Map Management API overview

The Map Management API is a RESTful API that you can use to programmatically manage your cloud-based maps styling resources. With this API, you can define the visual appearance of your maps, manage map identities, and associate custom styles and datasets with specific map variants—all without using the Cloud console.

The Map Management API is designed for developers who want to perform large-scale management of map configurations or integrate map styling into their own automated workflows and internal tools.

Key Resources

  • StyleConfig: Contains the JSON representation of a map style. This defines the colors, visibility, and density of map features.
  • MapConfig: Represents a unique map identity (Map ID). It acts as a container for styling settings and features like POI boosting or building flattening.
  • MapContextConfig: Associates a StyleConfig (and optionally one or more Datasets) with specific MapVariants within a MapConfig.

API Versioning Channels

The Map Management API uses channel-based versioning to provide a clear path from experimental features to stable, general availability.

  • v2alpha (Experimental): Contains the latest experimental features. Features in this channel may change without notice and are not recommended for production use.
  • v2beta (Preview): Contains features that are stable and being prepared for general availability. This channel is suitable for early adoption and testing in pre-production environments.
  • v2 (General Availability): Contains fully supported, production-ready features.

Most v2 features are available across both the v2alpha and v2beta endpoints during their respective rollout phases. For new users, Google recommends starting with the v2beta endpoint.

Authentication

You can only use OAuth 2.0 to authenticate with Map Management API, which does not support API keys. For more information, see Use OAuth.

Limitations

  • Developer Roles: To use the Map Management API, you must have the necessary IAM permissions to manage Google Maps Platform resources within your Google Cloud project.
  • Resource Scope: This API focuses on management of Cloud-based Map Styling resources. Other Google Maps Platform configurations may still require the Cloud console.

Costs

There is no charge for using Map Management API. API calls appear on the Billing page in the Cloud Console, but charges will be $0. However, requests are constrained as follows:

  • 3 QPS (queries per second)
  • 180 QPM (queries per minute) for a project, refreshed each minute
  • 100,000 QPD (queries per day) for a project, refreshed each day

See Usage and billing.