How to Make a Personalized Map in Google Maps

Google's "My Maps" feature allows users to customize a map of an area with points of interest, lines, and directions. You can also select how the map looks. Although there is no mobile version of Google's map-making feature, you can create a map on any computer using Google's My Maps site. This wikiHow article teaches you how to create a personalized Google Map.

Creating a Custom Google Map: Quick Steps

Go to google.com/maps/about/mymaps and click GET STARTED.
Click CREATE A NEW MAP.
Name your map.
Click the pushpin icon to mark locations.
Click the Draw a Line tool to add a route.
Use different layers to hide and show different aspects of the map.

Section 1 of 7:

Creating a New Map

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1
Open Google's "My Maps" website. To do so to google.com/maps/about/mymaps in a web browser.
- Currently, there is no My Maps mobile app available. However, you can use the Google Maps app to save maps for offline use.
2
Click GET STARTED. It’s in the center of the page.
- If you aren't logged into your Google account, you'll be prompted to log in with your Google account in order to continue.
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You'll find this red button in the upper-left side of the page.^{[1]
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Click Create. You’ll see a pop-up informing you that the map title, thumbnail image, and metadata will be uploaded to your personal Google Drive. Click Create to continue.
Click Untitled map in the top-left corner of the page, then type in a new name and click Save.
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Learning your way around the map. Now that you've created a map, here are some navigation tips before you start adding locations:
- Navigate to a location. Click the search bar at the top of the page, type in an address or the name of a place, and press Enter. You can also click a specific location below the search bar after typing in an approximate location.
- Adjust the map position. You can move around the map by clicking and dragging to adjust the position.
- Zoom in and out. You can roll your mouse wheel to zoom in and out, or click the plus (+) and minus (-) icons in the lower-right corner.

Section 2 of 7:

Adding Location Markers

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Click the marker icon. It's the upside-down teardrop icon below the search bar at the top.
2
Click somewhere on the map. This will place a map marker icon on the map.
- Alternatively, you can enter an address or the name of a location in the search bar at the top. Click the green icon on the map, then click Add to map.
3
Type a name for the location. You’ll see a pop-up window above the location you clicked. Enter a name for the location and click Save.^{[2]
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- To change the name of a location, click the map marker on the map. Then click the pencil icon at the bottom of the pop-up window. Enter a new name and click Save.
- You can also add a photo or video to a location. To do so, click the camera icon on the right side of the pop-up window or at the bottom. Select a video or photo to upload.
- Additionally, you can add notes to a marker by typing them in the large text field.
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Change the marker icon. To change the marker icon, click the marker on the map. Then click the paint bucket icon at the bottom of the pop-up window. You can select a new color for the marker, or you can click a different icon in the menu.
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Delete a marker. To do so, click the marker you want to delete, then click the trashcan icon at the bottom of the pop-up window.

Section 3 of 7:

Adding a Route

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Click the icon that resembles three dots connected by a line. It’s below the search bar at the top. A drop-down menu with the following options will appear:^{[3]
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Click a line option. Doing so will change your mouse cursor into a crosshair that you can use to create your line(s). The line options are as follows:
- Add line or shape — Allows you to outline an area or measure the distance between two points.
- Add driving route — Allows you to draw lines that snap to roads between two or more points.
- Add biking route — Allows you to draw lines that snap to roads between two or more points.
- Add walking route — Allows you to draw lines that snap to roads between two or more points.
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Click a starting point. Click the starting point of the line or route on the map. The starting point will be marked with an “A.”
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Add a stop to the route (optional). You can add multiple stops to your route. To do so, simply click where you want the next stop to be on the map. You can add as many stops as you need.
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Double-click where you want the route to end. When you want to end the route, double-click where you want it to stop.
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Name the route. Enter a name for your line or route, then press Enter.
- To adjust the route, simply click and drag the line on the map. Double-click a stop to remove it.

Section 4 of 7:

Adding Directions

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It resembles a curving arrow. You'll find it to the right of the "Draw a line" icon below the search bar at the top. Doing so will bring up an "A" field and a "B" field in the bottom-left side of the page. Entering a starting and stopping address will create directions automatically.^{[4]
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Do so in the "A" field in the bottom-left side of the page.
This goes in the "B" field in the bottom-left side of the page. Doing so will create a line between the "A" and "B" addresses with directions.

Section 5 of 7:

Using Layers

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Click Add Layer. It’s in the menu bar to the left. You can use layers to organize different types of information. For example, you can have one layer for office locations and another layer for customer addresses.
2
Add locations to the layer. To do so, click the layer in the menu bar to the left. Then click the map marker icon below the search bar. Then click where you want to add a location and give the location a name.
- You can also add lines to a layer.
- You can’t add a route or driving directions to an existing layer. Routes and directions will be added as a separate layer automatically.
- You can also add locations by importing a spreadsheet with address data. To do so, click Import below a layer after creating it. Then select your spreadsheet with the location data.
3
Rename a layer. To rename a layer, double-click the layer in the left-hand menu, type a name for the layer, and click Save.
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Turn layers on and off. To toggle a layer on or off, simply click the checkbox next to the layer in the menu to the left. Uncheck the box to hide the layer from the map. Check the box to show the layer on the map.
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Delete a layer. To delete a layer, click the three-dot icon (⋮) next to the layer you want to delete. Then click Delete Layer.

Section 6 of 7:

Change the Map’s Look

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Click Base Map. It’s at the bottom of the menu to the left. If you have lots of layers, you’ll need to scroll down to the bottom to see this option.
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Click one of the thumbnail images. You’ll see a few different thumbnail images that preview how the map will look. Click one of the thumbnail images. You can select the basic map, satellite map, terrain map, and a few different atlas styles.^{[5]
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Section 7 of 7:

Saving a Map

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Close the web page with your map. You can either close your web browser or close the tab that has your map. As long as you're connected to the Internet, your changes will be saved in Google Drive.
- You can open your map at any time by visiting google.com/maps/about/mymaps in a web browser and selecting the map you want to open.

Community Q&A

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Question

How do I add pictures to my map if they are not on the internet (no URL)?

SlipSerum

Community Answer

Go to your map and select a place. Click on the picture of a camera. Then, drag (or select) the image in the "Upload" category.

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Question

How do I embed a map that I create on my website?

Community Answer

When you preview it, or if someone else sees it/clicks on the link, below the overall description there will be a "Share" button. Click on that, and a menu will pop up. One of the choices is "Embed on my site."

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How do I add audio to my map?

Community Answer

You can not directly add audio to a map. You can, however, embed a map on your website (see above), and alongside it include a standard HTML5 audio tag which can then play any audio you would like.

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