August 14, 2007

Embedding Google Maps

While made online mapping more accessible and easy to integrate with your data, it's still not trivial to include a simple map in your site. You could make a screenshot, but your map wouldn't be interactive, or you could use Google Maps API, but that's too complicated if you don't know JavaScript.

Fortunately, there are sites that solve this problem and provide you some code you can paste in your site. Map Generator is very easy to use: enter the address, the type of map (street-level, satellite or hybrid), its dimensions and you could build a map like this:


My Maps Plus lets you embed personalized Google Maps by entering the address of the KML file generated by Google Maps. This way, you can showcase more than one location.

According to APCMAG, Google Maps will launch next week an option to easily embed maps. "First up, if you know how to embed a YouTube video in your blog, you'll be able to embed Google Maps in your website, Google promises. It'll be as simple as cutting and pasting a bit of HTML code into your website, just like a YouTube video. The embedded maps have the full functionality of Google Maps -- they provide satellite view, map view or hybrid view, and users can click and drag the maps around." They'll probably look the iframe included above and you'll see them in a lot of pages that provide contact information.

{ via Mashable }

9 comments:

  1. We have *so* been waiting for this. :)

    Though I have an API, we publish a team blog that is heavily location specific.

    With this, any of our team members will be able to embed maps when it makes sense to do so.

    Thanks for sharing this good news!

    Respectfully Yours in Safety and Service,

    Brian Humphrey
    Firefighter/Specialist
    Public Service Officer
    Los Angeles Fire Department

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  2. Finally! I've been feeling like such a moron with the API route. I try and then I try again, never any luck.

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  3. It seems that location in Japan return blank page.

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  4. There is a more advanced site based on My Maps Plus at http://www.mapchannels.com. New features include embedding multiple KMLs, filters, optional search channels, traffic layers, traffic directions and a lot of style options.

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  5. Looking forward to the google-solution. I have used GmapEZ so long, works pretty well.

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  6. You forgot http://www.gmap-track.com which allows you to embed a map that shows your actual position, determined by GPS.

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  7. Can I pick up a map I see on a blog with all of the mash up refs to embed on my blog? Use case: Look at all the cool donut shops Joe blogs about in Seattle - I want to embed that map on my blog!

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  8. This is great, thanks! The API is good but they just transitioned to the V3 of the API and now it uses HTML5 and I'm trying to post a map into a WP blog and don't want to get into all that at this time.

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  9. Nice post. Here’s a geocoding feature that will make your applications smarter and more interactive. Instead of displaying plain text, any address-centric data can be displayed on your site with a live map from Yahoo! or Google. Users will get more accurate information and be engaged in the process http://www.caspio.com/extend/platform-extensions/map-mashup.aspx

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