verapli
Sign inJoin free
Menu

Guides · maps · Verification-gated

Google Maps Platform

Maps, Routes and Places APIs and SDKs. Needs a Cloud project with billing enabled and a restricted API key. Since 1 March 2025 each SKU has its own free monthly usage cap instead of the old $200 monthly credit.

Researched · not yet run liveLast researched 25 October 2026 · Google · provider site

Researched, not yet run live. Built from the provider’s official pages (linked below). A person hasn’t walked this flow end to end yet, so check each step against the source.
Do this with verapliJSON for agents

Who owns what

Maps runs inside a Google Cloud project linked to a Cloud Billing account (see google/cloud-billing). API keys belong to the project. Keep one Maps-related billing account; more than one breaks the Maps terms.

  • Google Account personal owned by the person
  • Cloud Billing account billing owned by the person or company · under Google AccountThe first billing account must be upgraded to paid to avoid disruption once the Free Trial ends.
  • Cloud project project · under Cloud Billing accountGoogle suggests separate projects for client-side and server-side use so quotas can be set separately.

Free per-SKU caps apply per billing account each month, on top of any Free Trial credit.

Have ready

  • google/cloud-billing: A billing-enabled project is required (Embed API usage is free but still needs a billing account).
  • A Google Cloud project: See google/cloud-project-run for creating a project.
  • Payment card for the Cloud Billing account. [1]Needed for: Make sure billing is enabled
  • The website domains (HTTP referrers) or app bundle/package IDs the key will be used from. · Needed to set application restrictions on the key. [5]Needed for: Restrict the key
  • Your app's terms of service and privacy policy pages. · The Maps terms require your app's terms to say it includes Google Maps features and are subject to Google's terms, and your privacy policy to reference Google's. [6]Needed for: Enable the Maps APIs and SDKs you need

Steps

Steps marked “human step” are ones only you can do: verapli never signs in, submits, pays or accepts terms for you.

  1. Create or pick a Cloud project

    New users can use the Get Started setup in the console; otherwise create a project in the project selector or with gcloud projects create.

    • Guided by hand
    • Human step: You sign in

    Where: https://console.cloud.google.com/google/maps-apis/start

  2. Make sure billing is enabled

    Link the project to a Cloud Billing account. Upgrade the first billing account to paid before the trial ends to avoid disruption.

    • Guided by hand
    • Human step: You add payment details
    • After: Create or pick a Cloud project
    If something goes wrong (1)
    • Maps requests stop working after the Free Trial ends.: Upgrade the billing account to a paid account; free per-SKU usage caps still apply afterwards. [2]

    Where: https://console.cloud.google.com/billing

  3. Enable the Maps APIs and SDKs you need

    In the Maps API Library, enable each API (for example Maps JavaScript, Places, Routes, Geocoding). Enabling Places also enables Places SDKs for Android and iOS.

    • Official API
    • After: Make sure billing is enabled

    Where: https://console.cloud.google.com/google/maps-apis/api-list

  4. Create an API key

    Credentials > Create credentials > API key, or gcloud services api-keys create. Use one key per app.

    • Official API
    • After: Enable the Maps APIs and SDKs you need

    verapli captures GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY here by plain code: encrypted in your browser, never shown to AI.

    Where: https://console.cloud.google.com/google/maps-apis/credentials

  5. Restrict the key

    Add one application restriction (websites, IP addresses, Android apps or iOS apps) and API restrictions listing only the Maps APIs this key needs. Server keys get IP restrictions and stay secret.

    • Guided by hand
    • After: Create an API key
    If something goes wrong (2)
    • Key works on the web but fails in the mobile app (or the reverse).: A key with an application restriction only works on that platform; create a separate key per platform. [5]
    • Key leaked or abused, unexpected bill.: Restrict the key first, then rotate it (old and new keys both work during the transition), update apps and delete the old key. Set per-minute quotas on client-side projects. [5]

    Where: https://console.cloud.google.com/google/maps-apis/credentials

  6. Set quotas and a budget alertoptional

    Cap per-minute and per-user quotas for client-side APIs and add a billing budget alert. Budgets alert only; quotas actually limit usage.

    • Guided by hand
    • After: Restrict the key

    Where: https://console.cloud.google.com/google/maps-apis/quotas

Terms and gotchas

Plain-English summary, not legal advice. Each card links its source.

Can get you bannedThe rules say

One Maps billing account

Creating multiple Google Maps-related Cloud Billing accounts is a violation of the Maps Platform Terms of Service. [2]

Can get you bannedThe rules say

No scraping or caching

You may not export, scrape, pre-fetch, store, bulk download or rehost Maps content (tiles, geocodes, places, business names, reviews), and may not cache it except where the service-specific terms allow. [6]

Can get you bannedThe rules say

No Google Maps services with a non-Google map

You may not show Places content on a non-Google map, or show Street View and non-Google maps on the same screen. [6]

Can cost moneyThe rules say

Other banned uses

No creating content from Maps content (tracing, 3D models), no use in systems embedded in vehicles, no distribution in prohibited territories, and no use in services directed to children under COPPA. [6]

Can cost moneyThe rules say

You pay for leaked unrestricted keys

You are financially responsible for charges caused by abuse of unrestricted API keys. [5]

Can cost moneyPeople report

Public Maps keys and Gemini

Security researchers reported (Feb 2026) that public browser keys in a project could call Gemini once the Gemini API was enabled in that project. Keep Maps keys API-restricted and do not enable Gemini in a project with public keys. [8]

What you end up with

Env varSecretFormatWhat it is
GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEYsecretAIza…Maps Platform API key (restricted). Browser keys are visible to users by design; server keys must stay secret.

Pricing

  • Free tier: Per-SKU free monthly caps since 1 March 2025: typically 10,000 billable events for Essentials SKUs, 5,000 for Pro and 1,000 for Enterprise; some SKUs higher or unlimited (Embed, mobile Maps SDK). Free Trial credit also applies for new customers.
  • Costs: Pay-as-you-go per 1,000 events with volume tiers, e.g. Dynamic Maps $7.00 and Geocoding $5.00 per 1,000 for the first 100,000.
  • Prices and caps change; check the pricing list before relying on them.

Source [3]

For agents

The same entry as JSON: /api/v1/entries/google/maps-platform · requirements /api/v1/requirements/google/maps-platform · terms /api/v1/terms/google/maps-platform.

Remote MCP (read-only, no auth)
claude mcp add --transport http verapli https://verapli.com/mcp

> "What do I need for Google Maps Platform, and how long will it take?"
  → tools/call requirements { "provider_id": "google/maps-platform" }

Sources

  1. Getting started with Google Maps Platform Steps (project, billing, enable APIs, API key); billing required except Embed API; Get Started quick setup for new users; Free Trial eligibility. · accessed 25 October 2026 · official
  2. Google Maps Platform billing overview Maps-related billing account definition; upgrade first billing account to paid to avoid disruption; multiple Maps-related billing accounts violate the terms. · accessed 25 October 2026 · official
  3. Google Maps Platform core services pricing list Essentials/Pro/Enterprise SKU tiers, free caps (10,000 / 5,000 / 1,000 billable events per month typical), example prices. · accessed 25 October 2026 · official
  4. Google Maps Platform changes as of March 1, 2025 $200 monthly credit replaced by per-SKU free monthly usage thresholds. · accessed 25 October 2026 · official
  5. Google Maps Platform security guidance Application and API restrictions; one key per app; rotation; financial responsibility for unrestricted keys; quotas. · accessed 25 October 2026 · official
  6. Google Maps Platform Terms of Service (last modified 26 August 2026) No scraping, no caching, no creating content from Maps Content, no use with non-Google maps, no embedded vehicle use, prohibited territories, COPPA, required ToS/privacy notices. · accessed 25 October 2026 · official
  7. Create, edit, or delete budgets and budget alerts Budgets do not cap Maps Platform usage or spending. · accessed 25 October 2026 · official
  8. BleepingComputer: Previously harmless Google API keys now expose Gemini AI data Security researchers (Truffle Security) reported public Maps-style keys gaining Gemini access when Gemini is enabled in the same project. · accessed 25 October 2026 · community

Provider rules change. This page is generated from verapli registry version 2026.1025.316; spotted something out of date? Tell us. Google is not affiliated with verapli.