Google Maps URL Parameters: A Practical Reference
Short answer
The documented links start with https://www.google.com/maps/ and ?api=1: search/?api=1&query=Name or query=52.52,13.40 for a place, dir/?api=1&destination=…&travelmode=walking for directions. Links the app shares look different — /maps/place/Name/@52.52,13.40,17z/data=… — and the @ part is the viewport, not the pin. Paste any of them in the box below for the Apple Maps version.
Search and place links
The api=1 form is the one Google documents for building links.
| Parameter | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
query | Text to search, or lat,lng | /maps/search/?api=1&query=Pergamon+Museum |
query_place_id | Pin a specific place by its Place ID (with query) | …&query=Pergamon+Museum&query_place_id=ChIJ… |
q (older form) | Same idea on the short host | https://maps.google.com/?q=52.5212,13.3968 |
Directions links
| Parameter | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
destination | Where to; text or lat,lng | /maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Alexanderplatz,+Berlin |
origin | Start; omit to use the current location | …&origin=Hauptbahnhof,+Berlin |
travelmode | driving, walking, bicycling, transit | …&travelmode=transit |
waypoints | Stops on the way, separated by | | …&waypoints=Stop+1|Stop+2 |
Map view links
| Form | Meaning |
|---|---|
/maps/@52.52,13.40,15z | Centre the map at those coordinates, zoom 15; no pin |
/maps/@?api=1&map_action=map¢er=52.52,13.40&zoom=15 | The documented equivalent, with basemap=satellite and layer=transit available |
/maps/@?api=1&map_action=pano&viewpoint=52.52,13.40 | Street View at those coordinates |
What the app's shared links contain
Share from the Google Maps app and you get a short link that expands to something like /maps/place/Pergamon+Museum/@52.5212,13.3968,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x…!8m2!3d52.5211!4d13.3969. Three things to know:
- The name in the path is the place as Google calls it.
@lat,lng,zoomis where the map was looking, which is often near but not exactly on the place.- The pin is inside
data=:!3dis latitude and!4dlongitude;!1s0x…is Google's internal identifier. The rest encodes map state and is not documented.
Link types and how they are read are covered in Google Maps URL formats explained.
Encoding rules
Spaces become + or %20; commas in a text query are fine, and the | between waypoints should be encoded as %7C (browsers usually accept a literal |, but Google documents the encoded form). Coordinates are latitude first.
Which form should I use in my own site or email?
The api=1 forms. They are the ones Google documents, they open the app on phones and the website elsewhere, and they do not depend on the undocumented data= blob.
FAQ
What is the Google Maps URL to search for a place?
https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Place+Name, or query=latitude,longitude for coordinates. Add query_place_id to pin an exact place.
How do I make a Google Maps directions link?
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=Place with optional origin, travelmode (driving, walking, bicycling, transit) and waypoints separated by |.
What does the @ part of a Google Maps link mean?
The map viewport: centre latitude, longitude and zoom. It is where the map was looking when the link was made, not necessarily the pin; the pin's coordinates are in the data= part as !3d and !4d.
Can I turn a Google Maps URL into an Apple Maps URL?
Yes. Paste the link into GoToAppleMaps; it reads the place from the URL — name, coordinates or short link — and gives you a maps.apple.com link to the same place.