Point at the Google key only where its absence is the reason

client/src/components/Planner/PlaceDetailsColumn.test.tsx

@@ -402,3 +402,41 @@ describe('PlaceDetailsColumn — hours and rating', () => {
     expect(screen.queryByText('places.details.nothing')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
   })
 })
+/**
+ * FE-PDC-027..029 — the nudge towards a Google key.
+ *
+ * Deliberately narrow: it appears only when the free sources came up empty AND
+ * no key is configured. On an instance with a key there is nothing to suggest,
+ * and on a place the free sources described it would read as an advert.
+ */
+describe('PlaceDetailsColumn — no Google key', () => {
+  const empty = () => placeEnrichment.mockResolvedValue({ photos: [], facts: [], description: null })
+
+  it('FE-PDC-027: suggests a key when nothing was found and none is set', async () => {
+    empty()
+    renderColumn({ hasMapsKey: false })
+
+    expect(await screen.findByText('places.details.noKeyTitle')).toBeInTheDocument()
+    expect(screen.getByText('places.details.noKeyHint')).toBeInTheDocument()
+  })
+
+  it('FE-PDC-028: stays quiet when a key is already configured', async () => {
+    empty()
+    renderColumn({ hasMapsKey: true })
+
+    await screen.findByText('places.details.nothing')
+    expect(screen.queryByText('places.details.noKeyTitle')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+  })
+
+  it('FE-PDC-029: stays quiet when the free sources did find something', async () => {
+    placeEnrichment.mockResolvedValue({
+      photos: [],
+      facts: [],
+      description: { text: 'Ein Museum.', source: 'wikipedia', sourceUrl: null, license: 'CC BY-SA 4.0' },
+    })
+    renderColumn({ hasMapsKey: false })
+
+    await screen.findByText('Ein Museum.')
+    expect(screen.queryByText('places.details.noKeyTitle')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+  })
+})

client/src/components/Planner/PlaceDetailsColumn.tsx

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
   Loader2,
   ScrollText,
   ShoppingBag,
+  Sparkles,
   Sprout,
   Star,
   Sun,
@@ -48,6 +49,8 @@ interface PlaceDetailsColumnProps {
   timeFormat?: string
   /** For grouping the rating count's digits. */
   locale?: string
+  /** False on an instance with no Google key, which is most of them. */
+  hasMapsKey?: boolean
   t: TranslationFn
 }
 
@@ -113,6 +116,7 @@ export default function PlaceDetailsColumn({
   language,
   timeFormat = '24h',
   locale = 'en-US',
+  hasMapsKey = false,
   t,
 }: PlaceDetailsColumnProps): React.ReactElement {
   const [data, setData] = useState<MapsPlaceEnrichmentResult | null>(null)
@@ -213,9 +217,15 @@ export default function PlaceDetailsColumn({
         )}
 
         {isEmpty && (
-          <div className="flex items-center gap-2 text-caption text-content-muted">
-            <ImageOff className="w-4 h-4 shrink-0" />
-            {t('places.details.nothing')}
+          <div className="space-y-2">
+            <div className="flex items-center gap-2 text-caption text-content-muted">
+              <ImageOff className="w-4 h-4 shrink-0" />
+              {t('places.details.nothing')}
+            </div>
+            {/* Only when both are true. With a key configured there is nothing
+                to suggest, and on a place the free sources DID describe the
+                suggestion would be an advert. */}
+            {!hasMapsKey && <NoKeyHint t={t} />}
           </div>
         )}
 
@@ -380,6 +390,30 @@ function PhotoCredit({ photo }: { photo: PlacePhotoCandidate }): React.ReactElem
   )
 }
 
+/**
+ * Shown when the free sources found nothing and no Google key is configured.
+ *
+ * Both halves matter. With a key there is nothing to suggest, and on a place
+ * the free sources did describe the same card would just be an advert — which
+ * is why it lives inside the empty state rather than at the foot of the column.
+ *
+ * It also names who to ask: the key is an instance-wide setting, so on most
+ * installs the person reading this cannot act on it themselves.
+ */
+function NoKeyHint({ t }: { t: TranslationFn }): React.ReactElement {
+  return (
+    <div className="rounded-xl border border-accent/25 bg-accent-subtle p-3">
+      <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
+        <span className="flex h-6 w-6 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-accent text-accent-text">
+          <Sparkles className="h-3 w-3" />
+        </span>
+        <p className="text-caption font-semibold text-content">{t('places.details.noKeyTitle')}</p>
+      </div>
+      <p className="mt-2 text-caption leading-relaxed text-content-secondary">{t('places.details.noKeyHint')}</p>
+    </div>
+  )
+}
+
 /**
  * The star rating, as stars.
  *

client/src/components/Planner/PlaceFormModal.tsx

@@ -638,6 +638,7 @@ export default function PlaceFormModal(props: PlaceFormModalProps) {
           language={language}
           timeFormat={S.timeFormat}
           locale={S.locale}
+          hasMapsKey={S.hasMapsKey}
           t={t}
         />
       )}