Add Google Maps to WordPress

The fastest way to put a Google Map on a WordPress page takes one shortcode and no Google account. This guide covers that method, the manual no-plugin alternative, and how to size and troubleshoot the result.

Method 1: the Quick Maps plugin (recommended)

The free Quick Maps plugin turns any address into a map with a shortcode — no API key, no Google Cloud account, no billing card.

  1. Install it. In wp-admin go to Plugins → Add New, search “Quick Maps”, click Install then Activate.
  2. Paste the shortcode into any post, page, or text widget, with your location between the tags:

[quick-maps]Orlando, Florida[/quick-maps]

That renders this, live:

The location can be a street address, a city, a postal code, or a place name — anything Google Maps itself can find.

Method 2: the manual embed (no plugin)

If you only need one map and don’t want a plugin, you can paste Google’s own embed code:

  1. Open google.com/maps and search your address.
  2. Click Share → Embed a map and copy the <iframe> HTML.
  3. In the block editor add a Custom HTML block and paste it.

This works and needs no API key either — but the embed code is long, the size is a fixed pixel value rather than responsive, and there’s no lazy loading unless you add loading="lazy" by hand. For more than one or two maps the plugin is far less fiddly. (More on why the share-embed needs no key: Google Maps without an API key.)

Resize the map

With Quick Maps, add width and height attributes. A bare number is treated as pixels; CSS units pass through; width defaults to 100% so the map is responsive:

[quick-maps height="500px"]Magic Kingdom, Florida[/quick-maps]
[quick-maps width="100%" height="350"]Sanford, FL[/quick-maps]

To set a default size for every map, use Settings → Quick Maps (default address, width, height, and zoom). The full attribute and filter reference is in the docs.

Add more than one map

Drop the shortcode as many times as you need — each instance is independent and each map is lazy-loaded, so ten maps on a page cost nothing until the visitor scrolls to each one.

Troubleshooting

  • The shortcode shows as text. You pasted it into a Custom HTML or code block — put it in a normal paragraph/Shortcode block instead.
  • Wrong location. Use the exact string you’d type into Google Maps; add the city/state for ambiguous names.
  • Map looks cramped. Increase height; the default suits a sidebar, not a full-width section.

Do I need a Google Maps API key for this?

No. Both methods above use Google’s standard map embed, which requires no API key and no billing account. You only need a key for the JavaScript and Embed APIs (custom markers, overlays, data layers). See the full explanation, or read about what the Google Maps API actually costs when you do need one.

Built by Renzo Johnson