Add Places to Google Maps

Most of the locations you can look up on Google Maps were added by users. The Google Map Maker tool allows you to track your contributions in detail, but you can add a place from the regular website and app as well. Business owners can create a dedicated Google My Business management page to add more information to their map marker.

Steps

Using Google Map Maker

1. Sign in to Google Map Maker. Visit https://www.google.com/mapmaker and sign in to your Google Account.
   • Google Map Maker only lets you make changes to certain countries. If it's not available in your area, the other methods below are unlikely to work, but they may be worth a try.
   • Some users will see a popup appear when they visit the site. You can click "Add place" on this popup to see a step-by-step tutorial.
2. Search for the location. Type an address into the top search bar. If the place you'd like to add doesn't have a street address, search for the nearest location.
3. Switch to satellite view (recommended). Click the satellite view button in the top right corner of the map. This will make it easier to find the exact location you're looking for.
   • If you don't see the place, click and drag on the map to move around.
4. Click Add New, then Add a Place. The red Add New button is just above the map, near the left-hand side. Clicking it should open a short drop-down menu. Select Add a Place from this menu.
   • You also have the option to Add Roads and similar features from this menu.
5. Place the marker on the map. Your cursor should now look like a Google Maps marker when you move it over the map. Click to drop the marker onto the location you're adding.
6. Select a category. In the popup menu's category section, type in a general description of the place. This could be anything from "History Museum" to "ATM." As you type, Google will show you a list of possible options. Select the one that best matches the location.
   • If adding your home address, select the category "Address." Do this only if Google doesn't recognize your address, not to add a personal location such as "My House" or "Sarah's Place."
7. Name the location. Enter the name in the second text field. Press Continue when finished.
8. Fill out more details on the next screen. On the next popup, add as many additional details as you can. Click on the name of a section (such as "Working Hours" or "Phone") to edit that category.
   • Google Maps may try to guess the address for you. If the address is wrong, click it to enter the correct one.
9. Save the location. Once you're done adding information, click Save. You'll receive an email once a moderator or regional lead approves your addition. Once that happens, it should be visible on Google Maps within a few hours. It may take longer to show up on the mobile app or other Google products.
   • Be patient, as it may take a while for the moderation team to check the location. If you want to follow up on your submission contact your regional lead.

Using a Web Browser

1. Find your location. Log in to https://www.google.com/maps/ and search for the address of the place you'd like to add. If it doesn't have an address, search for the nearest street, then drag the map to find the place you're looking for.
   • Switching to Satellite view helps you find the precise location.
2. Press the menu icon. This is the "hamburger" icon made from three horizontal lines. You can find it in the top left corner, directly to the left of the search bar.
3. Send feedback. The "Send feedback" option is one of the last ones, near the bottom of the menu.
   • If you see "Send general feedback" instead, you are in Lite mode. Before you continue, find the lightning bolt in the lower right corner of the map. Click this and select "Switch to the full version of Google Maps."
4. Add a missing place. Select "Add a missing place" and fill out the form with as much information as you can.
   • If you are adding your own business, click Claim this business at the lower left corner of this form.
5. Submit the form. After pressing Submit, your suggestion will be sent to Google Maps moderators. Once they verify that the information is accurate, they will send you an email and add the place to the public map.

Using the Google Maps App

1. Search for an address. Launch the Google Maps app. Search for the address of the place you'd like to add.
2. Add a missing place. If this option is available in your region, you can access it in one of two ways:
   • Touch the menu icon, then select "Add a missing place."
   • Tap directly on the address to bring up a description. If it doesn't have a name, touch "Add a missing place."
3. Fill out the submission form. The place name, address, and category are all required fields. Phone number and website are optional, but useful if the location is a business. Once you submit this form, the map moderators will review it for accuracy and add it to the map. You should receive an email once this happens.

Adding Your Business to Google Maps

1. Get started at Google My Business. Launch a web browser and visit Google’s My Business page. If you are the business owner, you may log in using your personal Google account. If you'd rather keep the accounts separate, create a new one. Once you're logged in, click Get On Google.
   • This should work on a mobile browser as well, or via the Google My Business mobile app. However, some advanced features may only be available from a desktop.
2. Search for your listing. Type in the name or address of your business into the search field. If Google can't find it, search for another address nearby.
3. Add your business. Take a moment to look through the list of Google's suggestions, as another user may have added your business already. If your business is not listed, select "This doesn't match: Add your business."
4. Complete the form. Type in the name you’d like to give your place, its complete address, phone number, and a category you think your listing would belong to, such as Florist or Pizzeria. Click on the “Continue” button to proceed to the next step.
   • If you are a delivery service and do not receive customers at your address, check the box next to "I deliver goods and services to my customers at their location."
5. Agree to the terms and conditions. Check the “Terms and Conditions” box, and click the “Continue” button to complete the submission.
6. Verify your business. You may need to verify your business before the new place can be found and viewed by other Google Maps users. This may appear immediately after submitting the previous form. If not, log in to your Google My Business account, choose the business you're verifying, and click "Verify now." Follow the onscreen instructions to complete this process.
   • Google verifies most businesses by postcard. After receiving this postcard, log back in and enter the unique code on your business dashboard.
   • Some businesses have the option to receive a code by text instead. If you don't see this option, it is not available for your business.
   • If you have already used the same account to verify your business website with Google's Search Console, your business should be verified automatically.

Adding Ten or More of Your Business Locations

1. Familiarize yourself with Google My Business. If you do not already have an account with Google My Business, set this up now here. Use the following steps only if you manage businesses with ten or more locations. In all other situations, you'll need to add your businesses one by one using the method above.
2. Download the spreadsheet template. Once logged in, navigate to Google My Business Locations, then to the Import locations screen. Click "Download the template" to download a .csv file and open it with any spreadsheet program.
   • You can also create your own if you follow the same formatting described below. The file format should be .xls, .xlsx, .ods, .csv, .txt, or .tsv.
3. Provide the following information. You should see a file with the following nine column headers: Store Code, Name, Address Line 1, City, State, Postal Code, Country, Primary Phone, and Primary Category. Place each business location on one row, filling out the information under the appropriate headers. Google provides detailed guidelines on its website, but here are the most important tips:
   • Under Store Code, give each of your business locations a unique identifier. For example, if all of your businesses are coffee shops that share the same name, designate each Store Code as JoeCoffee1, JoeCoffee2, and so on. Avoid special characters and leading or trailing spaces.
   • Some fields have a 60 character maximum, while others have an 80 character maximum.
   • If your postal code begins with 0, make sure your spreadsheet formatting does not delete that digit.
   • You may use the full name of your country, or look up its ISO 3166-1 two-letter country code.
4. Import the file. Save the spreadsheet and return to your browser. Visit your Google My Business locations page. Click the three-line menu icon, then Import Locations, then Select File to Import. Follow the onscreen instructions to fix any spreadsheet errors, preview the data, and "Apply" once everything looks right.
5. Verify. It's a good idea to wait at least an hour to make sure your changes went through before you start verification. When ready, click the blue verification icon in the top right corner of your business locations page. Fill out every field of this form as accurately as you can. It may take up to a week to verify your businesses.

Tips

• If you're not sure which name to use for a place, refer to this guide.
• Google Maps does not display ATMs that are located inside banks.
• You can earn badges by contributing to Google Map Maker. Other users will see these badges when hovering over your username.

Warnings

• Google Maps does not list places without a permanent location, illegal businesses, sensitive military information, or celebrity homes.

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• Read a Map

Sources and Citations

See also

• Use Google Maps
• Get Bus Directions on Google Maps
• Get Driving Distance Data for Multiple Point on Google Maps or Other Map Services
• Add Google Maps to Your Website or Blog
• Create a Google Map With Excel Data and Fusion Tables
• Find Your House Online with Google Maps
• Add a Marker in Google Maps
• Add Multiple Destinations on Google Maps
• Get Latitude and Longitude from Google Maps
• Geocode an Address in Google Maps Javascript

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