Free Tool

Free Google Maps Link Generator

Create a Google Maps link for a place, address or coordinates - search, directions, map view or Street View - using Google's official Maps URLs. Get the Android geo: link, Apple Maps link, embed code and QR code too.

Place, address or lat,lng

Place ID (optional, from the Places API)

Type a place name, a full address, or coordinates. DMS such as 40°26'46"N 79°58'56"W converts to decimal automatically. Links follow Google's Maps URLs API (api=1) and open the Maps app on phones. For a review link, use /tools/google-review-qr-code.

Your Google Maps link, Android geo: link, Apple Maps link, HTML snippet and QR code appear here as you type.

No signup required

Free forever

GDPR compliant

Quick Answer

A Google Maps link generator builds a URL in Google's Maps URLs format, for example https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Eiffel+Tower or https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=48.8584,2.2945&travelmode=walking. Type a place, address or lat,lng, pick search, directions, map or Street View, and copy a link that opens the Maps app on phones and the website on desktop.

Quick Facts

Every link uses Google's documented Maps URLs API: api=1 is required, and the four actions are /maps/search/, /maps/dir/, /maps/@?map_action=map and /maps/@?map_action=pano.
Directions accept origin, destination, travelmode (driving, walking, bicycling, transit, two-wheeler), up to 9 pipe-separated waypoints (3 on mobile browsers), avoid=tolls,highways,ferries and dir_action=navigate.
Leave origin blank and Google Maps starts directions from the user's current location - the right choice for 'get directions to us' links.
Coordinates are lat,lng in decimal degrees: latitude -90 to 90, longitude -180 to 180. Five decimal places locate a point to about 1.1 m.
Map view takes center, zoom 0-21, basemap (roadmap, satellite, terrain) and layer (transit, traffic, bicycling). Street View takes viewpoint, heading -180 to 360, pitch -90 to 90 and fov 10-100.
Google Maps' own Share button produces maps.app.goo.gl short links you cannot edit or track; a U2L short link in front of an api=1 URL is editable and counts clicks.
Everything is built in your browser. No API key, no Google request, nothing sent to U2L.

How to create a Google Maps link

Pick a mode, enter the place, copy the link.

1
Choose what the link should do
Place opens a pin and the place card. Directions opens a route to your destination, from the user's current location unless you set an origin. Map view centers the map on coordinates at a zoom level. Street View opens a panorama at a viewpoint.
2
Enter a place, address or coordinates
Type anything you would type into the Maps search box: a business name with its city, a full street address, or coordinates as lat,lng. Degrees-minutes-seconds like 40°26'46"N 79°58'56"W are converted to decimal for you. Out-of-range coordinates show a note.
3
Set options
For directions choose the travel mode, add waypoints one per line, tick roads to avoid, or turn on Start navigation to launch turn-by-turn on phones. For map view set zoom, base map and layer. For Street View set heading, pitch and field of view.
4
Copy, open, shorten or print
Copy the Google Maps link, test it with Open in Maps, or click Shorten with U2L for a short branded link. The Android geo: link, Apple Maps link, HTML anchor and embed iframe are ready below it, and the QR code downloads as PNG for signage and invitations.

What is a Google Maps Link Generator?

Google Maps Link Generator is a browser tool that assembles Google Maps URLs in the format Google documents for cross-platform links - the api=1 family under google.com/maps - so one link opens the right place, route, map view or Street View panorama in the Maps app on Android and iOS and in the browser everywhere else.

Google publishes the Maps URLs API for exactly this purpose: a universal, key-free URL scheme that works the same on every platform. The base is https://www.google.com/maps/ followed by an action path and a query string that starts with api=1. Search takes a query, directions take origin and destination, map display takes a center and zoom, and Street View takes a viewpoint. Because the parameters are plain text, the links are deterministic: the same inputs always produce the same URL, and you can build them by hand, in a spreadsheet, or with this tool.

That differs from the links Google Maps hands you when you press Share. Those are maps.app.goo.gl short codes that redirect to an internal URL with a place token and view state baked in. They are convenient in chat but opaque: you cannot see what they point at, edit the destination, or count how many people opened them. An api=1 URL is readable and editable, and if you want a short version you can put a branded U2L short link in front of it and keep click statistics.

The tool also produces the two platform-specific alternatives people ask for. Android's geo: URI (RFC 5870, with Android's ?q= extension) opens whichever maps app the user prefers rather than Google Maps specifically. Apple Maps accepts https://maps.apple.com/?q=, ?daddr= and ?ll= links that open natively on iPhone and Mac. For web pages there is an HTML anchor snippet and an iframe embed, and for print there is a QR code of the Google link.

How does a Google Maps Link Generator work?

Input handling comes first. Each place field is tested against a coordinate pattern: two decimal numbers separated by a comma or space, or a degrees-minutes-seconds string with N/S and E/W hemispheres. DMS is converted with decimal = degrees + minutes/60 + seconds/3600, negated for S and W, and rounded to six decimal places (about 11 cm). Latitude outside -90 to 90 or longitude outside -180 to 180 triggers a note instead of a broken link. Anything that is not a coordinate is treated as free text and passed to Google as-is, which is what the Maps URLs API expects for place names and addresses.

The Google URL is then built with URLSearchParams, which applies the encoding rules in Google's documentation: spaces become +, commas in coordinates become %2C, the | that separates waypoints becomes %7C, and everything else outside the unreserved set is percent-encoded as UTF-8. Search mode emits /maps/search/?api=1&query=... and adds query_place_id when you supply a place ID from the Places API, which pins the exact business instead of the closest text match. Directions mode emits /maps/dir/?api=1 with origin (omitted when blank so Maps uses the user's location), destination, travelmode, an optional dir_action=navigate, up to nine waypoints joined by | in the order you typed them, and avoid=tolls,highways,ferries as a comma-separated list.

Map view emits /maps/@?api=1&map_action=map&center=lat,lng with zoom (0 is the whole world, 21 is a single building, 15 is the default), basemap when it is not roadmap, and layer when it is not none. Street View emits /maps/@?api=1&map_action=pano&viewpoint=lat,lng and validates heading (-180 to 360 degrees clockwise from north), pitch (-90 straight down to 90 straight up) and fov (10 to 100 degrees, narrower means more zoom). Google's documentation caps URLs at 2,048 characters; with nine long addresses as waypoints you can approach that, which is another reason to shorten.

The companion outputs derive from the same inputs. The geo: URI is geo:lat,lng?q=lat,lng when you gave coordinates and geo:0,0?q=Place+name for text, the form Android's intent system resolves to any installed maps app. The Apple Maps link uses ?ll= for coordinates, ?q= for text, ?daddr= and ?saddr= for directions, and maps dirflg=d, w or r to driving, walking and transit (Apple documents no bicycling flag, so that mode is omitted). The iframe snippet uses the legacy maps.google.com/maps?q=...&output=embed endpoint, which needs no key but is not documented by Google; the supported Maps Embed API requires a key. Finally the QR code encodes the Google link with qr-code-styling at error-correction level M and downloads as PNG.

Use Cases

How marketers, businesses, and developers use google maps link generator.

Google Maps link for a business

Put a 'Get directions' link on your website, email signature and social profiles that opens a route to your shop from wherever the customer is. Use directions mode with the origin blank and your full address or coordinates as the destination. For collecting reviews you need a different link - the Business Profile review URL - which /tools/google-review-qr-code builds.

Directions in invitations and event emails

Wedding, conference and party invitations work better with a link than an address. A directions link opens the venue in the guest's maps app with one tap, and a walking or transit travel mode helps for city venues. Pair it with /tools/event-qr-code-generator for the printed invitation and /tools/add-to-calendar-link-generator for the date.

Google Maps URL with coordinates

Trailheads, campsites, boat ramps, field sites and rural properties often have no address. A coordinates link points at the exact spot rather than the nearest road Google guesses. Enter lat,lng with five or six decimals; DMS from a GPS device is converted automatically. Map view with the terrain base map suits hiking meetups.

Store signage and printed QR codes

Print a QR code that opens directions to your next location, a parking entrance or a pickup point. Download the PNG from the tool, or shorten the link with U2L first so the code has fewer modules and you can change the destination later without reprinting. The dedicated /tools/location-qr-code-generator adds styling options.

Delivery and field-service dispatch

Send drivers and technicians a link with the stop already set and dir_action=navigate so turn-by-turn starts on tap. Add up to nine waypoints for a multi-stop run and avoid=tolls when the company does not reimburse them. Coordinates avoid ambiguity for industrial addresses that geocode poorly.

Real estate and property listings

Link each listing to a map view centered on the property at zoom 17 with the satellite base map so buyers see the plot, plus a Street View link with the heading set toward the front of the house. Both are plain URLs that work in listing sites and email without an API key.

Travel itineraries and guides

Bloggers and tour operators can give readers a directions link per leg of an itinerary with walking or transit mode, and a search link per restaurant with the city name included so Google resolves the right branch. The links are text, so they paste into Notion, Google Docs and PDFs.

Embedding a map on a web page

The iframe snippet drops a map into a contact page without a developer account. It uses the legacy output=embed endpoint, so treat it as best-effort; for a supported embed with a place card, use Google's Maps Embed API with a key. The HTML anchor snippet is the reliable option for a text link.

Support articles and internal wikis

Office locations, parking instructions and meeting-point guides read better with a map link than a pasted address. A search link with query_place_id keeps pointing at the right building even when the company shares its street name with another business.

Google Maps Link Generator vs Alternatives

Side-by-side feature and pricing comparison with the top alternatives.

Feature	Flyn	directionslinkgenerator.com	Google Maps Share button
Free, no signup
Search, directions, map view and Street View	Search, directions, coordinates	Directions only	Whatever is on screen
Travel mode, waypoints, avoid, navigate	Travel mode		Varies
Android geo: and Apple Maps links
DMS to decimal conversion
HTML anchor and embed snippet			Embed only
QR code download	Via short link
Editable short link with click stats	Flyn links		maps.app.goo.gl, not editable

Google Maps Link Generator vs Google Maps Share button (maps.app.goo.gl)

Pressing Share in Google Maps gives you a short maps.app.goo.gl link that captures exactly what is on screen, including a specific place listing. It is the fastest way to send a location to a friend and it opens the app on both platforms.

It is not a good link to publish. You cannot read the destination from it, edit it if the place moves, or see how many people used it, and Google's own help forum has threads asking whether these links expire. An api=1 URL is transparent and editable, and a U2L short link in front of it gives you a memorable branded address plus click counts.

Google Maps Link Generator vs Apple Maps links and geo: URIs

Apple Maps links (maps.apple.com/?daddr=...) open natively on iPhone and Mac, and Android's geo: URI opens the user's default maps app instead of forcing Google Maps. Both are better for audiences you know are on one platform or who prefer another app.

The Google api=1 link is the safer default for a mixed audience: it opens the Google Maps app where installed and the website everywhere else, including on desktop, where geo: links do nothing and Apple Maps links only work on macOS. This tool produces all three so you can use the Google link publicly and the others where they fit.

Best Practices

Include the city in place names

'Starbucks' resolves to whatever Google thinks is nearest the user, which changes per person. 'Starbucks, 1912 Pike Place, Seattle' resolves to one branch. For businesses with common names, a full address or a place ID is the only reliable input.

Use coordinates where addresses fail

Rural, new-build and industrial addresses often geocode to the wrong spot. Coordinates with five decimals put the pin within about a metre. Get them by right-clicking the spot in Google Maps and copying the lat,lng shown at the top of the menu.

Leave origin blank for customer links

A directions link without an origin starts from the user's current location, which is what someone tapping 'Get directions' expects. Only set an origin for fixed routes such as 'from the airport to the hotel' or a delivery run.

Use dir_action=navigate sparingly

Start navigation launches turn-by-turn immediately on phones, which is ideal for drivers who have already committed to the trip. For a website link, most visitors want to see the route first, so leave it off there.

Shorten before printing or sharing widely

A directions link with an address runs to 100 or more characters and a nine-waypoint route to several hundred. A U2L short link is easy to type from a sign, produces a cleaner QR code, and lets you re-point it if the venue changes without reprinting.

Set a heading in Street View links

Without a heading, Street View faces whichever way the camera car drove. Set heading to the compass bearing from the viewpoint toward your entrance (0 north, 90 east, 180 south, 270 west) so the link opens looking at the right door.

Test on a phone and a desktop

The same link opens the Maps app on phones and the website on desktop. Check both once: a place name that resolves fine on desktop can still be ambiguous in the app, and a two-wheeler travel mode is only available in some countries.

Prefer the HTML anchor to the embed

The anchor snippet is a plain link that never breaks. The output=embed iframe relies on a legacy endpoint Google does not document and may change. If you need a supported embedded map, use Google's Maps Embed API with a key and a referrer restriction.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Swapping latitude and longitude

Google expects lat,lng. Pasting lng,lat from a GeoJSON file or a GIS export puts your pin in the ocean or triggers the range check. Latitude is the first number and is never more than 90.

Omitting api=1

Without api=1 Google ignores the parameters and opens a default map. Every link here includes it, but if you edit a URL by hand, keep it as the first parameter.

Using a review link for directions

The review URL from Google Business Profile opens the write-a-review dialog, not a route. They are different links. Build the directions link here and the review link with /tools/google-review-qr-code.

Expecting waypoints to work everywhere

Google allows up to 9 waypoints on desktop and in the apps but only 3 in mobile browsers. Waypoints must be used with both an origin-less or explicit origin and a destination; a link with waypoints but no destination is invalid.

Printing a maps.app.goo.gl link

Google's share links are meant for chat. They are not editable, offer no click data, and community reports suggest they can stop working. Print an api=1 link, or better, a short branded link that you control.

Relying on the embed iframe for production

The key-free output=embed endpoint has worked for years but is unsupported and can change without notice. Use it for a personal site or a quick prototype; use the Maps Embed API for anything a business depends on.

Technical Specifications

Search	https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=<place or lat,lng>[&query_place_id=]
Directions	https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&origin=&destination=&travelmode=&waypoints=a\|b&avoid=&dir_action=navigate
Map view	https://www.google.com/maps/@?api=1&map_action=map&center=lat,lng&zoom=0-21&basemap=&layer=
Street View	https://www.google.com/maps/@?api=1&map_action=pano&viewpoint=lat,lng&heading=&pitch=&fov=
Android	geo:lat,lng?q=lat,lng or geo:0,0?q=<place> (RFC 5870 + Android q extension)
Apple Maps	https://maps.apple.com/?q= \| ?ll=lat,lng&z= \| ?saddr=&daddr=&dirflg=d\|w\|r
Coordinate input	Decimal lat,lng or DMS (40°26'46"N 79°58'56"W); ranges validated
URL limit	2,048 characters per Google's documentation
Privacy	Built in the browser; no Google or U2L request

Industry-Specific Use Cases

Restaurants and retail

A directions link in the Instagram bio, on the website and in order confirmations, plus a QR code on the window for the second location. Coordinates for the parking entrance avoid sending drivers to the front door on a pedestrian street.

Events and venues

Transit-mode directions for city venues, walking directions from the nearest station, and a Street View link facing the entrance so guests recognize it. Shorten each link for the printed program and track which one guests actually used.

Real estate

Map view at zoom 17 with the satellite base map for the plot, Street View for the frontage, and a directions link for the open house. All three are plain URLs that listing portals accept in the description.

Logistics and field service

Coordinate-based destination links with dir_action=navigate and up to nine waypoints per run, sent to drivers by SMS. Avoid tolls or ferries by policy with the avoid parameter.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Google Maps link generator?

It is a tool that builds Google Maps URLs in the documented Maps URLs API format (api=1) so a link opens a place, a route, a map view or a Street View panorama in the Maps app on phones and in the browser on desktop. This one also outputs geo:, Apple Maps, HTML and embed versions and a QR code.

How do I create a Google Maps link to a specific location?

Choose Place, type the name with its city or the full address, and copy the link. It has the form https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Your+Address. For an exact business, add the place ID; for a spot with no address, enter lat,lng coordinates.

How do I make a Google Maps directions link?

Choose Directions, enter the destination and leave origin blank so the route starts from the user's location. The link has the form https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Your+Address&travelmode=driving. Tick Start navigation to launch turn-by-turn on phones.

Can I create a Google Maps URL with coordinates?

Yes. Enter latitude,longitude in decimal degrees (48.8584, 2.2945) in any mode, or paste degrees-minutes-seconds and the tool converts it. Five decimal places give about 1.1 m precision. Latitude must be -90 to 90 and longitude -180 to 180.

Will the link open the Google Maps app?

On Android and iOS the api=1 links open the Google Maps app when it is installed and the mobile website when it is not. On desktop they open maps in the browser. That is the behavior Google documents for the Maps URLs API and it needs no special handling.

What are the Google Maps URL parameters?

api=1 (required), then per action: query and query_place_id for search; origin, destination, travelmode, waypoints, avoid and dir_action for directions; center, zoom, basemap and layer for map display; viewpoint or pano, heading, pitch and fov for Street View. Values are URL-encoded.

How many waypoints can a Google Maps directions link have?

Up to 9 in the Maps apps and desktop browser, and 3 in mobile browsers. Separate them with a pipe character, which the tool encodes as %7C. Waypoints are visited in the order given, between the origin and the destination.

Why does my link open the wrong place?

The query was ambiguous. A business name alone resolves to the nearest match for each user. Add the city and street, use the full address, supply a place ID with query_place_id, or switch to coordinates. Test the link on a phone away from your own location if you can.

Why does my coordinates link show a note about range?

Latitude and longitude are probably swapped, or a value is outside -90 to 90 or -180 to 180. Google expects latitude first. GeoJSON and many GIS exports list longitude first, so reverse the pair.

Why does Street View open facing the wrong way?

No heading was set, so the panorama uses the camera's default orientation. Set heading to the bearing from the viewpoint to your entrance (0 north, 90 east, 180 south, 270 west) and, if needed, pitch to tilt up toward a sign.

What is the difference between a Google Maps link and a maps.app.goo.gl share link?

maps.app.goo.gl links are opaque short codes Google generates from the Share button; they cannot be edited or tracked. api=1 links are readable URLs built from parameters you control. Put a U2L short link in front of an api=1 URL when you want something short and trackable.

Google Maps link vs Apple Maps link: which should I use?

Use the Google api=1 link as the default: it works on every platform including desktop. Offer the Apple Maps link alongside it for iPhone-heavy audiences, and the geo: link in Android apps or NFC tags where you want the user's preferred maps app to open.

Can I embed the map without an API key?

The tool provides an iframe using maps.google.com/maps?q=...&output=embed, a legacy endpoint that needs no key but is not documented by Google and may change. For a supported embed, Google's Maps Embed API requires a key. For a text link, use the HTML anchor snippet.

Does the tool need a Google API key?

No. The Maps URLs API is a plain URL scheme with no key, quota or billing. Only the official embed and the Places API (for finding place IDs) require a key, and neither is needed for the links this tool produces.

Is my location or address sent anywhere?

No. The tool builds the URLs in your browser from what you type. It does not call Google, does not geocode, and sends nothing to U2L unless you click Shorten with U2L or Open in Maps.

Is the Google Maps link generator free?

Yes. It is free with no signup and no limit on links or QR downloads. Shortening with U2L is optional; anonymous short links are rate-limited and a free account removes that and adds click statistics.

Can I make a Google Maps link for my business reviews?

Not with this tool. Review links use a different URL from Google Business Profile that opens the write-a-review dialog. Use /tools/google-review-qr-code for that, and use this tool for the 'Get directions' link next to it.

How do I convert DMS coordinates to decimal for Google Maps?

Decimal = degrees + minutes/60 + seconds/3600, negative for south and west. 40°26'46"N 79°58'56"W becomes 40.446111,-79.982222. Paste the DMS string into any coordinate field here and the conversion happens automatically.

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Key Terms

Maps URLs API: Google's documented, key-free URL scheme (api=1) for launching search, directions, map display and Street View across platforms.
Place ID: A textual identifier for a specific place in Google's database, such as ChIJLU7jZClu5kcR4PcOOO6p3I0, used with query_place_id to pin an exact business.
geo: URI: The RFC 5870 URI scheme for geographic locations (geo:lat,lng). Android extends it with ?q= and opens it in the user's default maps app.
Travel mode: The routing profile for directions: driving, walking, bicycling, transit or two-wheeler (available in some countries).
DMS: Degrees, minutes, seconds notation for coordinates, e.g. 40°26'46"N. Converted to decimal degrees for URLs.
Heading, pitch, fov: Street View camera controls: compass direction (-180 to 360), vertical tilt (-90 to 90) and horizontal field of view (10 to 100 degrees).

Give your location a short link you control

Google Maps URLs are long and share links are opaque. Shorten your directions link with U2L for a branded address that fits on a sign, a business card or a QR code, counts every tap, and can be re-pointed when you move. Sign up free.