How to Create a Map in Google Maps: Custom Map Guide

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Pinpoint locations, add routes, and more with this simple walkthrough

Written by Megaera Lorenz, PhD

Last Updated: June 29, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Create a Map
|
• Add Locations
|
• Add a Route
|
• Add Directions
|
• Use Layers
|
• Customize a Map
|
• Save a Map
|
• Share a Map
|
• Video
|
• Q&A

|Show more |Show less

Google's "My Maps" feature allows users to customize a map of an area with points of interest, lines, and directions. You can also adjust 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. You can also view any custom maps you make in the Google Maps mobile app. This wikiHow article teaches you how to create a personalized Google Map.

Creating a Custom Google Map: Quick Steps

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

Steps

Section 1 of 8:

Creating a New Map

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1. 
   1
   Open Google's "My Maps" website. To do so, go 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. You can also view maps you create in My Maps in the Google Maps mobile app.
2. 
   2
   Click GET STARTED. It’s on the left side of the page.

   • If you aren't logged into your Google account already, you'll be prompted to log in in order to continue.
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3. 
   3
   Click CREATE A NEW MAP. You'll find this red button in the upper-left side of the page.
4. 
   4
   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.
5. 
   5
   Rename your map. Click Untitled map in the top-left corner of the page, then type in a new name and click Save.

   • If you like, you can also enter a description of the map in the “Description” text field.
6. 
   6
   Explore the My Maps interface. 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. If you’re using a trackpad, move your fingers closer together or further apart to zoom in or out.
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Section 2 of 8:

Adding Location Markers

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1. 
   1
   Click the marker icon. It's the upside-down teardrop icon below the search bar at the top.
2. 
   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. 
   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.

   • 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.
4. 
   4
   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 (like the house icon if you want to mark a home, or the P icon to mark a parking lot).
5. 
   5
   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. You can also select a marker and hit the Delete key on your keyboard.
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Section 3 of 8:

Adding a Route

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1. 
   1
   Click the "Draw a line" icon. 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 several options will appear.
2. 
   2
   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.
3. 
   3
   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.”
4. 
   4
   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.
5. 
   5
   Double-click where you want the route to end. When you want to end the route, double-click where you want it to stop.
6. 
   6
   Click and drag any point on the route to adjust it. If you want to change your route, you can easily do so by clicking any point on the line and dragging it to a new location. Click and drag the start point (A) or any stops to change the start and end points of the route.
7. 
   7
   Click your route in the sidebar on the left to make edits. Once you create a route, it will appear in the list of layers on the left side of the map. It will be called something generic based on the start and end points of the route (e.g., “Directions from 123 S. Main St. to 456 Western Ave.). Click any of the elements of the route to make edits. For example:

   • Click the name of the route to edit it. Enter a new name in the pop-up (like “Directions to Mom’s House”), then click Save.
   • Click the type of route to change it. For instance, click Driving, then select a different transportation option (like Walking or Bicycling) from the pop-up.
   • Click a stop on the route to change it. You can also click the X next to a stop to delete it.
   • Click Add Destination to add a new stop.
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Section 4 of 8:

Adding Directions

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1. 
   1
   Click the "Add directions" icon. It resembles a forked road with an arrow curving off to the right. 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.

   • This is another method for adding a route to your map. You can edit the resulting route the same way you would if you drew it by hand.
2. 
   2
   Enter the starting address. Do so in the "A" field in the bottom-left side of the page.
3. 
   3
   Type in your directions' ending address. 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.
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Section 5 of 8:

Using Layers

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1. 
   1
   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. Any routes, directions, or location markers you add to the map will also be added to their own layers automatically.
2. 
   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. 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, although you can add stops to existing routes. 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. 
   3
   Change how locations within a layer appear on the map. If you create a layer with multiple location markers, you can customize how the locations appear within the layer and on the map itself. Drag and drop locations in the layer to change the order in which they appear. Click the paint roller icon to see more options. For example:

   • Use the “Group places by” drop-down to change how locations are grouped. You can select options like Individual styles, Uniform style, or Sequence of numbers.
     • Individual styles will mark each location using the custom icon you set for it.
     • Uniform style will cause all locations within that layer to be displayed with the same type of generic marker.
     • Sequence of numbers will mark each location in order with numbered markers (1, 2, 3, etc.). You can drag and drop locations within the layer to change the order of the marker numbers.
   • Use the “Set labels” drop-down to customize how your locations are labeled on the map. No labels will just show the markers, while name will display the name for each marker, and description will show the description.
4. 
   4
   Rename a layer. To rename a layer, click the layer’s name in the left-hand menu (it will be “Untitled layer” by default), type a name for the layer, and click Save.
5. 
   5
   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.
6. 
   6
   Delete a layer. To delete a layer, click the three-dot icon (⋮) next to the layer you want to delete. Then click Delete Layer.

   • You can also use the layer menu to rename your layer. If the layer has a route/directions in it, select Step-by-step directions to view written directions for the route.
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Section 6 of 8:

Change the Map’s Look

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1. 
   1
   Click the arrow icon next to 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. Click the down-arrow icon to open a menu of preset map appearances.
2. 
   2
   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.

   • After you select the thumbnail you want, click the X in the top right corner of the pop-up to close it.
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Section 7 of 8:

Saving a Map

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1. 
   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.

Section 8 of 8:

Sharing and Accessing Custom Maps

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1. 
   1
   Share your map with others. To share your custom map, click the Share option at the top of the left-hand menu bar. If you like, toggle on “Anyone with the link can view” and/or “Let others search for and find this map on the internet.” Click the copy icon (it looks like two overlapping squares) next to the map URL to copy a shareable link. You can also click Share on Drive to share your map with specific contacts.

   • For other sharing options, click the Preview icon at the top of the left-hand menu. In the map preview tab, click Share at the top left side of the page. If your map is set to Public, you can use this menu to share it on social media or via email, or get a code to embed it in a website.
2. 
   2
   Access your map in the Google Maps app. Once your map is saved, you can view it in the Google Maps app on your Android, iPhone, or iPad. To do so:

   • Tap the You tab at the bottom of the screen.
   • Select Maps. It’s a blue button near the bottom of the menu.
   • Select your custom map from the list.
3. 
   3
   Access your map on the web. To view your map in a web browser, go to www.google.com/maps. If you haven’t already, log in with the Google account you used to create the map. Click Saved in the left menu bar, then select the Maps tab and click your map.

   • If you want to edit the map, click Open in My Maps in the left-side menu bar.
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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.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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  Not Helpful 1 Helpful 6
• 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."

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 2 Helpful 2
• Question

  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.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 1 Helpful 2

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