Set up the Maps JavaScript API

Page Summary

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• Google Maps Platform requires an API key for authentication and billing purposes, associating your project with a unique alphanumeric string.

• You can create and manage API keys via the Google Cloud Console or the Cloud SDK, enabling access and specifying restrictions for security.

• Restricting API keys is highly recommended, limiting usage to specific applications and websites for enhanced security.

• Include your API key in every Maps JavaScript API request, replacing YOUR_API_KEY in the provided script snippet.

This document describes the steps needed to start using the Maps JavaScript API.

To start using the Maps JavaScript API, you can either request a Maps Demo Key or set up an account and enable billing.

Get a Maps Demo Key

The Maps Demo Key is a no-cost feature that lets you start prototyping with select Maps JavaScript API features, without entering billing information. The Maps Demo Key is intended for testing and prototyping purposes only, and is not designed for production use. To learn more, see Get a Maps Demo Key and use it with the Maps JavaScript API

Get a standard API key

When you're ready for to move your code to production, complete the following steps to create an API key and enable billing.

Enable the API

Before you can use Maps JavaScript API, you must use the Google Cloud console or the gcloud command to enable it in your Google Cloud project.

To enable the API:

gcloud services enable \
    --project "PROJECT" \
    "maps-backend.googleapis.com"