# Openplaces > Use this skill for any question about real-world places, addresses or travel — "where is the nearest pharmacy", "geocode this address", "what are the coordinates of X", "what's the address at these coordinates", "how far / how long from A to B", "what can I reach in 20 minutes", "find bakeries open now near Y", "list charging stations around Z". It drives the `openplaces` CLI, which answers from… - **Type:** Skill - **Install:** `agentstack add skill-postdev360-postdev-skills-openplaces` - **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior - **Seller:** [PostDev360](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/postdev360) - **Installs:** 0 - **Category:** [AI & ML](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/ai-and-ml) - **Latest version:** 0.1.0 - **License:** MIT - **Upstream author:** [PostDev360](https://github.com/PostDev360) - **Source:** https://github.com/PostDev360/postdev-skills/tree/main/skills/openplaces ## Install ```sh agentstack add skill-postdev360-postdev-skills-openplaces ``` Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent. ## About # openplaces ## What this is A command-line tool that answers place, address and travel questions from open data. It replaces Google Places for the queries below, at zero cost and without sending addresses outside the EU. Read `references/commands.md` for the full flag and output reference. Read `references/troubleshooting.md` when a command fails. ## Before the first call Check the tool is installed: ```bash openplaces --version ``` If that fails, install it and say so — do not silently fall back to guessing coordinates from memory: ```bash uv tool install openplaces-cli # or: pipx install openplaces-cli ``` Needs Python 3.10 or newer; `uv` fetches one itself if none is suitable. The distribution is `openplaces-cli` and the installed command is `openplaces` — `uv tool list` shows the former, `which openplaces` the latter. Do not install `openplaces` without the suffix: that name on PyPI is an unrelated project. ## Core rule: never invent a location If `openplaces` is unavailable or returns nothing, **say so**. Do not supply coordinates, addresses, distances or opening hours from memory. A plausible wrong address is worse than no answer here, because the user cannot tell the difference — that is the whole reason to shell out to real data. The one exception is well-known city-level coordinates used as a `--near` argument, which the tool will itself resolve properly. ## Choosing a command | The user wants | Command | |---|---| | places of a kind, near somewhere | `search` | | an address turned into coordinates | `resolve` | | coordinates turned into an address | `reverse` | | everything known about one specific place | `details` | | distance and duration between two places | `route` | | the area reachable within N minutes | `isochrone` | Always pass `--json` when you need to read the result yourself. The default output is shaped for a human reading a terminal; `--json` is stable and documented. Use `--geojson` only when the user wants a file for a mapping tool. ## Typical calls ```bash openplaces --json search "pharmacy" --near "Marseille 2e" --radius-m 1500 --limit 5 openplaces --json search "bakery" --near "Lyon" --open-now openplaces --json search "pharmacy" --near "Lyon" --tag wheelchair=yes openplaces --json resolve "8 quai du Port, Marseille" openplaces --json reverse --lat 43.2965 --lng 5.3698 openplaces --json details node/1941628376 openplaces --json route --from "Marseille" --to "Aix-en-Provence" --profile foot-walking openplaces --json isochrone --near "Aix-en-Provence" --minutes 20 ``` ## Reading the results ### `open_now` has three values, not two `true`, `false`, and **`null`** — meaning the opening-hours syntax was not recognised, so nothing is claimed. Report `null` as "opening hours unknown". Never round it to "closed" or to "open". `--open-now` filters to `true` only, so it silently drops places whose hours are unparseable. When a user asks "what's open near me", mention that the list may be shorter than reality for that reason. ### Empty fields are normal `phone`, `website`, `opening_hours` and `address` are frequently `""` in OpenStreetMap. That is missing data, not an error, and not a reason to retry. Report what is there and stay quiet about the rest. ### There are no ratings or reviews OpenStreetMap does not hold them. If the user asks for "the best-rated restaurant nearby", say plainly that this source has no ratings, give the list by distance, and let them decide. Do not substitute your own impressions of named businesses as if they were data. ### Attribution If results are reproduced anywhere public — a document, a page, a post — they must carry "© OpenStreetMap contributors" (ODbL). Mention this when the user is clearly producing something public. ## Handling failures Exit codes are distinct per failure family. Act on them rather than retrying blindly: | Code | Meaning | What to do | |---|---|---| | 3 | invalid input | fix the argument; do not retry as-is | | 4 | not found | tell the user; try a broader query | | 5 | network unreachable | report it; the tool already retried | | 6 | upstream error | wait a few seconds, retry **once** | | 7 | missing `OPENROUTESERVICE_API_KEY` | only affects `route`/`isochrone` — tell the user a free key is needed | Exit 6 usually means a public Overpass instance was busy. One retry is reasonable; a loop of retries is not, and will get the user's IP banned. ## Getting geocoding right `resolve` answers from the Base Adresse Nationale for France and Photon elsewhere, choosing automatically. Two things to know: - The BAN weights town names weakly in free text. `"8 boulevard du Port Marseille"` returns the Cergy street of that name. When a user names a town and the result contradicts it, retry with `--postcode` or `--citycode`. - Always check the `score` field on BAN results. Above 0.9 is a solid match; around 0.5 means the tool was unsure enough to also consult Photon. If the best score is low and the user's intent was specific, ask them to disambiguate rather than picking the first row. Use `--country fr` or `--country intl` when the user has been explicit about where they mean. Both are binding — no silent fallback to the other provider. ## Being a good citizen The tool caches responses and spaces its calls, but that only helps if you do not defeat it: - One call per question. Do not sweep a city by issuing dozens of `search` calls at different coordinates. - Prefer a larger `--radius-m` over many small searches. - `--limit` costs nothing extra up to 100; ask for what you need in one call. - Never put `openplaces` in a shell loop over a list of addresses without telling the user how many calls that will make. ## Categories `search` maps common French and English terms to OpenStreetMap tags. An unrecognised term falls back to a name search, which is how brands like "Monoprix" are found. To see the recognised terms: ```bash openplaces categories ``` If a user's term is missing and would be generally useful, it belongs in the tool's `categories.json`, not in a workaround here — mention that they can contribute it. ## Source & license This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code. - **Author:** [PostDev360](https://github.com/PostDev360) - **Source:** [PostDev360/postdev-skills](https://github.com/PostDev360/postdev-skills) - **License:** MIT Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above. ## Pricing - **Free** — Free ## Security capabilities Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access: - **Network access:** no - **Filesystem access:** no - **Shell / process execution:** no - **Environment & secrets:** no - **Dynamic code execution:** no *"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.* ## Versions - **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source. ## Links - Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-postdev360-postdev-skills-openplaces - Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/postdev360 - Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse --- Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. 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