Editing Google Maps (section)

=== Google Maps API ===
Google Maps API, now called Google Maps Platform, hosts about 17 different [[API]]s, which are themed under the following categories: Maps, Places and Routes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation|title=Google Maps Platform Documentation|website=Google for Developers |language=en-US|access-date=2020-06-23|archive-date=January 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128011427/https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation|url-status=live}}</ref>

After the success of reverse-engineered mashups such as chicagocrime.org and housingmaps.com, Google launched the Google Maps API in June 2005<ref>{{cite web|url=http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2005/06/world-is-your-javascript-enabled_29.html|title= The world is your JavaScript-enabled oyster |website=Official Google Blog |date= June 29, 2005  |first1=Bret |last1=Taylor |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090930054454/http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2005/06/world-is-your-javascript-enabled_29.html|archive-date=September 30, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> to allow developers to integrate Google Maps into their websites. It was a free service that did not require an [[API key]] until June 2018 (changes went into effect on July 16), when it was announced that an API key linked to a Google Cloud account with billing enabled would be required to access the API.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform/user-guide/|title=User Guide {{!}} Google Maps Platform |website=Google Cloud|language=en|access-date=2018-07-10|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112030654/https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform/user-guide|url-status=dead }}</ref> The API {{as of|2010|8|25|alt=currently}} does not contain ads, but Google states in their terms of use that they reserve the right to display ads in the future.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://developers.google.com/maps/terms?csw=1 |website=Google |title=Google Maps API – Terms of use|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224113528/https://developers.google.com/maps/terms?csw=1|archive-date=December 24, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

By using the Google Maps [[Application programming interface|API]], it is possible to embed Google Maps into an external website, onto which site-specific data can be overlaid.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://syntaxxx.com/php-and-mysql-working-with-google-maps/|title=PHP and MySQL: Working with Google Maps|first=Ian|last=Rose|publisher=Syntaxxx |date= February 12, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018175658/http://syntaxxx.com/php-and-mysql-working-with-google-maps/|archive-date=October 18, 2014|url-status=dead|access-date=October 13, 2014}}</ref> Although initially only a [[JavaScript]] API, the Maps API was expanded to include an API for [[Adobe Flash]] applications (but this has been deprecated), a service for retrieving static map images, and [[web service]]s for performing [[geocoding]], generating driving directions, and obtaining elevation profiles. Over 1,000,000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://googlegeodevelopers.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-fresh-new-look-for-maps-api-for-all.html |website=Google Maps Platform  |first1=Ken |last1=Hoetmer |title=A fresh new look for the Maps API, for all one million sites|date=May 15, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131128131730/http://googlegeodevelopers.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-fresh-new-look-for-maps-api-for-all.html|archive-date=November 28, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> web sites use the Google Maps API, making it the most heavily used web application development API.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.programmableweb.com/apis|title=APIs Dashboard |publisher=ProgrammableWeb |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160430191115/http://www.programmableweb.com/apis|archive-date=April 30, 2016|url-status=dead |access-date=May 4, 2016}}</ref> In September 2011, Google announced it would deprecate the Google Maps API for Flash.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/fall-spring-clean.html |website=Official Google Blog |title=A fall spring-clean|first=Alan|last=Eustace|date=September 2, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110907013015/http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/fall-spring-clean.html|archive-date=September 7, 2011|url-status=live|access-date=September 2, 2011}}</ref>

The Google Maps API was free for commercial use, provided that the site on which it is being used is publicly accessible and did not charge for access, and was not generating more than 25,000 map accesses a day.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://developers.google.com/maps/faq?csw=1#tos_commercial |website=Google for Developers |title=Google Maps API FAQ|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116145315/https://developers.google.com/maps/faq?csw=1#tos_commercial|archive-date=January 16, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://developers.google.com/maps/faq?csw=1#usagelimits |website=Google for Developers |title=Google Maps API FAQ Usage Limits|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116145315/https://developers.google.com/maps/faq?csw=1#usagelimits|archive-date=January 16, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Sites that did not meet these requirements could purchase the Google Maps API for Business.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/enterprise/mapsearth/|title=Google Maps for Business |website=Google |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224021248/http://www.google.com/enterprise/mapsearth/|archive-date=December 24, 2013|url-status=dead }}</ref>

As of June 21, 2018, Google increased the prices of the Maps API and requires a billing profile.<ref>{{cite web |title=Introducing Google Maps Platform |url=https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/maps-platform/introducing-google-maps-platform |website=Google |access-date=14 September 2022 |date=2 May 2018 |archive-date=September 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220914030637/https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/maps-platform/introducing-google-maps-platform |url-status=live }}</ref>