VS Code

How to use Google Maps with VS Code

You want Google Maps inside VS Code so it can plan a route between customer sites, turn a field visit plan into directions, route a trip from coordinates, and check a proposed destination route — without you copy-pasting between tabs. Here is the whole setup, once.

Create your Google Maps gateway

The gateway is the thing VS Code connects to, and it is where you decide which Google Maps tools an agent may use. You create it once and every client reuses it.

Create an Arcade account

Sign up and open the dashboard. The free tier is enough to follow this through.
Create an MCP Gateway and select your Google Maps tools

In the dashboard, create a gateway and pick the Google Maps tools you want to expose. The gateway is what your client connects to, and it is where tool access is decided.
Copy your gateway URL

Every client below needs it.
```
https://api.arcade.dev/mcp/<YOUR-GATEWAY-SLUG>
```

Create a Google Maps gateway Opens the gateway builder in your Arcade dashboard.

Connect the gateway to VS Code

Add the server

VS Code 1.107.0 or higher. Command Palette → MCP: Add Server… → choose HTTP, paste your gateway URL, and name it something like mcp-arcade.
Start it and authenticate

Click Start next to the server in mcp.json or under Extensions → MCP Servers - Installed, then approve the Arcade sign-in and consent screens.
Try it out

Open the chat pane, switch to Agent mode, and ask it to use one of your Google Maps tools.

Full VS Code guide in the docs steps verified 2026-08-13

Try these Google Maps prompts

VS Code can now act on your Google Maps account. Click a prompt to copy it.

Protect the shared API key and limit the agent to directions lookups. Pair it with Contextual Access policies so an agent can calculate routes without gaining access to other Google Maps APIs.

How to use Google Maps with VS Code

Create your Google Maps gateway

Create an Arcade account

Create an MCP Gateway and select your Google Maps tools

Copy your gateway URL

Connect the gateway to VS Code

Add the server

Start it and authenticate

Try it out

Try these Google Maps prompts

Ready to actually ship your agent?