If you want to use one of these products in your work, review these guidelines to see if your specific use is allowed and whether you need to submit a request for approval.
You generally don’t need to submit a request to use our mapping products for the purposes covered in these guidelines. As long as you’re following our Terms of Service and these guidelines, as well as attributing properly, feel free to move forward with your project. But do continue to read these guidelines thoroughly to make sure your use is permitted. If your use isn’t allowed, we’re not able to grant exceptions, so please don’t submit a request.
For commercial uses where our mapping products are used for revenue-generating purposes, such as integrating Google Maps or Street View into a mobile or web app, use Google Maps Platform instead.
Your use of our content may be acceptable under principles of fair use (or other similar concepts in other countries). Fair use is a concept under copyright law in the U.S. that, generally speaking, permits you to use a copyrighted work in certain ways without obtaining a license from the copyright holder. Google can’t tell you if your use of this content would be fair use. You may wish to obtain your own legal advice.
You may annotate our maps with additional information – like points, lines, or labels. In fact, many of our tools have built-in features that make it easy to do just that. For example, Google My Maps lets you draw lines and shapes on a Google map. We also offer a Styling Wizard and a cloud-based styling tool that allow you to edit the colors of individual map components (for example, changing water to purple), as well as toggle visibility for each component (for example, making roads invisible).
If neither of those fit your needs, you may export an image from Google Earth or Earth Studio, or capture a screenshot from Google Maps, to add custom labels or graphics using third-party software.
While we encourage annotations, you must not significantly alter how Google Maps, Google Earth, Earth Studio, or Street View would look online. For example, you’re not allowed to make any changes to the colors of the product interface or remove attribution.
For Google Earth and Earth Studio content, you’re not allowed to significantly alter our imagery without providing clear context that it’s a simulation, projection, or fictional content.
Our trademarks are our valuable assets, and we want to make sure our users and partners use them correctly. These trademarks include the Google Earth word mark, Google Maps word mark, Google Earth logo, Google Maps logo, Google Maps red pin element, Street View word mark, Street View icon, Pegman word mark, the Pegman logo, Local Guides icon, and the Plus Codes logo.
You may use our trademarks to accurately refer to our products or services, as long as such references are appropriate and consistent with our trademark guidelines. You may only use approved versions of our marks, and you must follow all of the general trademark usage guidelines, the Google Maps Platform Terms of Service, and the Street View Trusted badge usage guidelines. The trademark usage guidelines apply even to marks that were previously (but are no longer) used in connection with our products.
Refer to our brand elements guidelines for more information about using our icons, logos, and names.
Google Maps
You may print Google Maps content for non-commercial or personal use (for example, a map with directions). In all uses where you’ll distribute printed materials that include the content, first be sure to read the general guidelines above, especially with regard to fair use and attribution.
Even if your use isn’t covered by fair use or some other doctrine, you can still use our content without submitting a request as long as you follow these guidelines. Note that we’re not able to grant exceptions to these rules.
Inside of books, including textbooks (up to 5k copies)
Periodicals (Newspapers, magazines, journals, etc.)
Business documents such as company reports, proposals, presentations, etc.
Supplemental navigational use in printed promotional materials, such as business cards, pamphlets, handouts, flyers, etc. (up to 5k copies)
Example: A local dentist’s office using a small map at the bottom of a mail ad to show where it’s located
Print links to a Google Maps location, such as with short links or QR codes
Inside of books (more than 5k copies), or as cover art for a book
Used as the core part of printed navigational material (for example, tour books or guide books).
Consumer & retail goods or packaging (t-shirts, beach towels, shower curtains, mugs, posters, stationery, etc.)
Primary or creative use in printed promotional or advertising materials:
Example: A full-page magazine ad for a car company using a Google Maps screenshot to show how far the car can travel
If you simply need to embed a Google map on your website, you don’t need our permission. You’re also welcome to link to Google Maps with text or a button on your website, such as “View on Google Maps” or “Open with Google Maps.”
If you need more integrated uses of our products for commercial use, we have multiple APIs available through Google Maps Platform to help you build and embed custom maps for your website or mobile app. When using these APIs, certain restrictions may apply.
If you’d like to use our content in a digital advertisement, please first review the general guidelines, especially with regard to attribution. Any use of Google Maps in digital advertisements must not significantly alter how the products and imagery would look online. See Personalizing your map for specifics.
If you’re using Google Maps for film or television (including streaming services) – for example, if an actor uses Google Maps on a phone, or an interview subject demonstrates how they used Google Maps in their research – you should submit your project for approval according to the guidelines on the Entertainment and Media page.
If you’re using Google Maps content in an online video (e.g. YouTube) primarily for educational, instructional, recreational, or entertainment purposes, you don’t need to request permission – but you must still follow our general guidelines and attribute properly.
If you’re using Google Maps in an online video advertisement or for promotional purposes (e.g. a real estate company showing where rental properties are available), submit your project for approval according to the guidelines on the Entertainment and Media page. Only standard Google Maps imagery may be used for this purpose, since Satellite View imagery falls under the same commercial restrictions as Google Earth.
Google Earth
All content created from Google Earth or Earth Studio must always be properly attributed.
Google Earth content may not be used for any commercial or promotional purposes.
You may print Google Earth content for non-commercial or personal use, with some restrictions as noted below. In all uses where you’ll distribute printed materials that include the content, first be sure to read the general guidelines above, especially with regard to fair use and attribution.
As long as you follow these guidelines, you don’t need to submit a request. Note that we’re not able to grant exceptions to these rules.
Inside of books, including textbooks (up to 5k copies)
Periodicals (Newspapers, magazines, journals, etc.)
Business documents such as company reports, proposals, presentations, etc.
Inside of books (more than 5k copies), or as cover art for a book
Used as the core part of printed navigational material (for example, tour books or guide books).
Consumer & retail goods or packaging (t-shirts, beach towels, shower curtains, mugs, posters, stationery, etc.)
Used in printed advertisements or promotional materials of any kind (flyers, pamphlets, magazines ads, etc.)
Google Earth may not be embedded online or in apps. However, you’re welcome to export and use a handful of static images, with proper attribution, for non-commercial purposes such as news, blogs, educational, recreational, or instructional use.
You may not use Google Earth imagery on the web for any commercial or promotional purposes, such as, but not limited to:
Real estate listings or company profiles
Construction site locations
Website header or social media banner images
Digital advertisements
You may not use output, or use third party tools to capture output, from Google Earth, Google Earth Pro, or Earth Studio to reconstruct 3D models or create similar content, or to create other content, products, or services that may violate our Terms of Service.
For gaming purposes, you may be interested in Google Maps Platform gaming services to create immersive, real-world games with millions of customizable 3D structures, up-to-date global data, and seamless integration with Unity.
You may use Google Earth and Earth Studio content for news broadcasts, television shows, films, documentaries, music videos, and any educational purposes. You don’t need to submit a request, but you must follow all guidelines on this page and in related resources, especially with regard to on-screen attribution. Google Earth content can never be used without attribution.
Before using Google Earth or Earth Studio, review our License Terms and Terms of Service. We also ask that you register your usage here – we love seeing creative uses of Google Earth and appreciate the insights you share.
This license to use Google Earth and Earth Studio content applies to all types of film regardless of platform (and technology) distributed on, but doesn’t extend to content distributed from or to these territories.
You may not use Google Earth or Earth Studio content (or Google Maps satellite view imagery) for promotional films, advertisements or commercials. This includes anything used specifically to sell or promote a product, business, or organization. For example, this includes uses such as, but not limited to:
A real estate company showing where their properties are located in a company video
A documentary-style film being used to promote a business or organization
A sports team using Google Earth images of their stadium in a TV commercial
If you’re using Google Earth content in an online video (e.g. YouTube) primarily for educational, instructional, recreational, or entertainment purposes, you don’t need to request permission, even if your work is monetized. But you must still follow our general guidelines and attribute properly.
Street View
Street View imagery may not be used for any print purposes. This includes:
Books, guidebooks, and textbooks
Magazines, newspapers, and journals
Advertisements or promotional materials of any kind
Consumer or retail goods (posters, t-shirts, mugs, etc.)
If you simply need to embed a Street View image or panorama on your website, you don’t need our permission. You’re also welcome to do so with our various APIs for web or mobile.
If you need more integrated use of Street View for commercial use, we have multiple APIs available through Google Maps Platform to bring the real world to your users with Street View imagery, including unique markers, overlays, and photos. When using these APIs, certain restrictions may apply.
Street View imagery can only be used in digital advertisements where you’re using the Google Maps APIs or the imagery is embedded or linked to on your website using HTML and URL provided on Google Maps.
You may not screenshot Street View imagery or remove it from embedded sources for any purpose. This ensures that if Google edits or removes imagery in response to user requests, these changes will be reflected in your project too.
Street View may only be used in television, film, or online video projects if it’s filmed directly in the context of an actor or subject using the product as-is in a device such as a laptop or phone. Street View images may not be taken out of context or removed from the software to be used for other purposes. You must submit a request if you’d like to use Street View in your project.
While we’re excited to see many uses of Street View, there are some use cases that are prohibited, including but not limited to:
Creating data from Street View images, such as digitizing or tracing information from the imagery
Using applications to analyze and extract information from the Street View imagery
Downloading Street View images to use separately from Google services (such as an offline copy)
Merging or stitching together multiple Street View images into a larger image
These restrictions apply to all academic, nonprofit, and commercial projects.
All uses of Google Maps, Google Earth, and Street View content must provide attribution to Google and, if applicable, to our data providers.
We do not approve of any use of content without proper attribution, in any circumstances, and we require attribution while the content is shown. Requests for exceptions will not be answered or granted.
You can find the attribution in the line(s) shown on the bottom of the content in our mapping products along with copyright notices, such as “Map data ©2019 Google”. Note that the exact text of the attribution changes based on geography and content type.
When using content from Google Maps, Google Earth, or Street View in your work, follow these guidelines to ensure you’re properly crediting Google and any relevant third-party data providers.
Attribution information will appear automatically on certain types of imagery when using Google-provided tools, such as web embeds, APIs, or exports from Google Earth Pro or Earth Studio. Please use these methods whenever possible.
Don’t remove, obscure, or crop out the attribution information. Note that Google logos cannot be used in-line (for example, “These maps from [Google logo].”)
If using screenshots of our imagery outside of direct embeds, include the standard attribution as it appears in the image. If necessary, you may customize the style and placement of the attribution text, as long as the text is within close proximity of the content and legible to the average viewer or reader.
You may not move the attribution away from the content, such as to the end of your book, the credits of your film or show, or the footer of your website.
Some of the data and images on our mapping products come from providers other than Google. If using such imagery, the text of your attribution must say the name “Google” and the relevant data provider(s), such as “Map data: Google, Maxar Technologies”.
When there are third-party data providers cited with the imagery, only including “Google” or the Google logo is not proper attribution.