diff --git a/src/tools/queries/mobility.js b/src/tools/queries/mobility.js
index 055889a7c..b4743e81f 100644
--- a/src/tools/queries/mobility.js
+++ b/src/tools/queries/mobility.js
@@ -24,18 +24,32 @@ const MAX_SYSTEMS = 3;
 const round = (value, digits) =>
   Number.isFinite(value) ? Number(value.toFixed(digits)) : null;
 
-/** Systems or feeds whose coverage reaches the area, nearest first. */
+/**
+ * Systems or feeds whose coverage reaches the area, nearest first: the
+ * nearest MAX_SYSTEMS are read and the rest are returned as `skipped`.
+ */
 function covering(area, entries, centerOf, radiusOf) {
   const center = areaCenter(area);
   const reach = areaRadiusKm(area);
-  return entries
+  const reaching = entries
     .map((entry) => ({ entry, distance: distanceKm(center, centerOf(entry)) }))
     .filter(({ entry, distance }) => distance <= reach + radiusOf(entry))
     .sort((a, b) => a.distance - b.distance)
-    .slice(0, MAX_SYSTEMS)
     .map(({ entry }) => entry);
+  return {
+    selected: reaching.slice(0, MAX_SYSTEMS),
+    skipped: reaching.slice(MAX_SYSTEMS),
+  };
 }
 
+/** A note naming systems left out of an answer, or an empty list. */
+const skippedNote = (skipped, nameOf) =>
+  skipped.length
+    ? [
+        `${skipped.length} more not searched: ${skipped.map(nameOf).join(', ')}; use a smaller area`,
+      ]
+    : [];
+
 export const getBikeShare = defineTool({
   name: 'get_bike_share',
   title: 'Bike-share stations',
@@ -52,7 +66,7 @@ export const getBikeShare = defineTool({
   async run(args, { services, signal }) {
     const area = await resolveArea(args.area, { services, signal });
     const { bikeshare } = services;
-    const systems = covering(
+    const { selected: systems, skipped } = covering(
       area,
       bikeshare.systems,
       (system) => ({ lat: system.centerLat, lon: system.centerLon }),
@@ -110,14 +124,19 @@ export const getBikeShare = defineTool({
     const failed = results.filter(
       (result) => result.status === 'rejected',
     ).length;
+    const notes = [
+      ...(failed ? [`${countNoun(failed, 'system')} unavailable`] : []),
+      ...skippedNote(skipped, (system) => system.city),
+    ];
     return {
       summary:
         `${countNoun(rows.length, 'bike-share station')} in ${area.label} with ` +
         `${countNoun(bikes, 'bike')} available` +
-        (failed ? ` (${countNoun(failed, 'system')} unavailable).` : '.'),
+        (notes.length ? ` (${notes.join('; ')}).` : '.'),
       data: {
         ...capRows(rows, args.limit),
         systems: systems.map((system) => system.city),
+        systems_not_searched: skipped.map((system) => system.city),
         bikes_available: bikes,
       },
     };
@@ -149,7 +168,7 @@ export const getTransitVehicles = defineTool({
   requires: ['transit'],
   async run(args, { services, signal }) {
     const area = await resolveArea(args.area, { services, signal });
-    const feeds = covering(
+    const { selected: feeds, skipped } = covering(
       area,
       await services.transit.getFeeds({ signal }),
       (feed) => feed.center,
@@ -248,6 +267,7 @@ export const getTransitVehicles = defineTool({
             `${countNoun(staleFeeds, 'feed')} stale; positions may be out of date`,
           ]
         : []),
+      ...skippedNote(skipped, (feed) => feed.name),
     ];
     const what = args.route ? ` on route ${args.route}` : '';
     return {
@@ -258,6 +278,7 @@ export const getTransitVehicles = defineTool({
         ...capRows(rows, args.limit),
         stale: staleFeeds > 0,
         expired_positions_dropped: expired,
+        feeds_not_searched: skipped.map((feed) => feed.name),
         feeds: feeds.map((feed, index) => ({
           name: feed.name,
           status:
diff --git a/src/tools/queries/mobility.test.mjs b/src/tools/queries/mobility.test.mjs
index 11510f01a..7b41e7085 100644
--- a/src/tools/queries/mobility.test.mjs
+++ b/src/tools/queries/mobility.test.mjs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 import test from 'node:test';
 import { composeCatalog, coreTools } from '../index.js';
+import { GBFS_CITY_REGISTRY } from '../../layers/bikeshare/registry.js';
 
 const system = (id, city, centerLat, centerLon) => ({
   id,
@@ -404,3 +405,26 @@ test('transit marks stale feeds and drops expired positions', async () => {
     '1 transit vehicle in 2 km around 30.267, -97.743 (1 feed stale; positions may be out of date).',
   );
 });
+
+test('bike share names the systems it did not search', async () => {
+  const empty = { data: { stations: [] } };
+  const catalog = composeCatalog({
+    tools: coreTools,
+    services: {
+      bikeshare: {
+        systems: GBFS_CITY_REGISTRY,
+        getStations: async () => empty,
+      },
+    },
+  });
+  // New York, Philadelphia, Washington and Boston.
+  const result = await catalog.call('get_bike_share', {
+    area: { bbox: [-77.5, 38.5, -70.5, 42.8] },
+  });
+  assert.equal(result.data.systems.length, 3);
+  assert.ok(result.data.systems_not_searched.length >= 1);
+  assert.match(
+    result.summary,
+    /more not searched: .*; use a smaller area\)\.$/,
+  );
+});
diff --git a/src/tools/queries/places.js b/src/tools/queries/places.js
index c6532832b..e6ec3a5e5 100644
--- a/src/tools/queries/places.js
+++ b/src/tools/queries/places.js
@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@ import {
 } from '../area.js';
 import { LIMIT_SCHEMA, capRows, countNoun, thinEvenly } from '../results.js';
 
+// Most results the app's place search endpoints return, and the widest
+// radius a text search covers.
+const SEARCH_RESULTS = 5;
+const NEARBY_RESULTS = 20;
+const MAX_SEARCH_RADIUS_M = 50_000;
+
 const MODES = { walk: 'foot', drive: 'car', bike: 'bike' };
 const MAX_ROUTE_POINTS = 100;
 const NOT_CONFIGURED =
@@ -52,8 +58,9 @@ export const searchPlaces = defineTool({
   async run(args, { services, signal }) {
     const area = await resolveArea(args.area, { services, signal });
     const center = areaCenter(area);
+    const wantedM = areaRadiusKm(area) * 1000;
     const radiusM = Math.round(
-      Math.min(50000, Math.max(500, areaRadiusKm(area) * 1000)),
+      Math.min(MAX_SEARCH_RADIUS_M, Math.max(500, wantedM)),
     );
     const result = await services.placeSearch.search(
       args.query,
@@ -66,9 +73,27 @@ export const searchPlaces = defineTool({
         areaContains(area, { lat: place.latitude, lon: place.longitude }),
       )
       .map(placeRow);
+    // The search returns a few matches within a capped radius; say so when
+    // either limit may have left places out.
+    const limited = result.places.length >= SEARCH_RESULTS;
+    const narrowed = wantedM > MAX_SEARCH_RADIUS_M;
+    const notes = [
+      ...(limited
+        ? [`the search returns at most ${SEARCH_RESULTS} matches`]
+        : []),
+      ...(narrowed
+        ? [`searched within ${MAX_SEARCH_RADIUS_M / 1000} km of the center`]
+        : []),
+    ];
     return {
-      summary: `${countNoun(rows.length, 'place')} matching "${args.query}" in ${area.label}.`,
-      data: capRows(rows, args.limit),
+      summary:
+        `${countNoun(rows.length, 'place')} matching "${args.query}" in ${area.label}` +
+        (notes.length ? ` (${notes.join('; ')}).` : '.'),
+      data: {
+        ...capRows(rows, args.limit),
+        may_have_more: limited || narrowed,
+        searched_radius_km: radiusM / 1000,
+      },
     };
   },
 });
@@ -99,9 +124,14 @@ export const placesNearby = defineTool({
     );
     if (!result.configured) throw new ToolError('unavailable', NOT_CONFIGURED);
     const rows = result.places.map(placeRow);
+    const limited = result.places.length >= NEARBY_RESULTS;
     return {
-      summary: `${countNoun(rows.length, 'place')} within ${radiusM} m of ${point.label}.`,
-      data: capRows(rows, args.limit),
+      summary:
+        `${countNoun(rows.length, 'place')} within ${radiusM} m of ${point.label}` +
+        (limited
+          ? ` (nearby search returns at most ${NEARBY_RESULTS} places).`
+          : '.'),
+      data: { ...capRows(rows, args.limit), may_have_more: limited },
     };
   },
 });
diff --git a/src/tools/queries/places.test.mjs b/src/tools/queries/places.test.mjs
index ab4a0a0e2..89cad9ba8 100644
--- a/src/tools/queries/places.test.mjs
+++ b/src/tools/queries/places.test.mjs
@@ -248,3 +248,29 @@ test('the place and route services read the app routes and translate failures',
     (error) => error.code === 'retry_later' && error.retryAfterSeconds === 5,
   );
 });
+
+test('place answers say when the search limits may have left places out', async () => {
+  const five = Array.from({ length: 5 }, (_, index) =>
+    place(`p${index}`, 30.27, -97.74),
+  );
+  const catalog = composeCatalog({
+    tools: coreTools,
+    services: {
+      placeSearch: placeSearch({ configured: true, places: five }),
+      places,
+    },
+  });
+  const capped = await catalog.call('search_places', {
+    query: 'coffee',
+    area: { place: 'Austin' },
+    limit: 100,
+  });
+  assert.equal(capped.data.may_have_more, true);
+  assert.match(capped.summary, /the search returns at most 5 matches\)\.$/);
+  const wide = await catalog.call('search_places', {
+    query: 'coffee',
+    area: { lat: 30.27, lon: -97.74, radius_km: 200 },
+  });
+  assert.equal(wide.data.searched_radius_km, 50);
+  assert.match(wide.summary, /searched within 50 km of the center/);
+});