TIPS AND TRICKS | MEDIUM WRITING | GOOGLE MAPS
How To Properly Use a GoogleMaps Screenshot In Your Medium Article
To avoid being punished by Google.

Are you wanting to use a googlemaps.com screenshot in your article and you are you wondering if you are allowed to or how you should be doing it?
Then read on to learn more!
A couple of years ago I was making YouTube videos and would often include a screenshot of my GoogleMaps from my iPhone as a directional aid. At some point, I started to consider that maybe I should look into whether or not it is even allowed.
I mean, if you use music or other videos that are not copyright free, then you can’t monetize your videos and you run the risk of getting copyright strikes on your channel.
I considered that it may be the same with GoogleMaps.
So I decided to do some research.
Learning the rules
I went straight to the source for my information at google.com. Once there I clicked on the link for attribution guidelines. This is where I got the detailed information that I needed.
The general guidelines on the website say this:
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.
Basically, the main rule that they state is that no matter what map you use, you must have the attribution included in your screenshot. Here is a description of where you find the attribution:


The website goes on further to discuss other uses of the maps. They break the information down to all sorts of different types of maps, and say this about using street views:
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.
I highly recommend you take a look at their full guidelines if you are getting serious about using their maps for any project.
Click here for the full guidelines.
Taking extra precaution
Beyond including the attribution in GoogleMaps uses, it is also important to cite the link where you found the image. This is standard practice on most online websites and is generally a requirement.
To cite the link, simply head to the URL bar where you got the image from, then copy it.

Then write the photo description of your map stating that it comes from googlemaps.com. Highlight the section that says ‘googlemaps.com’, then click the link icon in the black box.

Once you click the link icon, a prompt will come up where you paste the link from the website. This will underline it and link it directly to the source where you got it as you can see below.

That’s it. Honestly, these are pretty simple guidelines and easy to follow. We are all lucky to have a source of maps like the one that Google provides to us for free.
It’s best to follow the rules
While you might think that you are a small fish in a big sea, and that Google will never find you or see your maps, it’s best to always be aware of the rules and follow them.
Trust me, you don’t want to get into a legal battle with a giant like Google!
When you play by the rules you will feel confident that you have done your due diligence to make sure that your article is copyright free. Maybe you will even sleep better at night!
Have fun and happy writing!

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