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POI Finder

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homelabforge edited this page Oct 4, 2026 · 5 revisions

POI Finder

Discover nearby points of interest for your vehicle including auto and RV shops, EV charging stations, gas stations, and propane.

Overview

The POI (Points of Interest) Finder helps you locate:

  • Auto Shops and RV Shops - Repair and service places
  • EV Charging - Electric vehicle charging locations with connector and speed info
  • Gas Stations
  • Propane

Access POI Finder from:

  • Desktop: "Find POI" in header navigation
  • Mobile: "POI" icon in bottom navigation

The old /shop-finder address opens Find POI.

Using POI Finder

Basic Search

  1. Open Find POI
  2. Choose categories and a Search Radius
  3. Click Use My Location and allow location access, or type an address and search
  4. Results show on a map, with a card for each place below it

Category Toggles

Choose what to search for with the toggles: Auto Shops, EV Charging, Gas Stations, Propane and RV Shops. Only Auto Shops is on at first.

Multiple categories can be active simultaneously.

Results

Cards

  • 2-column grid layout (responsive 1-column on mobile)
  • POI cards with name, address, distance, and category badge
  • Quick-save buttons to add to address book

Map (above the cards)

  • Interactive Leaflet map with OpenStreetMap tiles
  • Color-coded markers by category
  • Click marker to view details and jump to its card

POI Categories

Auto/RV Shops

Information displayed:

  • Shop name
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • Website (if available)
  • Distance from your location
  • Rating (if available from provider)

EV Charging Stations

Additional metadata (when the provider has it):

  • Connector Types - CCS, CHAdeMO, J1772, Tesla, etc.
  • Charging Speed - Level 2, DC Fast Charging, etc.
  • Network - ChargePoint, Electrify America, Tesla Supercharger, etc.

Gas Stations and Propane

Shown with the same details as shops. Only OpenStreetMap and TomTom search for propane.

Search Providers

POI Finder supports multiple data providers. Admins manage them with the Search providers button at the top of Find POI.

Available Providers

Provider Categories API Key Required Daily Limit
OpenStreetMap All No None
TomTom All Yes 2,500
Google Places All but Propane Yes None
Yelp Fusion All but Propane Yes 5,000
Foursquare All but Propane Yes None

Provider Priority

Providers are tried in a fixed order: TomTom, Google Places, Yelp Fusion, Foursquare, then OpenStreetMap.

  1. Enabled providers with an API key are tried in that order
  2. If one fails or finds nothing, the next is tried
  3. OpenStreetMap always available as fallback

The first provider that finds anything answers the whole search; the results name it under Source. If a category is missing, search it on its own.

Configuring Providers

Admins only.

  1. On Find POI, click the Search providers button (sliders icon, top right)
  2. Click Add Provider and choose a provider
  3. Enter your API key and click Test
  4. Click Finish

Use Edit to switch a provider off or change its key, and Remove to delete it. OpenStreetMap can't be removed.

Saving POIs

Save to Address Book

  1. Find a POI you want to save
  2. Click the Save to address book icon
  3. POI is added to your address book
  4. Icon changes to checkmark (saved)

Saved POIs

Saved POIs appear in:

  • Address Book, under their category: Gas Station, RV Park, or Service for an auto shop (EV chargers and propane have none)
  • The Fueling station field on a fill-up (saved gas stations)
  • Recently Used on Find POI, once used as a fill-up's station

Interactive Map

Navigation

  • Pan: Click and drag
  • Zoom: Scroll wheel or +/- buttons

Markers

  • Markers are color-coded by category
  • Click marker to see POI popup with details
  • Click a marker to scroll to its card and highlight it

Settings

Location

Use My Location uses your browser's geolocation API:

  • It prompts for location permission
  • Location is used only for the search and distances
  • No location data is stored or transmitted beyond the search

Search Radius

The radius follows your distance unit: 5 to 100 mi (default 5 mi), or 10 to 200 km (default 10 km).

Provider API Keys

Manage API keys with the Search providers button on Find POI (admins only):

  • Add/remove provider API keys
  • Test an API key when adding it
  • View usage against each provider's limit

Tips

For EV Owners

  • Enable only "EV Charging" category for focused results
  • Check connector types before driving to a station
  • Save frequently-used stations to address book

For Finding Shops

  • Enable only "Auto Shops" for repair searches
  • Check ratings (when available)
  • Save your trusted shops for quick access

For Road Trips

  • Enable all categories for comprehensive coverage
  • Search by address to check the area around your next stop

Troubleshooting

No Results

  • Check that at least one category is enabled
  • Verify location access is allowed in browser
  • Try a larger radius

Location Not Working

  • Enable location services in browser settings
  • Some browsers require HTTPS for geolocation
  • Try refreshing the page and allowing location again, or search by address

Provider Errors

  • Check the API key under Search providers on Find POI
  • A provider that reaches its daily limit is switched off. Switch it back on with Edit
  • Try disabling problematic provider to use fallback

Privacy

  • Location data is only used for nearby searches
  • No location history is stored
  • Your search location goes to the search provider, and a typed address to OpenStreetMap to find it
  • Provider API keys are stored in your MyGarage database
  • Saved POIs are stored in your local database only

Next: Learn about Service Visits or Fuel Tracking.

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