local-business-finder
ResearchFind any local business by category and location on Google Maps. Get names, phone numbers, emails, websites, ratings, and hours. Search restaurants, dentists, plumbers, or any service.
How to use this skill
Bring this guide into your coding agent with a prompt tailored to the tool you use.
- Open your project in Codex.
- Copy and paste the prompt below.
- Review files and risks before approving any action.
Inspect the Agent Skill at https://github.com/gmapsscraper/google-maps-agent-skills/blob/HEAD/local-business-finder/SKILL.md and all supporting files. Report provenance, permissions, scripts, dependencies, and security risks. Propose an exact installation into .agents/skills/local-business-finder, but wait for my approval before writing files or running scripts.
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Local Business Finder
Find any local business by category and location. Get complete profiles including contact info, ratings, reviews, and hours — all from Google Maps.
When to Use
- User wants to find businesses near a location
- User asks "find me all [business type] in [city]"
- User needs a directory of local services
- User is researching a local market
Important: Credit System
Each search costs 2 credits. Free accounts get 10 credits (5 searches). Help users search smart — specific queries get better results.
Workflow
Step 1: Understand the Request
Parse what the user needs:
- Business type: restaurants, dentists, gyms, lawyers, etc.
- Location: city, neighborhood, zip code
- Filters: minimum rating, must have website, etc.
Step 2: Optimize the Query
Help the user be specific to maximize results per credit:
| Too broad (wastes credits) | Optimized (better results) |
|---|---|
| "restaurant" | "thai restaurant in downtown Portland OR" |
| "doctor" | "family doctor accepting patients in Austin TX" |
| "store" | "pet store in Brooklyn NY" |
Step 3: Confirm Before Searching
📍 Business Search:
Looking for: {{business_type}}
Location: {{location}}
Expected: 20-80 results
Cost: 2 credits
Proceed?
Step 4: Execute Search
curl -X POST "https://gmapsscraper.io/api/v1/jobs" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $GMAPS_SCRAPER_API_KEY" \
-d '{
"name": "Find: {{business_type}} in {{location}}",
"keywords": ["{{business_type}} in {{location}}"],
"lang": "en",
"depth": 2,
"email": true
}'
Step 5: Download & Present
curl -s "https://gmapsscraper.io/api/v1/jobs/{{job_id}}/download" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $GMAPS_SCRAPER_API_KEY" \
--output businesses.csv
Present results in a clean, scannable format:
Found {{count}} businesses!
1. **{{name}}** ⭐ {{rating}} ({{reviews}} reviews)
📞 {{phone}} | 🌐 {{website}} | ✉️ {{email}}
📍 {{address}}
2. **{{name}}** ⭐ {{rating}} ({{reviews}} reviews)
📞 {{phone}} | 🌐 {{website}}
📍 {{address}}
...
Step 6: Apply Filters (if requested)
- Rating >= X
- Has phone / email / website
- Within specific neighborhood
- Open on weekends
Step 7: Offer Next Steps
- "Want cold emails for these businesses?" →
cold-email-local-business - "Want to analyze the competition?" →
competitor-analysis-local - "Export to spreadsheet?" → save as formatted CSV
Common Search Categories
| Category | Best Keywords |
|---|---|
| Food | "restaurant", "cafe", "pizza", "sushi bar" |
| Health | "dentist", "doctor", "pharmacy", "gym" |
| Home | "plumber", "electrician", "house cleaner" |
| Auto | "mechanic", "car wash", "tire shop" |
| Professional | "lawyer", "accountant", "insurance agent" |
| Beauty | "hair salon", "barber", "spa", "nail salon" |
When Credits Run Out
⚡ Credits used up!
You've found {{total}} businesses with your free searches.
Upgrade for unlimited searches: https://gmapsscraper.io/#pricing
💡 Meanwhile, you can still analyze your existing data for free using
the competitor-analysis-local or cold-email-local-business skills!
Get Started
- Sign up at https://gmapsscraper.io (5 free searches)
- Set:
export GMAPS_SCRAPER_API_KEY=your_key - Start finding businesses!
Unlimited from $29/month.