diff --git a/documentation/how-to.md b/documentation/how-to.md
index 7a5d03390..732ba701c 100644
--- a/documentation/how-to.md
+++ b/documentation/how-to.md
@@ -304,7 +304,10 @@ https://<cdn>/dx-maps/<bundle>/<profile>/index.html?provider=maplibre
 ```
 
 `maplibre` runs token-free on the OpenFreeMap style (the right GL script/CSS is injected
-automatically); the geocoder search bar keeps working in both engines. `mapbox` behaves exactly
+automatically); the geocoder search bar keeps working in both engines. Its **place** results come
+from Mapbox geocoding, on either engine, and only with a token: without one no request goes to Mapbox,
+the box says "place search needs a Mapbox token", and people-group, language, religion and country
+search (local data) keep working. `mapbox` behaves exactly
 as before, and an embed that passes a token keeps getting Mapbox under `auto`.
 
 > Status: **on `main`.** Generated pages honor `provider:'maplibre'` end-to-end — the page
diff --git a/library/components/map-controls/GeocoderComponent.vue b/library/components/map-controls/GeocoderComponent.vue
index aea677258..08388ff66 100644
--- a/library/components/map-controls/GeocoderComponent.vue
+++ b/library/components/map-controls/GeocoderComponent.vue
@@ -222,7 +222,13 @@ const props = defineProps({
 })
 
 // Effective placeholder: explicit prop > i18n default
-const effectivePlaceholder = computed(() => props.placeholder || t('search.placeholder'))
+// PLACE SEARCH IS MAPBOX'S. Under MapLibre without a real (pk.…) token no Mapbox call is made at all, and the
+// box SAYS so instead of silently returning no places; people-group, language, religion and country search
+// are local and keep working. With a token, places come from Mapbox geocoding, on either engine (documented
+// in documentation/how-to.md). A keyless place geocoder is a separate decision.
+const hasPlaceToken = computed(() => /^pk\./.test(String(props.accessToken || '')))
+const effectivePlaceholder = computed(() => props.placeholder ||
+  (props.provider === 'maplibre' && !hasPlaceToken.value ? t('search.placeholderNoPlaces') : t('search.placeholder')))
 
 const emit = defineEmits(['result', 'people-group-result', 'aggregate-result', 'clear', 'error'])
 
@@ -512,7 +518,8 @@ async function ensureMaplibreGeocoder() {
 function makeMapboxForwardGeocode(token, getLang) {
   return async (config) => {
     const empty = { features: [] }
-    if (!token || !config?.query) return empty
+    // No REAL token (none, or the snippet's YOUR_MAPBOX_TOKEN placeholder): no request to Mapbox at all.
+    if (!/^pk\./.test(String(token || '')) || !config?.query) return empty
     try {
       const lang = Array.isArray(config.language) ? config.language[0] : (config.language || getLang() || 'en')
       const params = new URLSearchParams({
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/ar/search.json b/library/i18n/locales/ar/search.json
index 3251e1012..3bcbd0b2e 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/ar/search.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/ar/search.json
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {
   "placeholder": "شعب، مكان، لغة، ديانة",
+  "placeholderNoPlaces": "شعب، لغة، ديانة (البحث عن الأماكن يتطلب رمز Mapbox)",
   "labels": {
     "people": "الشعب:",
     "place": "المكان:",
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/de/search.json b/library/i18n/locales/de/search.json
index 8b84d2011..0f4bfc59d 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/de/search.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/de/search.json
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {
   "placeholder": "Volk, Ort, Sprache, Religion",
+  "placeholderNoPlaces": "Volk, Sprache, Religion (Ortssuche braucht ein Mapbox-Token)",
   "labels": {
     "people": "Volk:",
     "place": "Ort:",
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/en/search.json b/library/i18n/locales/en/search.json
index b433f3414..d8856d263 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/en/search.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/en/search.json
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {
   "placeholder": "People, place, language, religion",
+  "placeholderNoPlaces": "People, language, religion (place search needs a Mapbox token)",
   "labels": {
     "people": "People:",
     "place": "Place:",
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/es/search.json b/library/i18n/locales/es/search.json
index b8f183451..872a88fdd 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/es/search.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/es/search.json
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {
   "placeholder": "Pueblo, lugar, idioma, religión",
+  "placeholderNoPlaces": "Pueblo, idioma, religión (buscar lugares requiere un token de Mapbox)",
   "labels": {
     "people": "Pueblo:",
     "place": "Lugar:",
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/fr/search.json b/library/i18n/locales/fr/search.json
index 5c72c8663..18a610d88 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/fr/search.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/fr/search.json
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {
   "placeholder": "Peuple, lieu, langue, religion",
+  "placeholderNoPlaces": "Peuple, langue, religion (la recherche de lieux requiert un jeton Mapbox)",
   "labels": {
     "people": "Peuple :",
     "place": "Lieu :",
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/hi/search.json b/library/i18n/locales/hi/search.json
index 118511ce4..d0a40d9b7 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/hi/search.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/hi/search.json
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {
   "placeholder": "लोग, स्थान, भाषा, धर्म",
+  "placeholderNoPlaces": "लोग, भाषा, धर्म (स्थान खोज के लिए Mapbox टोकन चाहिए)",
   "labels": {
     "people": "लोग:",
     "place": "स्थान:",
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/it/search.json b/library/i18n/locales/it/search.json
index a87ee0080..b47241146 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/it/search.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/it/search.json
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {
   "placeholder": "Popolo, luogo, lingua, religione",
+  "placeholderNoPlaces": "Popolo, lingua, religione (la ricerca di luoghi richiede un token Mapbox)",
   "labels": {
     "people": "Popolo:",
     "place": "Luogo:",
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/pt/search.json b/library/i18n/locales/pt/search.json
index c5f5345ab..82993a453 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/pt/search.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/pt/search.json
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {
   "placeholder": "Povo, local, língua, religião",
+  "placeholderNoPlaces": "Povo, língua, religião (a busca de locais requer um token do Mapbox)",
   "labels": {
     "people": "Povo:",
     "place": "Local:",
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/ro/search.json b/library/i18n/locales/ro/search.json
index 70a3476c1..d5fef2445 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/ro/search.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/ro/search.json
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {
   "placeholder": "Popor, loc, limbă, religie",
+  "placeholderNoPlaces": "Popor, limbă, religie (căutarea locurilor necesită un token Mapbox)",
   "labels": {
     "people": "Popor:",
     "place": "Loc:",
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/ru/search.json b/library/i18n/locales/ru/search.json
index bfd8bbc54..ca600d390 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/ru/search.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/ru/search.json
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {
   "placeholder": "Народ, место, язык, религия",
+  "placeholderNoPlaces": "Народ, язык, религия (для поиска мест нужен токен Mapbox)",
   "labels": {
     "people": "Народ:",
     "place": "Место:",
diff --git a/library/i18n/locales/zh/search.json b/library/i18n/locales/zh/search.json
index 83d9b6374..55a57f103 100644
--- a/library/i18n/locales/zh/search.json
+++ b/library/i18n/locales/zh/search.json
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 {
   "placeholder": "民族、地点、语言、宗教",
+  "placeholderNoPlaces": "民族、语言、宗教（地点搜索需要 Mapbox 令牌）",
   "labels": {
     "people": "民族：",
     "place": "地点：",