Use PinSharing from AI assistants (MCP)

On this page

The examples use YOUR_KEY. Get a free key to run them; it takes about a minute and needs no card.Get a free key

PinSharing runs a hosted MCP server. Endpoint https://api.pinsharing.com/v1/mcp (Streamable HTTP). Uses your normal API key; calls count against the same monthly caps as the REST API, no extra charge; hard caps still apply.

Listed in the official MCP Registry as com.pinsharing/maps, so clients and directories that read the registry can find it.

Tools

Tool	What it does	Counts
`geocode`	Address or place to coordinates	1 geocode
`reverse_geocode`	Coordinates to nearest address	1 geocode
`static_map`	Map image with markers or a route, returned as an image	1 static image
`privacy_area_map`	Approximate-area image that never reveals the exact point	1 static image
`map_setup`	URLs and code for an interactive map	free

Connect

Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport http pinsharing https://api.pinsharing.com/v1/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY"

Cursor (`~/.cursor/mcp.json` or `.cursor/mcp.json` in a project)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pinsharing": {
      "url": "https://api.pinsharing.com/v1/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

VS Code (`.vscode/mcp.json`)

{
  "servers": {
    "pinsharing": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.pinsharing.com/v1/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

Gemini CLI (`~/.gemini/settings.json`)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pinsharing": {
      "httpUrl": "https://api.pinsharing.com/v1/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop and other clients that only run local servers

Use the open-source stdio bridge, pinsharing-mcp. It forwards each message to the hosted server and stores nothing. It needs Node.js 18+ and Git. In claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pinsharing": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "github:Software-Consulting/pinsharing-mcp"],
      "env": { "PINSHARING_API_KEY": "YOUR_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

Clients that take only a URL

For custom connectors in Claude or ChatGPT, use https://api.pinsharing.com/v1/mcp?key=YOUR_KEY. Treat that URL like a password.

Test with curl

curl -s https://api.pinsharing.com/v1/mcp -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"geocode","arguments":{"query":"Oswego, Illinois","limit":1}}}'

Notes

Use a key that is not restricted to websites; MCP requests come from the AI client, not a web page.
On paid plans, create a separate key for AI clients so you can revoke it on its own.
Results follow the same storage terms as the REST API.

Attribution

Keys in web pages

Keys used in web pages are visible to visitors. In the dashboard, limit such a key to your websites; keep an unrestricted key on your servers. See Keys & websites.

↑ Contents