Implementing Custom Google Maps in WordPress Themes

Posted on 21st June 2023

Google Maps is a tool that many people use on a daily basis to get directions from one place to another. What many people don’t know is that Google Maps can also be used to create custom maps for a website or blog.

A custom map can be a great way to visually represent data on a website or blog. For example, a map could be used to show the locations of all the blog posts on a travel blog. Or, a map could be used to show the different types of products that are available from a store.

There are a few different ways that you can go about creating a custom map for your WordPress site. In this article, we’ll show you how to create a custom Google Map in WordPress.

Why Use a Custom Map?

There are a few reasons why you might want to use a custom map on your WordPress site.

First, a custom map can help to make your site more visually appealing. If you have a lot of data that you want to present on your site, a custom map can be a great way to do it.

Second, a custom map can help to make your site more interactive. If you have a map that shows the locations of your blog posts, for example, readers can click on the map to see the posts that are available in that location.

Third, a custom map can help to improve your site’s SEO. If you use the right keyword phrases in your map, it can help your site to rank higher in search engines.

Finally, a custom map can help you to stand out from the crowd. If you use a custom map on your WordPress site, it will help you to stand out from other sites that are using the same theme as you.

How to Create a Custom Google Map in WordPress

There are a few different ways that you can create a custom Google Map in WordPress. We’ll show you two of the most popular methods below.

Method 1: Use a Plugin

The first method is to use a plugin. There are a few different plugins that you can use to create a custom Google Map in WordPress.

Some of the most popular plugins are:

WP Google Maps

Google Maps Widget

Simple Google Maps

Each of these plugins will allow you to create a custom map for your WordPress site. They all have their own unique features, so be sure to check out each one to see which one is right for you.

Once you’ve installed and activated the plugin of your choice, you’ll need to create a new map. To do this, you’ll need to click on the “Add New” link in the “Maps” menu.

This will bring you to the map editor screen. From here, you can give your map a title, and then start adding markers.

To add a marker, you’ll need to click on the “Add Marker” button. This will bring up a popup window where you can enter the address, description, and other information about the marker.

Once you’ve added all of your markers, you can then save your map.

Once you’ve saved your map, you can then embed it into any post or page on your WordPress site. To do this, you’ll need to copy the shortcode that is provided by the plugin and paste it into the post or page where you want the map to appear.

Method 2: Use the Google Maps API

The second method is to use the Google Maps API. The Google Maps API is a tool that allows you to create custom maps for your website or blog.

To use the Google Maps API, you’ll need to sign up for a free Google Maps API key. Once you have your key, you can then follow the instructions in the Google Maps API documentation to create your map.

Once you’ve created your map, you can then embed it into any post or page on your WordPress site. To do this, you’ll need to copy the code that is provided by the Google Maps API and paste it into the post or page where you want the map to appear.

Which Method Should You Use?

Both of these methods will allow you to create a custom map for your WordPress site. Which method you use will depend on your own individual needs.

If you want an easy way to create a custom map, then we recommend using a plugin. If you’re comfortable coding, or if you want more control over your map, then we recommend using the Google Maps API.

4.2 Adding a Map to a Page or Post

Now that you have your map set up, it’s time to add it to a page or post.

To do this, simply edit the page or post where you want to add the map and click on the Add Map button above the editor.

This will bring up a pop-up window where you can select the map you want to add. Once you’ve selected a map, click on the Insert Map button and the map will be added to your page or post.

If you want to change the size or position of the map, you can do so by clicking on the map and then using the drag and drop interface to move it around. You can also use the resize handles to change the size of the map.

5. Conclusion

In this article, we’ve shown you how to implement custom Google Maps in your WordPress themes. We hope you’ve found this tutorial helpful and that you’ll be able to use it to add maps to your own WordPress sites.

In order to add a custom Google Map to your WordPress Theme, you need to first create a new Custom Field in your Theme’s functions.php file. This can be done by adding the following code to your functions.php file:

function my_acf_init() {

acf_add_local_field_group(array(

‘key’ => ‘group_5ceb7a4b8e4c4’,

‘title’ => ‘My Google Map’,

‘fields’ => array(

array(

‘key’ => ‘field_5ceb7a5b8e4c5’,

‘label’ => ‘Map’,

‘name’ => ‘map’,

‘type’ => ‘google_map’,

‘instructions’ => ”,

‘required’ => 0,

‘conditional_logic’ => 0,

‘wrapper’ => array(

‘width’ => ”,

‘class’ => ”,

‘id’ => ”,

),

‘center_lat’ => ”,

‘center_lng’ => ”,

‘zoom’ => ”,

),

),

‘location’ => array(

array(

array(

‘param’ => ‘post_type’,

‘operator’ => ‘==’,

‘value’ => ‘post’,

),

),

),

‘menu_order’ => 0,

‘position’ => ‘normal’,

‘style’ => ‘default’,

‘label_placement’ => ‘top’,

‘instruction_placement’ => ‘label’,

‘hide_on_screen’ => ”,

‘active’ => 1,

‘description’ => ”,

));

}

add_action(‘acf/init’, ‘my_acf_init’);

?>

Once you have added this code to your functions.php file, you can then add your Custom Field to any post or page by selecting the “My Google Map” field group from the “Custom Fields” menu.

Once you have added your Custom Field, you can then use the following code to display your map on your WordPress Theme: