If you want to use the Google Maps platform you will need an API key from the Google Cloud platform.
Does this sound intimidating to you? I promise it’s not.
An API key is just a string of characters — like a password.
And in this short article, I’ll go step-by-step on how to get your own API key.
![An example of an API key.](/assets/images/lqip.png)
An example of an API key.
Tip: You might not need an API Key!
First things first. You might not even need an API key.
Instead you might be able to use Atlist to build your custom Google Map.
Atlist is a no-code tool for creating custom maps. It’s very easy to use and doesn’t require you to have a Google API key.
You can use Atlist create maps that can be shared or embedded on any website.
Here’s a quick video explainer:
But if that doesn’t work for you, read on for how to get your API key!
Step 1. Sign into Google Cloud
2. Create a Project
Next we need to create a Project.
So click Select a Project…
![](/assets/images/lqip.png)
… then choose New Project …
![](/assets/images/lqip.png)
… give your project a name and then hit Create.
![](/assets/images/lqip.png)
3. Create a Key
Next choose Keys & Credentials from the sidebar:
![](/assets/images/lqip.png)
From there you may be asked for some personal information and billing info (though you won’t be charged anything unless you manually upgrade to a paid account).
Once you fill that out you will get your API key!
![](/assets/images/lqip.png)
One important note: you should restrict your API key.
![](/assets/images/lqip.png)
I’d suggest choosing HTTP referrers…
![](/assets/images/lqip.png)
… Which allows you to specific which domain names your API key can be used on.
![I've restricted my API key so it can only be used on lovethehumanities.com](/assets/images/lqip.png)
I've restricted my API key so it can only be used on lovethehumanities.com
… and that’s it — thanks for reading!