Google Maps Api Skill

This skill helps users automatically scrape business data from Google Maps using the BrowserAct Google Maps API. Agent should proactively trigger this skill...

Security Scan

The skill's code and instructions largely match its stated purpose (using BrowserAct to collect Google Maps data), but there are a few mismatches and operational risks you should understand before installing.

Purpose & Capability

Name, description, declared env var (BROWSERACT_API_KEY), and the included script all point to the same purpose: invoking BrowserAct's Google Maps workflow and returning results. The network endpoints (api.browseract.com) and the template ID in the script are consistent with the described capability.

Instruction Scope

SKILL.md instructs the agent to run the provided Python script, watch terminal logs, and retry once on non-auth failures — this stays within the scraping task. However the SKILL.md also emphasizes the agent should "proactively trigger" the skill; combined with autonomous invocation this could lead to repeated, automated scraping tasks if the agent is configured to invoke skills without tight user supervision.

Install Mechanism

There is no install spec, which is low-risk, but the script imports the Python 'requests' package even though only 'python' is listed as a required binary. If 'requests' is not available at runtime the script will fail. The lack of an explicit dependency declaration (e.g., pip requirement) is an operational mismatch that could cause runtime errors or encourage ad-hoc installation steps by the agent.

Credentials

The skill only requests a single, relevant environment variable (BROWSERACT_API_KEY) which is proportional to its purpose. Two minor issues: (1) the registry metadata lists 'Primary credential: none' despite requiring BROWSERACT_API_KEY, which is inconsistent; (2) the skill will send the API key to api.browseract.com (Authorization: Bearer ...), so users should ensure they trust that service and the key's scope/permissions.

Persistence & Privilege

The skill does not request persistent or privileged installation (always is false). It does not modify other skills or system config. Autonomous invocation is enabled by default but not combined with an 'always' flag or other elevated privileges.

What to consider before installing

This skill appears to do what it claims (call BrowserAct to scrape Google Maps), but take these precautions before installing: - Confirm you trust the BrowserAct service and that you want to provide it with an API key (the script will transmit your key to api.browseract.com). - Be aware the SKILL.md expects the agent to 'proactively trigger' the skill; if the agent can invoke skills autonomously, configure invocation policies or require explicit user confirmation to avoid unwanted mass scraping. - Ensure the runtime environment has the Python 'requests' package installed (the skill does not declare this dependency), or the script will fail. - Note the registry metadata omitted marking the API key as the primary credential; verify the skill's configuration in the registry/UI before granting secrets. - Consider legal and privacy implications of automated scraping for your use case (terms of service, regional laws). If you need stronger assurance, request the publisher's homepage/source provenance and an explicit dependency list before enabling the skill.

Google Maps Automation Scraper Skill

📖 Introduction

This skill leverages BrowserAct's Google Maps API template to provide a one-stop business data collection service. It extracts structured details directly from Google Maps, including business names, categories, contact info, ratings, and more. Simply provide the search keywords and location bias to get clean, actionable data.

✨ Features

1. No Hallucinations: Pre-set workflows avoid AI generative hallucinations, ensuring stable and precise data extraction.
2. No Captcha Issues: No need to handle reCAPTCHA or other verification challenges.
3. No IP Restrictions: No need to handle regional IP restrictions or geofencing.
4. Faster Execution: Tasks execute faster compared to pure AI-driven browser automation solutions.
5. Cost-Effective: Significantly lowers data acquisition costs compared to high-token-consuming AI solutions.

🔑 API Key Setup

Before running, check the BROWSERACT_API_KEY environment variable. If not set, do not take other measures; ask and wait for the user to provide it. Agent must inform the user:

"Since you haven't configured the BrowserAct API Key, please visit the BrowserAct Console to get your Key."

🛠️ Input Parameters

Configure the following parameters based on user requirements:

1. keywords (Search Keywords)

   • Type: string
   • Description: The query you would search for on Google Maps.
   • Example: coffee shop, dental clinic, Turkish-style restaurant

2. language (UI Language)

   • Type: string
   • Description: Defines the UI language and returned text language (e.g., en, zh-CN).
   • Default: en

3. country (Country Bias)

   • Type: string
   • Description: Specifies the country or region bias (e.g., us, gb, ca).
   • Default: us

🚀 Usage

Execute the following script to get results in one command:

# Example call
python -u ./scripts/google_maps_api.py "keywords" "language" "country"

⏳ Execution Monitoring

Since this task involves automated browser operations, it may take some time (several minutes). The script will continuously output status logs with timestamps (e.g., [14:30:05] Task Status: running). Agent Instructions:

• While waiting for the script result, keep monitoring the terminal output.
• As long as the terminal is outputting new status logs, the task is running normally; do not mistake it for a deadlock or unresponsiveness.
• Only if the status remains unchanged for a long time or the script stops outputting without returning a result should you consider triggering the retry mechanism.

📊 Data Output

Upon success, the script parses and prints the following fields from the API:

• Title Name: Official business name
• Category_primary: Main business category
• Address: Full street address
• Phone number: Contact phone number
• Website link: Official URL
• Rating: Average star rating
• reviews_count: Total number of reviews
• business_status: Operational status (e.g., operational)

⚠️ Error Handling & Retry

If an error occurs during script execution (e.g., network fluctuations or task failure), the Agent should follow this logic:

1. Check Output Content:

   • If the output contains "Invalid authorization", it means the API Key is invalid or expired. Do not retry; guide the user to re-check and provide the correct API Key.
   • If the output does not contain "Invalid authorization" but the task failed (e.g., output starts with Error: or returns empty results), the Agent should automatically try to re-execute the script once.

2. Retry Limit:

   • Automatic retry is limited to one time. If the second attempt fails, stop retrying and report the specific error information to the user.

🌟 Typical Use Cases

1. Lead Generation: Find "SaaS companies" in "us" for sales outreach.
2. Competitor Research: Extract data on "coffee shops" in a specific neighborhood.
3. Market Analysis: Identify the density of "dental clinics" in a region.
4. Contact Info Retrieval: Get phone numbers and websites for "real estate agencies".
5. Local Service Discovery: Find "Turkish-style restaurants" with high ratings.
6. Business Status Monitoring: Check if specific stores are "operational".
7. Directory Building: Gather addresses and categories for a local business directory.
8. Rating Benchmarking: Compare ratings of various "luxury hotels".
9. Global Scouting: Research "tech startups" in different countries like "gb" or "au".
10. Automated Data Sync: Periodically pull local business data into a CRM.