Announcement: New basemap styling is coming soon to Google Maps Platform. This update to map styling includes a new default color palette, modernized pins, and improvements to map experiences and usability. All map styles will be automatically updated in March 2025. For more information on availability and how to opt in earlier, see New map style for Google Maps Platform.

Concepts

This section covers various concepts which are essential to using the Maps JavaScript API.

Map types

This page discusses the types of maps you can display using Maps JavaScript API.

Map and tile coordinates

This page explains the coordinate systems Maps JavaScript API uses.

Localizing the map

You can localize your Maps JavaScript API application by changing the default language settings and by specifying a region code, which alters the map's behavior based on a given country or territory.

Versioning

The Maps JavaScript API team regularly updates the API with new features, bug fixes, and performance improvements. You can indicate which version of the API to load within your application by specifying it in the v parameter of the Maps JavaScript API bootstrap request.

URL parameters

This page describes the options you have when loading Maps JavaScript API through the query string of the script loading URL.

Best practices

This page describes best practices with CSS and JavaScript when using Maps JavaScript API.

Using TypeScript

This page describes using TypeScript with Google Maps.

Promises

This page describes using asynchronous methods with Maps JavaScript API.