How to Create a Google Maps API Account and Share Your API Key

If you’re integrating Google Maps on your website, you’ll need to create a Google Maps API key and share it with us securely. Follow these steps to set up a project, enable the right APIs, and lock your key down.

Prerequisites


    • A Google account with access to the Google Cloud Console.
    • Permission to create projects and manage billing (Project Owner or Editor).

    • A valid payment method for Google Cloud billing.

      💡 Tip: Google offers monthly usage credits for Maps Platform, but costs depend on your traffic. We can’t guarantee your usage will stay within any free tier.

Sign in to Google Cloud


      • Go to the Google Cloud Console and sign in (or create a Google account).

        Create a new project

      • In the top bar, click the project dropdown (it may say Select a project), then choose New Project.

      • Enter a name (e.g., Your Business Maps Project) and click Create.

        Enable the Maps APIs you need

      • Make sure your new project is selected. Go to APIs & Services > Library.
      • Search for Maps JavaScript API, click it, then click Enable.
      • If requested, also enable Places API and Geocoding API.

Set up billing


  • Go to Billing in the left-hand menu and follow the prompts to add a payment method.
  • Link your billing account to your project if prompted.

Create an API key


      • Go to APIs & Services > Credentials and click + Create credentials > API key.

      • A pop-up will show your new key. Copy it for the next step.

        Restrict your API key (strongly recommended)

      • Under API keys, click the name of your new key.
      • Application restrictions: choose HTTP referrers (web sites). Add your site, e.g., https://yourwebsite.co.uk/* .
      • API restrictions: select Restrict key, then choose the APIs you enabled (e.g., Maps JavaScript API, Places API, Geocoding API).
      • Click Save

⚠️ Caution: If you don’t restrict your key, others could use it—leading to unexpected charges.

Share the key with us securely


Copy your API key and send it via our approved secure channel (e.g., reply to our onboarding email or your support ticket).

Troubleshooting / FAQs


    • Q: The map isn’t loading and I see “This API project is not authorized to use this API.”

      A: In Credentials > API keys > [your key], open API restrictions and ensure the correct APIs (e.g., Maps JavaScript, Places, Geocoding) are selected. Also verify those APIs are Enabled under APIs & Services > Enabled APIs & services.

    • Q: I get “RefererNotAllowedMapError” or “API keys with referer restrictions cannot be used with this API.”

      A: Under Application restrictions, confirm HTTP referrers is selected and that your patterns include https://yourdomain.com/* and any subdomains (e.g., https://www.yourdomain.com/* , https://staging.yourdomain.com/* ). Avoid trailing spaces and ensure https:// is included.

    • Q: I see billing errors or “Billing not enabled.”

      A: Go to Billing and make sure a valid billing account is attached to the correct project. Re-verify your payment method and retry.

    • Q: I’m worried about usage costs. How can I control spend?

      A: In Billing > Budgets & alerts, create a budget and set email alerts. Consider restricting the key to only the APIs you need and enabling caching where possible.

    • Q: Can I rotate or revoke my key later?

      A: Yes. In Credentials, click the key, choose Regenerate key to rotate, or Delete to revoke. Update your website with the new key immediately after rotation.


If this didn’t help, please raise a support ticket and include your domain, which APIs you enabled, and the project name so we can investigate quickly.

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