The Google Static Maps API lets you embed a Google Maps image on your web page without requiring JavaScript or any dynamic page loading. The Google Static Map service creates your map based on URL parameters sent through a standard HTTP request and returns the map as an image you can display on your web page.
New! The Google Static Maps API Usage Limits have changed. Creating an API key and including it in your request allows you to track usage in the APIs Console, and to purchase additional quota if required.
This document details the Static Maps API v2. To update your v1 URLs, please consult the Upgrade Guide.
The following example contains the URL of a static map image of downtown New York City, which is displayed below:
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?center=Brooklyn+Bridge,New+York,NY&zoom=13&size=600x300&maptype=roadmap &markers=color:blue%7Clabel:S%7C40.702147,-74.015794&markers=color:green%7Clabel:G%7C40.711614,-74.012318 &markers=color:red%7Ccolor:red%7Clabel:C%7C40.718217,-73.998284&sensor=false
Notice that you don't need to do anything "special" to get this image to
show up on the page. No JavaScript is required. All we needed to do was
create a URL, and place it within an <img> tag. You can
place a Google static map anywhere on your webpage where you can place an
image.
This document is intended for website and mobile developers who want to include Google Static Maps API images within a webpage or mobile application. It provides an introduction to using the API and reference material on the available parameters.
The Static Maps API uses an API key to identify your application. API keys are managed through the Google APIs console. To activate the Static Maps API and create your key:
By default, a key can be used on any site. We strongly recommend that you restrict the use of your key to domains that you administer. You can specify which domains are allowed to use your API key by clicking the Edit allowed referers... link in the API console.
Including a key in your request allows you to track usage of the API in the
APIs Console, and to
purchase additional quota if required. To specify a key in your request,
include it as the value of a key parameter:
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?center=New+York,NY&zoom=13&size=600x300&key=API_console_key
Note that the use of a key is not required, though it is recommended.
Examples in this document do not include the key parameter
so that they will work for all users who cut-and-paste the code.
Google Maps API for Business customers have different quotas than those listed below. A static map request is considered a 'page view' for the purposes of Google Maps API for Business quota management and is applied against the total number of page views purchased with the Google Maps API for Business license.
The Google Static Maps API has the following usage limits:
Additional image requests can be purchased on a per application basis at the rate currently listed in the FAQ. Additional quota is purchased through the API Console and requires the use of an API key.
If a user exceeds these limits, the server will return an HTTP 403 status and display the below image to indicate that the quota has been exceeded:
Static Map URLs are restricted to 2048 characters in size. In practice, you will probably not have need for URLs longer than this, unless you produce complicated maps with a high number of markers and paths. Note, however, that certain characters may be URL-encoded by browsers and/or services before sending them off to the Static Map service, resulting in increased character usage. For more information, see Building a Valid URL.
The Google Static Maps API returns an image (either GIF, PNG or JPEG) in response to an HTTP request via a URL. For each request, you can specify the location of the map, the size of the image, the zoom level, the type of map, and the placement of optional markers at locations on the map. You can additionally label your markers using alphanumeric characters.
A Static Maps API image is embedded within an <img>
tag's src attribute, or its equivalent in other programming
languages. If a Static Maps API image is used outside of a web-based
application (such as a browser) then a link must be included pointing to the
displayed location in a web browser or native Google Maps application.
(Google Maps API for Business
users are waived of this requirement.) Please refer to the
Google Maps/Google Earth Terms of
Service, section 10.1.1(h), for the full and current language
regarding this requirement.
This document describes the required format of Static Maps API URLs and the available parameters. It also points out some tips and tricks in specifying your URLs.
A Google Static Maps API URL must be of the following form:
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?parameters
If your website is accessed over HTTPS, you must load Static Map images over HTTPS as well in order to avoid browser security alerts. HTTPS is also recommended if your requests include sensitive user information, such as a user's location:
https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?parameters
Note that the Static Maps API does not support custom icon URLs that use HTTPS; the default icon will be displayed.
Whether using HTTP or HTTPS, certain URL parameters are required while some
are optional. As is standard in URLs, all parameters are separated using the
ampersand (&) character. The list of parameters and their
possible values are enumerated below.
Important: The
discussion of URL parameters below use examples that for clarity are given in
their pre-escaping form. Before sending any request to the API, its parameters
should be properly URL
encoded. For example, many parameters use a pipe character (|)
as a separator, which should be encoded as %7C in the final URL, as
in the quick example at the top of this document.
The Static Maps API defines map images using the following URL parameters:
Location Parameters
center (required if markers not present) defines the
center of the map, equidistant from all edges of the map. This parameter
takes a location as either a comma-separated {latitude,longitude} pair
(e.g. "40.714728,-73.998672") or a string address (e.g. "city hall, new
york, ny") identifying a unique location on the face of the earth. For
more information, see Locations below.zoom (required if markers not present) defines the zoom level of the map, which determines the
magnification level of the map. This parameter takes a numerical value
corresponding to the zoom level of the region desired. For more
information, see zoom levels below.Map Parameters
size (required) defines the rectangular dimensions
of the map image. This parameter takes a string of the form
{horizontal_value}x{vertical_value}. For
example, 500x400 defines a map 500 pixels wide by 400 pixels
high. Maps smaller than 180 pixels in width will display a reduced-size
Google logo. This parameter is affected by the scale
parameter, described below; the final output size is the product of the
size and scale values.scale (optional) affects the number of pixels that
are returned. scale=2 returns twice as many pixels as
scale=1 while retaining the same coverage area and level of
detail (i.e. the contents of the map don't change). This is useful when
developing for high-resolution displays, or when generating a map for
printing. The default value is 1. Accepted values are
2 and 4 (4 is only available to
Maps API for Business customers.) See Scale
Values for more information.format (optional) defines the format of the
resulting image. By default, the Static Maps API creates PNG images. There
are several possible formats including GIF, JPEG and PNG types. Which
format you use depends on how you intend to present the image. JPEG
typically provides greater compression, while GIF and PNG provide greater
detail. For more information, see Image
Formats.maptype (optional) defines the type of map to
construct. There are several possible maptype values, including
roadmap, satellite, hybrid, and
terrain. For more information, see Static Maps API Maptypes below. language (optional) defines the language to use for
display of labels on map tiles. Note that this parameter is only
supported for some country tiles; if the specific language requested is
not supported for the tile set, then the default language for that
tileset will be used.region (optional) defines the appropriate borders
to display, based on geo-political sensitivities. Accepts a region code
specified as a two-character ccTLD ('top-level domain') value.Feature Parameters
markers (optional) define one or more markers
to attach to the image at specified locations. This parameter takes a
single marker definition with parameters separated by the pipe character
(|). Multiple markers may be placed within the same
markers parameter as long as they exhibit the same style;
you may add additional markers of differing styles by adding additional
markers parameters. Note that if you supply markers for a
map, you do not need to specify the (normally required)
center and zoom parameters. For more
information, see Static Map Markers below.path (optional) defines a single path of two or
more connected points to overlay on the image at specified locations.
This parameter takes a string of point definitions separated by the pipe
character (|). You may supply additional paths by adding
additional path parameters. Note that if you supply a path
for a map, you do not need to specify the (normally required)
center and zoom parameters. For more
information, see Static Map Paths below.visible (optional) specifies one or more locations that should remain visible on the map,
though no markers or other indicators will be displayed. Use this
parameter to ensure that certain features or map locations are shown on
the static map.style (optional) defines a
custom style to alter the presentation of a specific feature (road, park,
etc.) of the map. This parameter takes feature and
element arguments identifying the features to select and a
set of style operations to apply to that selection. You may supply
multiple styles by adding additional style parameters. For
more information, see Styled Maps below.Reporting Parameters
sensor (required) specifies whether the
application requesting the static map is using a sensor to determine the
user's location. This parameter is required for all static map requests.
For more information, see Denoting Sensor Usage
below.Maps API for Business users must include valid
client and signature parameters with their
requests. Please refer to the
Maps API for Business Web
Services chapter for more information.
The Static Maps API is relatively easy to use, as it consists solely of a parameterized URL. This section explains how to use these parameters to construct your URLs.
The Static Maps API must be able to precisely identify locations on the
map, both to focus the map at the correct location (using the
center parameter) and/or to place any optional placemarks
(using the markers parameter) at locations on the map. The Static
Maps API uses numbers (latitude and longitude values) or strings (addresses)
to specify these locations. These values identify a geocoded
location.
Several parameters (such as the markers and path
parameters) take multiple locations. In those cases, the locations are
separated by the pipe (|) character.
Latitudes and longitudes are defined using numerals within a comma-separated text string that have a precision to 6 decimal places. For example, "40.714728,-73.998672" is a valid geocode value. Precision beyond the 6 decimal places is ignored.
Longitude values are based on their distance from Greenwich, England, home
of the prime meridian. Since Greenwich is situated at 51.477222 latitude, we
can enter a center value of 51.477222,0 to center
the map on Greenwich:
Latitude and longitude values must correspond to a valid location on the
face of the earth. Latitudes can take any value between -90 and
90 while longitude values can take any value between
-180 and 180. If you specify an invalid latitude or
longitude value, your request will be rejected as a bad request.
Most people don't speak in latitudes and longitudes; they denote locations using addresses. The process of turning an address into a geographic point is known as geocoding and the Static Maps service can perform geocoding for you if you provide valid addresses.
In any parameter where you may provide a latitude/longitude, you may instead specify a string indicating an address. Google will geocode the address and provide the Static Map service with a latitude/longitude value to use in placing markers or specifying locations. The string should be URL-escaped, so addresses such as "City Hall, New York, NY" should be converted to "City+Hall,New+York,NY", for example.
Note that addresses may reflect either precise locations, such as street addresses, polylines such as named routes, or polygonal areas such as cities, countries, or national parks. For polylinear and polygonal results, the Static Map server will use the center point of the line/area as the address center. If you have doubt about how an address may geocode, you can test out the address using this Geocoding Utility.
The following example generates a static map for Berkeley, CA:
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?center=Berkeley,CA&zoom=14&size=400x400&sensor=false
Use of the Google Static Maps API requires that you indicate whether your application is using a "sensor" (such as a GPS locator) to determine the user's location. This is especially important for mobile devices. Applications must pass a required sensor parameter indicating whether or not your application is using a sensor device.
Applications that determine the user's location via a sensor must pass
sensor=true within your Static Maps API request URL. If your
application does not use a sensor, pass sensor=false.
Maps on Google Maps have an integer "zoom level" which defines the
resolution of the current view. Zoom levels between 0 (the lowest
zoom level, in which the entire world can be seen on one map) to
21+ (down to individual buildings) are possible within the
default roadmap maps view.
Google Maps sets zoom level 0 to encompass the entire earth.
Each succeeding zoom level doubles the precision in both horizontal and
vertical dimensions. More information on how this is done is available in the
Google Maps API documentation.
Note: not all zoom levels appear at all locations on the earth. Zoom levels vary depending on location, as data in some parts of the globe is more granular than in other locations.
If you send a request for a zoom level in which no map tiles exist, the Static Maps API will return a blank image instead.
The example below requests two maps of Manhattan at the same
center value but at zoom levels 12 and 14, respectively:
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?center=40.714728,-73.998672&zoom=12&size=400x400&sensor=false http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?center=40.714728,-73.998672&zoom=14&size=400x400&sensor=false
The size parameter, in conjunction with center,
defines the coverage area of a map. It also defines the output size of the
map in pixels, when multiplied with the scale value (which is
1 by default).
The table below shows the maximum allowable values for
the size parameter at each scale value.
| API | scale=1 |
scale=2 |
scale=4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 640x640 |
640x640 (returns 1280x1280 pixels) |
Not available. |
| Google Maps API for Business | 2048x2048 |
1024x1024 (returns 2048x2048 pixels) |
512x512 (returns 2048x2048 pixels) |
The example below requests a "slice" of the earth at the equator at zoom level 1:
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?center=0,0&zoom=1&size=400x50&sensor=true_or_false
The example below requests a small map, of size 100 x 100 pixels centered on the same region. Note the smaller Google logo:
The size parameter of the Google Static Maps API defines the
size of a map in pixels, so that a map with size=200x200 will be
returned as 200 pixels by 200 pixels. On an LCD computer monitor, which
typically displays about 100 pixels per inch (ppi), a 200x200 map will be
about 2 inches in each dimension.
However, mobile devices increasingly include high resolution screens with pixel densities over 300ppi, which either:
| Too small | Too fuzzy |
|---|---|
 |
 |
When developing for mobile devices, use the API's scale
parameter to return higher-resolution map images that solve the issues
above. The scale value is multiplied with the size
to determine the actual output size of the image in pixels, without changing
the coverage area of the map. (Default scale value is 1;
accepted values are 1, 2, and (for Maps API for Business customers only) 4).
For example, a scale value of 2 will return the same map coverage area as a request with no scale specified, but with twice as many pixels in each dimension. This includes roads and labels, so that they're legible on high resolution, small size screens, as well as when scaled by the browser.
| 150x150 | 150x150&scale=2 |
|---|---|
 |
 |
Such an image will also perform well on desktop browsers, when inserted
into an img or div tag with the height and width
set using CSS. The browser will downsize the image to the correct size,
without loss of quality.
The table below shows three different image requests.
img element, but in downsizing the
image, roads and labels become too small. On the mobile device, the
image is the right size, but again, roads and labels are illegible.scale=2. The
image is returned with 200px of detail; the desktop scales it down
perfectly, so that it's indistinguishable from the original 100x100
request, while the mobile browser benefits from the additional resolution
returned by the API.| Device | 100x100 |
200x200 |
100x100&scale=2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop (with height="100px" andwidth="100px" on theimg tag) |
 |
 |
 |
| High Resolution (simulated) |
 |
|
|
Tip: Mobile platforms, such as Android and iOS, enable apps to support high
resolution screens by specifying separate images for each resolution. The
scale parameter makes it easy to request a map image for a standard
resolution screen, and the matching map for a high resolution screen, simply
by setting scale=1 and scale=2 respectively.
For more information about developing for mobile and high resolution displays, the following reading is recommended:
Images may be returned in several common web graphics formats: GIF,
JPEG and PNG. The format parameter takes one of the
following values:
png8 or png (default) specifies the 8-bit
PNG
format.png32 specifies the 32-bit
PNG
format.gif specifies the
GIF format.jpg specifies the
JPEG compression
format.jpg-baseline specifies a non-progressive
JPEG compression
format.jpg and jpg-baseline typically provide the
smallest image size, though they do so through "lossy" compression which may
degrade the image. gif, png8 and png32
provide lossless compression.
Most JPEG images are progressive, meaning that they load a coarser image
earlier and refine the image resolution as more data arrives. This allows
images to be loaded quickly in webpages and is the most widespread use of JPEG
currently. However, some uses of JPEG (especially printing) require
non-progressive (baseline) images. In such cases, you may want to use the
jpg-baseline format, which is non-progressive.
The Google Static Maps API creates maps in several formats, listed below:
roadmap (default) specifies a standard roadmap image, as is
normally shown on the Google Maps website. If no maptype value
is specified, the Static Maps API serves roadmap tiles by
default.satellite specifies a satellite image.terrain specifies a physical relief map image, showing
terrain and vegetation.hybrid specifies a hybrid of the satellite and roadmap
image, showing a transparent layer of major streets and place names on the
satellite image.You can see the difference between roadmap and terrain types in the code example below.
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?center=40.714728,-73.998672&zoom=12&size=400x400&maptype=roadmap&sensor=true_or_false http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?center=40.714728,-73.998672&zoom=12&size=400x400&maptype=terrain&sensor=true_or_false
Hybrid maps use satellite images and prominent roadmap features to create a combination map. The following examples show satellite and hybrid map types:
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?center=40.714728,-73.998672&zoom=12&size=400x400&maptype=satellite&sensor=true_or_false http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?center=40.714728,-73.998672&zoom=12&size=400x400&maptype=hybrid&sensor=true_or_false
Styled maps allow you to customize the presentation of the standard Google map styles, changing the visual display of such elements as roads, parks, and built-up areas to reflect a different style than that used in the default map type. These components are known as features and a styled map allows you to select these features and apply visual styles to their display (including hiding them entirely). With these changes, the map can be made to emphasize particular components or complement content within the surrounding page.
A customized "styled" map consists of one or more specified styles,
each indicated through a style parameter within the Static
Map request URL. Additional styles are specified by passing additional
style parameters. A style consists of a selection(s)
and a set of rules to apply to that selection. The rules indicate
what visual modification to make to the selection.
Each style declaration consists of the following arguments,
separated using a pipe ("|") character within the style
declaration:
feature (optional) indicates what features to select
for this style modification. (See Map
Features below.) If no feature argument is passed,
all features will be selected.element (optional) indicates what sub-set of the
selected features to select. (See Map
Elements below.) If no element argument is passed,
all elements of the given feature will be selected.style declaration. (See
Style Rules below.) Any number of
rules may follow a feature selection, within the normal URL-length
constraints of the Static Maps API.Note: the style declaration must specify the above arguments
in the order stated. For example, a feature selection with two rules
would appear as show below:
style=feature:featureArgument|element:elementArgument|rule1:rule1Argument|rule2:rule2Argument
A map consists of a set of features, such as roads
or parks. The feature types form a category tree, with feature:all
as the root. Some common features are listed
below:
feature:all (default) selects all features of the map.feature:road selects all roads on the map.
feature:landscape selects all background landscapes on a map,
which is often the area between roads, for example. In cities, landscape usually consists
of built-up areas.The full list of features for selection within a map is documented in the Maps Javascript API V3 reference.
Some feature type categories contain sub-categories which are specified
using a dotted notation (landscape.natural or
road.local, for example). If the parent feature
(road, for example) is specified, then styles applied to this
selection will be applied to all roads, including sub-categories.
Additionally, some features on a map typically consist of different
elements. A road, for example, consists of not only the graphical
line (geometry) on the map, but the text denoting its name (labels)
attached the map. Elements within features are selected by declaring
an element argument. The following element argument values
are supported:
element:all (default) selects all elements of that feature.element:geometry selects only geometric elements of that
feature.element:labels selects only textual labels associated with that
feature.If no element argument is passed, styles will be applied to all elements of the feature regardless of element type.
The following style declaration selects the labels for all local
roads:
style=feature:road.local|element:labels
Style rules are formatting options which are applied to the features
and elements specified within each style declaration. Each
style declaration must contain one or more operations separated
using the pipe ("|") character. Each operation specifies its
argument value using the colon (":") character, and all operations
are applied to the selection in the order in which they are specified.
The following operation arguments, and the values that take, are currently supported:
hue (an RGB hex string of format
0xRRGGBB) indicates the basic color to
apply to the selection.
(* See usage note below.)lightness (a floating point value
between -100 and 100)
indicates the percentage
change in brightness of the element. Negative
values increase darkness (where -100 specifies black) while positive
values increase brightness (where +100 specifies white).saturation (a floating point value between
-100 and 100) indicates the percentage
change in intensity of the basic color to apply to the element.gamma (a floating point value between 0.01
and 10.0, where 1.0 applies no correction)
indicates the amount of gamma correction to apply to the element. Gammas
modify the lightness of hues in a non-linear fashion, while unaffecting
white or black values. Gammas are typically used to modify the contrast
of multiple elements. For example, you could modify the gamma to
increase or decrease the contrast between the edges and interiors of
elements. Low gamma values (< 1) increase contrast, while high
values (> 1) decrease contrast.inverse_lightness:true simply
inverts the existing lightness.visibility (on, off,
or simplified) indicates whether and how the element
appears on the map. visibility:simplified indicates
that the map should simplify the presentation of those elements as
it sees fit. (A simplified road structure may show fewer roads, for
example.)Style rules must be applied as separate, distinct operations, and are
applied in the order they appear within the style
declaration. Order is important, as some operations are not commutative. Features
and/or elements that are modified through style operations
(usually) already have existing styles; the operations act on those existing
styles, if present.
Note that we use the
Hue, Saturation, Lightness (HSL) model to denote color within the
styler operations. These operations to define color are common within
graphic design. Hue indicates the basic color, saturation
indicates the intensity of that color, and lightness indicates the
relative amount of white or black in the constituent color. All three
HSL values can be mapped to RGB values (and vice versa).
Gamma
correction acts to modify saturation over the color space, generally
to increase or decrease contrast. Additionally, the HSL model defines color
within a coordinate space where hue indicates the orientation
within a color wheel, while saturation and lightness indicate amplitudes
along different axes. Hues are measured within an RGB color space,
which is similar to most RGB color spaces, except that shades of white and
black are absent.
An RGB Color Wheel
Note: while hue takes
an RGB hex color value, it only uses this value to determine the basic
color (its orientation around the color wheel), not its saturation or
lightness, which are indicated separately as percentage changes. For
example, the hue for pure green may be defined
as hue:0x00ff00 or hue:0x000100 and
both hues will be identical. (Both values point to pure green in
the HSL color model.) RGB hue values which consist
of equal parts Red, Green and Blue — such as hue:0x0000000
(black) and hue:0xffffff (white) and all the pure shades
of grey — do not indicate a hue whatsoever, as none of those values
indicate an orientation in the HSL coordinate space. To indicate
black, white or grey, you must remove all saturation (add
a saturation:-100 operation) and adjust lightness
instead.
Additionally, when modifying existing features which already have a
color scheme, changing a value such as hue does not change
its existing saturation or lightness.
The following example displays a map of Brooklyn where local roads have been changed to bright green and the residential areas have been changed to black (note that in this fully worked example the pipe separators have been properly URL encoded; see the note above):
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?sensor=false&size=512x512¢er=Brooklyn&zoom=12&style=feature:road.local%7Celement:geometry%7Chue:0x00ff00%7Csaturation:100&style=feature:landscape%7Celement:geometry%7Clightness:-100
The following more complicated example uses several operations and simplifications to approximate the look of a US road atlas:
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?sensor=false&size=512x512&zoom=11¢er=Chicago&style=feature:road.highway%7Celement:geometry%7Chue:0xff0022%7Csaturation:60%7Clightness:-20&style=feature:road.arterial%7Celement:geometry%7Chue:0x2200ff%7Clightness:-40:visibility:simplified%7Csaturation:30&style=feature:road.local%7Chue:0xf6ff00%7Csaturation:60%7Cgamma:0.7%7Cvisibility:simplified&style=feature:water%7Celement:geometry%7Csaturation:40%7Clightness:40&style=road.highway%7Celement:labels%7Cvisibility:on%7Csaturation:98&style=feature:administrative.locality%7Celement:labels%7Chue:0x0022ff%7Csaturation:50%7Clightness:-10%7Cgamma:0.9&style=feature:transit.line%7Celement:geometry%7Chue:0xff0000%7Cvisibility:on%7Clightness:-70
The markers parameter defines a set of one or more markers at
a set of locations. Each marker defined within a single markers
declaration must exhibit the same visual style; if you wish to display markers
with different styles, you will need to supply multiple markers
parameters with separate style information.
The markers parameter takes set of value assignments
(marker descriptors) of the following format:
markers=markerStyles|markerLocation1|
markerLocation2|... etc.
The set of markerStyles is declared at the beginning of the
markers declaration and consists of zero or more style
descriptors separated by the pipe character (|), followed
by a set of one or more locations also separated by the pipe character
(|).
Because both style information and location information is delimited via the pipe character, style information must appear first in any marker descriptor. Once the Static Map server encounters a location in the marker descriptor, all other marker parameters are assumed to be locations as well.
The set of marker style descriptors is a series of value assignments
separated by the pipe (|) character. This style descriptor
defines the visual attributes to use when displaying the markers within this
marker descriptor. These style descriptors contain the following key/value
assignments:
size: (optional) specifies the size of marker from
the set {tiny, mid, small}. If no size parameter
is set, the marker will appear in its default (normal) size.color: (optional) specifies a 24-bit color
(example: color=0xFFFFCC) or a predefined color from the set
{black, brown, green, purple, yellow, blue, gray, orange, red,
white}.
Note that transparencies (specified using 32-bit hex color values) are not supported in markers, though they are supported for paths.
label: (optional) specifies a single
uppercase alphanumeric character from the set {A-Z, 0-9}. (The
requirement for uppercase characters is new to this version of the API.)
Note that default and mid sized markers are the only markers
capable of displaying an alphanumeric-character parameter.
tiny and small markers are not capable of
displaying an alphanumeric-character.Note: instead of using these markers, you may wish to use your own custom icon. (For more information, see Custom Icons below.)
Each marker descriptor must contain a set of one or more locations defining
where to place the marker on the map. These locations may be either specified
as latitude/longitude values or as
addresses. These locations are separated using the
pipe character (|).
The location parameters define the marker's location on the map. If the
location is off the map, that marker will not appear in the constructed image
provided that center and zoom parameters are
supplied. However, if these parameters are not supplied, the Static Map server
will automatically construct an image which contains the supplied markers.
(See Implicit Positioning below.)
A sample marker declaration is shown below. Note that we define one set of styles and three locations:
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?center=Williamsburg,Brooklyn,NY&zoom=13&size=400x400& markers=color:blue%7Clabel:S%7C11211%7C11206%7C11222&sensor=true_or_false
To define markers with differing styles, we need to supply multiple
markers parameters. This set of markers parameters
defines three markers: one blue marker labeled "S" at 62.107733, -145.5419,
one tiny green marker at "Delta Junction, AK", and one mid-sized yellow marker
labeled "C" at "Tok, AK". These markers are shown in the example below:
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?center=63.259591,-144.667969&zoom=6&size=400x400\ &markers=color:blue%7Clabel:S%7C62.107733,-145.541936&markers=size:tiny%7Ccolor:green%7CDelta+Junction,AK\ &markers=size:mid%7Ccolor:0xFFFF00%7Clabel:C%7CTok,AK&sensor=false" />
Rather than use Google's marker icons, you are free to use your own custom
icons instead. Custom icons are specified using the following descriptors to
the markers parameter:
icon specifies a URL to use as the marker's custom icon.
Images may be in PNG, JPEG or GIF formats, though PNG is recommended.shadow (default true) indicates that the
Static Maps service should construct an appropriate shadow for the image.
This shadow is based on the image's visible region and its
opacity/transparency.The icon parameter must be specified using a URL (which
should be
URL-encoded).
You may use any valid URL of your choosing, or a
URL-shortening service such as http://bit.ly or
http://tinyurl.com. Most URL-shortening services have the
advantage of automatically encoding URLs. Icons are limited to sizes of
4096 pixels (64x64 for square images), and the Static Maps service allows
up to five unique custom icons per request. Note that each of these unique
icons may be used multiple times within the static map.
Custom icons that have a shadow:true descriptor (the default)
will have their "anchor point" set as the bottom center of the provided icon
image, from which the shadow is cast. Icons without a shadow (setting
a shadow:false descriptor) are instead assumed to be icons
centered on their specified locations, so their anchor points are set as
the center of the image.
The following example uses Google's Chart API to create custom markers, showing several coffee shops in New York City:
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?size=480x480&markers= icon:http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?chst=d_map_pin_icon%26chld=cafe%257C996600%7C 224+West+20th+Street+NY%7C75+9th+Ave+NY%7C700+E+9th+St+NY&sensor=true_or_false
Note: The multiple levels of escaping above
may be confusing. The Google Chart API uses the pipe character (|)
to delimit strings within its URL parameters. Since this character is not legal
within a URL (see the note above), when creating a
fully valid chart URL it is escaped to %7C. Now the result is
embedded as a string in an icon specification, but it contains a
% character (from the %7C mentioned above), which
cannot be included directly as data in a URL and must be escaped to
%25. The result is that the URL contains %257C, which
represents two layers of encoding. Similarly, the chart URL contains an
& character, which cannot be included directly without being
confused as a separator for static map URL parameters, so it too must be
encoded.
Here are the steps of creating the static map URL:
# Intended chld parameter: chld=cafe|996600 # Embedded in a fully valid chart URL: http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?chst=d_map_pin_icon&chld=cafe%7C996600 # Intended icon parameter, containing a fully valid URL: markers=icon:http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?chst=d_map_pin_icon&chld=cafe%7C996600 # Embedded in a valid and unambiguous static map URL: ...&markers=icon:http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?chst=d_map_pin_icon%26chld=cafe%257C996600
The path parameter defines a set of one or more locations
connected by a path to overlay on the map image. The path
parameter takes set of value assignments (path descriptors) of the
following format:
path=pathStyles|pathLocation1|pathLocation2|... etc.
Note that both path points are separated from each other using the pipe
character (|). Because both style information and point
information is delimited via the pipe character, style information must appear
first in any path descriptor. Once the Static Map server encounters a
location in the path descriptor, all other path parameters are assumed to be
locations as well.
The set of path style descriptors is a series of value assignments
separated by the pipe (|) character. This style descriptor
defines the visual attributes to use when displaying the path. These style
descriptors contain the following key/value assignments:
weight: (optional) specifies the thickness of the
path in pixels. If no weight parameter is set, the path will
appear in its default thickness (5 pixels).color: (optional) specifies a color either as a
24-bit (example: color=0xFFFFCC) or 32-bit hexadecimal value
(example: color=0xFFFFCCFF), or from the set {black,
brown, green, purple, yellow, blue, gray, orange, red, white}.
When a 32-bit hex value is specified, the last two characters
specify the 8-bit alpha transparency value. This value varies between
00 (completely transparent) and FF
(completely opaque). Note that transparencies are supported in paths, though
they are not supported for markers.
fillcolor: (optional) indicates both that the path
marks off a polygonal area and specifies the fill color to use as an overlay
within that area. The set of locations following need not be a "closed"
loop; the Static Map server will automatically join the first and last
points. Note, however, that any stroke on the exterior of the filled area
will not be closed unless you specifically provide the same beginning
and end location.Some example path definitions appear below:
path=color:0x0000ff|weight:1path=color:0xff0000ff|weight:5path=color:0xffffffff|weight:10These path styles are optional. If default attributes are desired, you may skip defining the path attributes; in that case, the path descriptor's first "argument" will consist instead of the first declared point (location).
In order to draw a path, the path parameter must also be
passed two or more points. The Google Static Maps API will then connect the
path along those points, in the specified order. Each pathPoint is
denoted in the pathDescriptor separated by the | (pipe)
character.
The following example defines a blue path with default 50% opacity from Union Square NY to Times Square, NY.
The specifics of the path parameter appear below:
path=color:0x0000ff|weight:5|40.737102,-73.990318|40.749825,-73.987963|40.752946,-73.987384|40.755823,-73.986397
The following example defines the same path instead defining a solid red line with 100% opacity:
The specifics of this path parameter appear below:
path=color:0xff0000ff|weight:5|40.737102,-73.990318|40.749825,-73.987963|40.752946,-73.987384|40.755823,-73.986397
The example below defines a polygonal area within Manhattan, passed a series of intersections as locations:
The specifics of this path parameter appear below:
path=color:0x00000000|weight:5|fillcolor:0xFFFF0033|8th+Avenue+%26+34th+St,New+York,NY|\ 8th+Avenue+%26+42nd+St,New+York,NY|Park+Ave+%26+42nd+St,New+York,NY,NY|\ Park+Ave+%26+34th+St,New+York,NY,NY
Note that we set the path itself to be invisible and the polygonal area to have a 15% opacity.
Instead of a series of locations, you may instead declare a path as an
encoded polyline
by using the enc: prefix within the location declaration of the
path. Note that if you supply an encoded polyline path for a map,
you do not need to specify the (normally required) center and
zoom parameters.
The following example outlines the course of the Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek, BC to Delta Junction, AK with an encoded polyline:
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?size=400x400&path=weight:3%7Ccolor:orange%7Cenc:polyline_data
As with standard paths, encoded polyline paths may also demarcate polygonal
areas if a fillcolor argument is passed to the path
parameter.
The following example outlines a polygonal area for Brooklyn, NY:
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?size=400x400&path=fillcolor:0xAA000033%7Ccolor:0xFFFFFF00%7C enc:encoded_data
Images may specify a viewport by specifying visible locations using
the visible parameter. The visible parameter
instructs the Static Map service to construct a map such that the existing
locations remain visible. (This parameter may be combined with existing
markers or paths to define a visible region as well.) Defining a viewport in
this manner obviates the need to specify an exact zoom level.
The example below requests a map centered on Boston, MA containing both MIT and Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA:
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?center=Boston,MA &visible=77+Massachusetts+Ave,Cambridge,MA%7CHarvard+Square,Cambridge,MA&size=512x512&sensor=true_or_false
Normally, you need to specify center and zoom URL
parameters to define the location and zoom level of your generated map.
However, if you supply markers, path, or
visible parameters, you can instead let the Static Maps API
determine the correct center and zoom level implicitly, based on evaluation of
the position of these elements.
If supplying two or more elements, the Static Maps API will determine a proper center and zoom level, providing generous margins for the elements contained. The example below displays a map containing San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, CA:
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/staticmap?size=512x512&maptype=roadmap\ &markers=size:mid%7Ccolor:red%7CSan+Francisco,CA%7COakland,CA%7CSan+Jose,CA&sensor=false
For more information on using the Static Maps API, or other Google Maps API products, be sure to check out the Maps API Community.