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
ourTerms of Serviceand 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.
Copyright fair use
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.
Personalizing your map
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 Mapslets you draw lines and shapeson a Google map. We also offer aStyling Wizardand acloud-based styling toolthat 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 mayexport an imagefrom 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.
Use of trademarks
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 trademarkusage guidelines,
theGoogle Maps Platform Terms of Service,
and theStreet 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.
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 tofair useandattribution.
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.
GO FOR IT
Inside of books, including textbooks (up to 5k copies)
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
Web and apps
If you simply need toembed 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 throughGoogle 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 thegeneral 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 mapfor specifics.
Television and film
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
theEntertainment and Mediapage.
Online video
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
ourgeneral guidelinesandattribute 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 theEntertainment and Mediapage. 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
Google Earth or Earth Studio can be used for purposes such as research,
education, film and nonprofit use without needing permission.
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.
Print
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 thegeneral guidelinesabove, especially with regard tofair useandattribution.
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.
Go for it
Inside of books, including textbooks (up to 5k copies)
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
Web and apps
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.
don’t do this
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
don’t do this
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 inGoogle Maps Platform gaming servicesto create immersive, real-world games with millions of customizable 3D
structures, up-to-date global data, and seamless integration with Unity.
Television, film, and online video
You may use Google Earthand Earth Studiocontent 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-screenattribution.
Google Earth content can never be used without attribution.
Before using Google Earth or Earth Studio, review ourLicense TermsandTerms of Service.
We also ask that youregister your usage here
–
we love seeing creative uses of Google Earth and appreciate the insights you
share.
Thislicenseto 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.
don’t do this
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 ourgeneral guidelinesand attribute properly.
Street View
Print
don’t do this
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 need more integrated use of Street View for commercial use, we have
multiple APIs available through Google Maps Platformto 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 APIsor the imagery is embedded or linked to on your website using HTML and URL
provided onGoogle 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.
Television, film, and online video
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.
Additional restrictions
While we’re excited to see many uses of Street View, there are some use
cases that are prohibited, including but not limited to:
don’t do this
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.
Required attribution
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.
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.
Use provided tools
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 modify the attribution
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].”)
Keep the attribution close
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.
Don’t separate the attribution
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.
Include third-party data providers
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”.
Don’t give us all the credit
When there are third-party data providers cited with the imagery, only
including “Google” or the Google logo is not proper attribution.
Not what you need?
View all of our guidance on using Google brand elements