Google API Tutorial

Get Started Procedures

Note: For new users or current users.

The instructions in this section describe how to use the Cloud Console to perform the get started procedures.

1. Create a billing account

To use Google Maps Platform, you must have a billing account. The billing account is used to track costs associated with your projects. Make sure you understand how the billing account credits work.

To create a billing account:

1. Go to the Google Cloud Platform Console.
2. Click the menu button and select Billing.
3. Set up your billing account.
   • If this is your first billing account, on the Billing page:
     • Click the Add billing account button.
     • Follow the steps to set up your first billing account.
   • If you already have a billing account, on the Billing page:
     • Click the billing drop-down and select Manage billing accounts.
     • You'll see a list of your current billing accounts.
     • Select Create account
     • Follow the instructions to set up your next billing account.

2. Create a project

To use the Google Maps Platform, you must have a project. The project is the basis for managing services, credentials, billing, APIs, and SDKs. Usage costs associated with the project will be charged to the billing account linked to the project.

To create a project:

1. Go to the Google Cloud Platform Console.
2. Click the menu button and select Home.
3. Click the project drop-down and select NEW PROJECT.
4. On the New Project page, fill in the required information.
   • Project name:Accept the default or enter a customized name.
     • The project name can be changed at any time. For more information, see Identifying projects.
   • Project ID:Accept the default or click EDIT to enter a customized ID.
     • The project ID cannot be changed after the project is created, so choose an ID that you'll be comfortable using for the lifetime of the project.
   • Billing account:Select a billing account for the project (if you only have one billing account, you won't see this option).
     • You must be a Billing Account Administrator or Project Billing Manager to associate a project with a billing account. For more information, see Overview of Billing roles in Cloud IAM.
   • Location:If you have an organization you want to link your project to, click Browse and select it, otherwise choose "No organization".
     • For more information, see Creating and Managing Folders and Relationships between organizations, projects, and billing accounts.
5. Click CREATE

3. Enable one or more APIs or SDKs

To use Google Maps Platform, you must enable the APIs or SDKs you plan to use with your project.

Note: For the Reviews Stack, enable the Places API.

To enable one or more APIs or SDKs:

1. Go to the Google Cloud Platform Console.
2. Click the menu button and select APIs & Services > Library.
3. On the API Library page, locate Maps and click VIEW ALL (18).
   • The 15 Google Maps Platform APIs and SDKs that you can enable are displayed.
4. On the Maps page, click the API or SDK you want to enable. *Note: Enabling the Places API also enables the Places SDK for Android and Places SDK for iOS.
5. Back on the API Library page, under the name of the API or SDK you selected:
   • If the button says ENABLE, click the button to enable the API or SDK.
   • If the button says MANAGE, the API or SDK is already enabled and you don't need to do anything further.
   • Note: Clicking either button will display the dashboard for the API or SDK. (Click the DISABLE button to remove the API or SDK from this project.)
6. Repeat Steps 2-5 for each API or SDK you want to enable.

Get an API Key

To use the Places API you must have an API key. The API key is a unique identifier that is used to authenticate requests associated with your project for usage and billing purposes.

Get the API key

You must have at least one API key associated with your project.

To get an API key:

1. Go to the Google Cloud Platform Console.
2. Click the project drop-down and select or create the project for which you want to add an API key.
3. Click the menu button and select APIs & Services > Credentials.
4. On the Credentials page, click Create credentials > API key.
   • The API key created dialog displays your newly created API key.
5. Click Close.
   • The new API key is listed on the Credentials page under API keys.
   • Remember to restrict the API key before using it in production.

Restrict the API key

We strongly recommend that you restrict your API key. Restrictions provide added security and help ensure only authorized requests are made with your API key. There are two restrictions. You should set both:

Application restriction: Limits usage of the API key to either websites (HTTP referrers), web servers (IP addresses), or mobile apps (Android apps or iOS apps). You can select only one restriction from this category. For the Places API, you need to restrict by IP address.

API restriction: Limits usage of the API key to one or more APIs or SDKs. Requests to an API or SDK associated with the API key will be processed. Requests to an API or SDK not associated with the API key will fail.

To restrict an API key:

1. Go to the Google Cloud Platform Console.
2. Click the project drop-down and select the project that contains the API key you want to secure.
3. Click the menu button and select APIs & Services > Credentials.
4. On the Credentials page, click the name of the API key that you want to secure.
5. On the Restrict and rename API key page, set the restrictions:
   • Application restrictions
     • Select IP addresses (web servers, cron jobs, etc.).
     • Add the server IP addresses.
     • You may also enter a subnet using CIDR notation (e.g. 192.168.0.0/22).
   • API restrictions
     • Select Restrict key.
     • Click Select APIs and select Places API.
     • (If the Places API is not listed, you need to enable it.)
   • Click SAVE.

Billing Account Credits

To offset initial usage costs, Google Cloud Platform offers a $300 free trial and Google Maps Platform features a recurring $200 monthly credit.

Google Cloud Platform Free Trial

Google Cloud Platform offers a 12-month, $300 free trial. The free trial applies toward the first billing account you create.

During the free trial, your first billing account is in “free trial mode” and no charges will be made against your payment method. The free trial ends after 12 months or when the $300 is spent, whichever happens first.

On or before the free trial ends, you must upgrade your first billing account to a paid account to avoid any disruptions to your Google Maps Platform usage (see Upgrading to a paid account).

Google Maps Platform Monthly Credit

Google Maps Platform features a recurring $200 monthly credit (see Pricing for Maps, Routes, and Places). The monthly credit applies towards each Maps-related billing account you create.

A Maps-related billing account is any billing account that includes projects with Google Maps Platform APIs or SDKS enabled; or more specifically, projects with activity that results in charges for qualifying Google Maps Platform SKUs (see Billing overview for Google Maps Platform products).

First Account

If the first billing account you create is used for a project with Google Maps Platform APIs or SDKs enabled, both the Google Cloud Platform $300 free trial and the Google Maps Platform recurring $200 monthly credit apply.

This is how it works: During the free trial, charges are first deducted from the Google Maps Platform recurring $200 monthly credit. If charges exceed $200 in a given month, the exceeded amount is deducted from any amount remaining from the Google Cloud Platform $300 free trial.

As noted above, on or before the free trial ends, you must upgrade your first billing account to a paid account. Once you have upgraded, the $200 monthly credit will continue to be applied to your billing account, even after the free trial ends.

Multiple Accounts

Creating multiple Maps-related billing accounts is a violation of the Google Maps Platform Terms of Service.