. I found 50+ detailed tips for your visit. ``` ## Capabilities ### Search for places anywhere Find points of interest across the globe by executing general searches or limited queries within defined geographic areas. ### Define custom search boundaries Run complex searches that map to specific shapes, like polygons, or measure distance from a central point using radii. ### Retrieve detailed venue profiles Get structural data on a location, including its operating hours, official ratings, and full taxonomy classification. ### Analyze user-generated content Pull in raw text reviews and dynamic image URLs to audit the quality and social buzz of specific venues. ### Predict location search terms Get fast, accurate typeaheads by querying partial letters, helping your agent quickly narrow down intent. ## Use Cases ### Verifying a market area for expansion A city analyst needs to know if there are enough competing coffee shops in the new district. They use `search_within_polygon` to draw the exact boundaries and then run general searches across all found venues to assess POI density. ### Checking event logistics A planner needs to confirm if a pop-up shop will be accessible. They prompt for details near a target pin, using `search_nearby_venues` and then checking the specific hours with `get_place_details`. ### Debugging location search forms A developer needs to ensure their app doesn't return multiple results for one vague input. They use `match_venue_exactly` to validate that the system forces a single, correct venue node. ## Benefits - Check operating hours instantly. Instead of visiting a website to find out if 'The Corner Bistro' is open right now, your agent uses `get_place_details` to confirm its status immediately. - Map neighborhood density. Use `search_within_polygon` or `search_nearby_venues` to audit how many similar venues exist in a specific commercial zone for market analysis. - Understand user buzz. Running `get_place_tips` pulls in raw visitor reviews, helping you gauge the public sentiment and quality of any location beyond just the star rating. - Validate data precision. If an address is ambiguous, use `match_venue_exactly`. This forces Foursquare to narrow down results so your agent can confidently deliver one single answer. - Build smart autocomplete. The `autocomplete_venues` tool predicts what you're looking for as you type, making complex location searches feel natural and fast. ## How It Works The bottom line is you get deep access to Foursquare's full suite of place discovery data directly through conversation. 1. Subscribe to the Foursquare MCP and enter your unique API key in the Vinkius developer console. 2. Connect this MCP to any compatible client (like Claude or Cursor). 3. Instruct your agent with natural language prompts, and it executes complex location searches and data retrieval using the tools. ## Frequently Asked Questions **How do I find places near a specific coordinate using Foursquare MCP?** You use `search_nearby_venues` or `search_within_radius`. You just provide the coordinates and the desired search scope (the radius), and the agent finds all relevant POIs. **Can I check if a business is open using Foursquare MCP?** Yes, run `get_place_details` on the venue. This tool pulls in structured information that includes current operational hours and status for verification. **What does 'polygon' mean when I use Foursquare MCP?** A polygon is a custom, multi-sided shape used to define an exact geographic area. Using `search_within_polygon` lets you analyze only what falls inside your drawn boundaries. **Is there a way to predict what I want to search for with Foursquare MCP?** Yes, use the `autocomplete_venues` tool. It provides fast typeaheads by querying partial letters and predicting user intent as you talk to your agent. **How do I get all the possible categories for a venue search using Foursquare MCP?** You use `list_venue_categories`. This tool exports the entire official taxonomy, letting you see every classification rule available in the system.