Getting Started with Google Maps API: A Beginner’s Guide
- Google Maps
Umair Butt
- 0
- 5 minutes read
This is the modern digital age and in this period the maps play an important role in our everyday routine lives. If we want to find the directions, or even we need to locate some nearby services or businesses then maps are perfect as per our requirements. Google Maps is the most famous mapping service globally, and it also offers an incredibly professional tool called the Google Maps API (Application Programming Interface). This allows developers to integrate maps into their applications or websites. If you are at the initial stage of web development or just starting to explore the features and services of maps in your projects, then our beginner’s guide will help you get started with Google Maps API.
What is Google Maps API?
Google provides a set of services with professional tools in Google Maps API to the developers, so it allows them to embed beautiful, stunning, and interactive maps, other location-based features, and geolocation into their applications and websites. Actually, you can prepare custom map-based solutions using the API according to your specific requirements. If you want to display a simple map on your website or even you want to build a complex location-based application, GMA is perfect for you.
Steps to Get Started
1.) Sign Up for a Google Cloud Platform Account
Before using the Google Maps API, you should have a Google Cloud Platform (GCP) account. So first of all, create a GCP account. You can create from the GCP website (https://cloud.google.com), visit the official website and register your account. Google is offering a free tier in which you can get a specific amount of usage every month, and according to my experience, it’s perfect for small projects and learning purposes.
2.) Create a Project
Once you have set up your Google Cloud Platform account, you can create a new project. For the usage of Google Maps API, this project will work as a container. Apply a name to it that is relevant to your project so it will help you stay organized.
3. Enable the Google Maps JavaScript API
If you want to use Google Maps on your website, then you will have to enable the Google Maps JavaScript API for this project. Visit the Google Cloud Console (https://console.cloud.google.com) and navigate to the library of API (Application Programming Interface). Search for “Google Maps JavaScript API” and now you should enable it for the project.
4.) Generate an API Key
If you want to link and secure this API to your website, you will need to create or generate an API key. Navigate to the “Credentials” in the Cloud Console and then create a new API key. You can restrict this key to some specific applications and websites to increase and enhance security.
5. Start Coding
You can start the coding now because you have your API key. Google Maps JavaScript API can be included in your HTML files using a script tag as you can see below
<script src=“https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?key=YOUR_API_KEY&callback=initMap” async defer></script>
You can replace “YOUR_API_KEY” with the API key you generated before. The parameter of “callback” specifies a function (‘initMap’ in this case), when the API is fully loaded it will be called.
6. Create Your First Map
Now finally, a simple map can be created for your website. Below is an example of how to create a basic map:
function initMap() {
const map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById(‘map’), {
center: { lat: 37.7749, lng: -122.4194 },
zoom: 8,
});
}
Using Google Maps in WordPress themes is also very easy, you can embed HTML code from Google Maps’ official website and then you can paste this code into your website.
