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Baidu Map MCP Server for Claude Desktop: Setup & Config

Claude Desktop: Baidu Map MCP Server exposes location services to assistants and agents.

What you can do with Baidu Map in Claude Desktop

A single Baidu Maps bridge for routes, places, weather, traffic, and address conversion.

  • Build sightseeing suggestions using place search, routes, and weather.
  • Compare travel distances and durations for several origin-destination pairs.

Before you start: Baidu Map in Claude Desktop

  • Node.js and npx for this launch option
  • A Baidu Maps server-side API key
  • An MCP-compatible client

This is the README's Node.js configuration. Its Python alternative uses python -m mcp_server_baidu_maps and BAIDU_MAPS_API_KEY instead. SSE is recommended in the README, but no direct SSE server URL is provided in the supplied text. Advanced POI extraction requires extra permission.

Baidu Map Claude Desktop configuration

  1. Choose Claude Desktop configuration scope

    For Baidu Map MCP Server, open macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json. Merge under mcpServers via Settings → Developer → Edit Config when available.

  2. Add Baidu Map MCP Server to Claude Desktop

    Use the mcp-baidu-maps entry below in mcpServers. Keep Baidu Map MCP Server's documented stdio connection fields and your other Claude Desktop entries.

  3. Check Baidu Map MCP Server in Claude Desktop

    Baidu Map MCP Server: Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop; check developer diagnostics.

Config file · macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

JSON
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-baidu-maps": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@baidumap/mcp-server-baidu-map"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BAIDU_MAP_API_KEY": "<Baidu Maps server-side API key>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Baidu Map tools available to Claude Desktop

Baidu Map's stored tool list documents 11 tools; compare it with Claude Desktop's connected tool list, because the stored list is not a live check.

map_geocode

When Claude Desktop requests map_geocode from Baidu Map, review the action before approving it.

Resolve an address into geographic coordinates.

map_reverse_geocode

When Claude Desktop requests map_reverse_geocode from Baidu Map, review the action before approving it.

Look up address and place context for geographic coordinates.

map_search_places

When Claude Desktop requests map_search_places from Baidu Map, review the action before approving it.

Find places through city, radius, or polygon-based searches.

map_place_details

When Claude Desktop requests map_place_details from Baidu Map, review the action before approving it.

Retrieve detailed information for a selected place.

map_distance_matrix

When Claude Desktop requests map_distance_matrix from Baidu Map, review the action before approving it.

Compare route distances and durations for multiple origins and destinations; named this way in the structured input.

map_directions

When Claude Desktop requests map_directions from Baidu Map, review the action before approving it.

Plan travel between two points and return route options, distance, and duration.

map_weather

When Claude Desktop requests map_weather from Baidu Map, review the action before approving it.

map_ip_location

When Claude Desktop requests map_ip_location from Baidu Map, review the action before approving it.

map_road_traffic

When Claude Desktop requests map_road_traffic from Baidu Map, review the action before approving it.

map_poi_extract

When Claude Desktop requests map_poi_extract from Baidu Map, review the action before approving it.

map_directions_matrix

When Claude Desktop requests map_directions_matrix from Baidu Map, review the action before approving it.

Baidu Map: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting Baidu Map in Claude Desktop

  • Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop for Baidu Map MCP Server. If npx @baidumap/mcp-server-baidu-map (Node.js/npm) is missing, check the desktop process's PATH, which may differ from your terminal.
  • In Claude Desktop's Baidu Map MCP Server entry, check BAIDU_MAP_API_KEY. Keep secrets out of shared screenshots and repositories.
  • Baidu Map MCP Server uses stdio here: Claude Desktop must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
  • Known limitation: Requires a Baidu Maps server-side API key.
  • Known limitation: Text-to-place extraction needs advanced permission.
  • Known limitation: The input sources use different names for the route-matrix tool.
  • General Claude Desktop troubleshooting lives in the /clients/claude-desktop guide.

Baidu Map MCP Server — details. Claude Desktop guide

Frequently asked questions

Claude Desktop loads Baidu Map MCP Server from claude_desktop_config.json: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/ on macOS, or %APPDATA%\Claude\ on Windows. Open it via Settings → Developer → Edit Config when available.

Claude Desktop's mcp-baidu-maps example uses stdio.

Baidu Map MCP Server's Claude Desktop configuration invokes npx @baidumap/mcp-server-baidu-map (Node.js/npm).

Claude Desktop's Baidu Map MCP Server example references BAIDU_MAP_API_KEY. Check these names if startup or authentication fails; the example alone does not distinguish required from optional values.

Baidu Map MCP Server's stored list contains 11 tools, including map_geocode, map_reverse_geocode, map_search_places. Compare those names with Claude Desktop's connected tool list; the stored list is not a live check.

Point-to-point routing covers driving, walking, cycling, and transit. The README lists driving, walking, and cycling for matrix routing.

Yes. The README directs users to create a server-side API key on the Baidu Maps platform.