What a custom Google Map is and why you might make one
A custom Google Map is a map you build yourself that shows only the locations you choose. Instead of seeing every restaurant or park in your city, you see the ones you marked. You can add notes to each location, organize them into groups by color, and share the map with other people or keep it private.
People use custom maps for many things: planning a road trip and marking hotels and stops along the way, tracking properties you are thinking about buying, organizing volunteer sites for a community group, or collecting your favorite coffee shops in a neighborhood. The map stays in your Google account, so you can add to it or change it anytime.
You need a Google account to make a custom map. If you do not have one, you can create one free at accounts.google.com. You do not need to install anything — custom maps work in your web browser on a computer or phone.
Key Takeaways
- Go to mymaps.google.com, click "Create a new map," and give it a name to start building.
- Add locations by searching for an address or business name, or by clicking directly on the map where you want a marker.
- Click each marker to add notes, change its color or icon, and organize it into a labeled layer.
- Share your map by clicking "Share" and entering email addresses, or by copying a link to send to anyone.
- Only you can edit the map unless you give someone else editor permission when you share it.
Starting a new map and naming it
Open your web browser and go to mymaps.google.com. You will see a list of any maps you have already made. Click the blue button labeled "Create a new map." A new blank map will open with a search box at the top left.
At the top of the page, you will see "Untitled map" in large text. Click on it to give your map a name. Type something clear — "Road Trip 2024" or "Neighborhood Coffee Shops" — so you can find it later. You can also add a description below the name if you want to remember why you made it. Click outside the text box when you are done, and the name saves automatically.
Adding locations to your map
There are two ways to add a location. The first is to search for it: click the search box at the top left, type an address or business name, and press Enter. Google will find it and show it on the map. Click on the result in the search box, and a red marker will appear on the map at that location.
The second way is to click directly on the map where you want a marker. A small popup will appear asking what you want to call this location. Type a name and press Enter. A marker appears at that spot. This method is useful if you want to mark a specific intersection or a location that does not have a business name.
You can add as many locations as you want. Each one gets a marker on the map. If you add a location by mistake, click the marker and then click the trash icon to remove it.
Editing markers and adding details
Click on any marker to open a popup with the location's name. Click the pencil icon to edit it. You can change the name, add a description (useful for notes like "good parking" or "closed Mondays"), add a photo by uploading one from your computer, or paste a link to a website.
While you are editing, you can also change the marker's appearance. Click the colored circle icon to choose a different color. Click the icon next to it to pick a different symbol — a star, a house, a shopping cart, or many others. These visual changes help you organize your map at a glance. For example, you might use red markers for hotels, blue for restaurants, and green for gas stations on a road trip map.
When you are done editing, click outside the popup or press the back arrow to close it. Your changes save automatically.
Organizing locations into layers
A layer is a group of related locations that you can turn on or off together. Layers help you organize a busy map. For example, on a road trip map, you might have one layer for hotels, one for restaurants, and one for scenic stops.
Look at the left side of the screen. You will see a section labeled "Untitled layer" with a checkbox next to it. Click on "Untitled layer" to rename it — call it "Hotels" or "Day 1 Stops" or whatever makes sense. You can also click the three dots next to the layer name to change its color or delete it.
To add a location to a specific layer, click the marker, then click the pencil icon to edit it. At the bottom of the edit popup, you will see a dropdown menu showing which layer the location belongs to. Click the dropdown and choose a different layer, or create a new one by typing a name.
Once you have multiple layers, you can click the checkbox next to each layer name to hide or show all the markers in that layer at once. This is useful when your map gets crowded.
Sharing your map with others
Click the blue "Share" button near the top right of the page. A popup will appear with sharing options. You can share in two ways.
The first way is to invite specific people. Type their email address in the box labeled "People," and choose whether they can view only or edit the map. If you give someone editor permission, they can add locations, change markers, and edit notes — useful if you are planning a trip with friends. Click "Share" and Google will send them an email with a link to your map.
The second way is to copy a link and send it yourself. Click "Copy link" and paste it into an email, text message, or chat. Anyone with the link can view your map. If you want to let people edit it, make sure you chose "Editor" in the sharing settings before copying the link. You can also change the link to "Restricted" so only people you invited can see it, or "Anyone with the link" so anyone who has the link can view it.
Keeping your map private or changing who can see it
By default, a new map is private — only you can see it. If you share it with someone, they get access only to the people or link you choose. You can change this anytime by clicking "Share" again.
If you want to stop sharing with someone, click "Share," find their name in the list, and click the X next to it. They will no longer be able to see or edit your map. If you shared a link and want to disable it, click "Share" and change the link setting from "Anyone with the link" back to "Restricted."
Remember that if you give someone editor permission, they can change your map — add locations, delete markers, or edit notes. Only share editor access with people you trust to make changes you are comfortable with.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see my custom maps on my phone?
Yes. Open the Google Maps app on your phone, tap the menu (three horizontal lines), and tap "Your places." Tap "Maps" and you will see all your custom maps. Tap one to view it. You can add locations on your phone too by tapping the plus sign, though editing is easier on a computer.
What happens if I delete a location by mistake?
Click the undo arrow at the top of the page (it looks like a curved arrow pointing left) to undo your last action. If you have already closed the map, you can reopen it and add the location again. Deleted locations do not come back automatically, so undo is your best option.
Can I export my map or read it as a file?
Google Maps does not have a built-in read button, but you can take a screenshot of your map or print it to a PDF file. Right-click on the map and choose "Print," then select "Save as PDF" instead of printing to a printer. You can also share the link with someone so they always see the current version.
How many locations can I add to one map?
Google does not publish a hard limit, but maps with thousands of markers can become slow. For most uses — planning a trip, organizing a neighborhood project — you will not hit a problem. If your map gets very large, consider splitting it into multiple maps by topic or region.
Can someone edit my map without me knowing?
If you gave them editor permission, yes — they can add, change, or delete locations. Google does not send you a notification each time someone edits. If you want to track changes, check your map regularly, or only share view-only access and ask people to email you suggestions instead.