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This is the complete reference for the Quick Maps Google Maps shortcode, with copy-paste examples. Quick Maps is one shortcode, one widget, one small settings page, and four developer filters, so this page covers all of it.
New to Quick Maps? Start with adding your first map, then come back here for every option. For step-by-step walkthroughs, see the Guides.
The shortcode
Wrap any location Google Maps can find:
[quick-maps]Orlando, Florida[/quick-maps]
The content between the tags is the map query. All of these work:
[quick-maps]One Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014[/quick-maps]
[quick-maps]Magic Kingdom, Florida[/quick-maps]
[quick-maps]Eiffel Tower[/quick-maps]
Sizing a map
Use the width and height attributes. Bare numbers are treated as pixels; CSS units pass through:
[quick-maps height="500px"]Magic Kingdom, Florida[/quick-maps]
[quick-maps width="100%" height="350"]Sanford, FL[/quick-maps]
Values are validated, so a numeric value becomes px, anything unsafe falls back to the default. Width defaults to 100% so maps are responsive out of the box.
Map options
Four more attributes control how the map looks and behaves, all keyless:
Map type
Add type for a satellite, hybrid, or terrain view (the default is the standard road map):
[quick-maps type="satellite"]Grand Canyon[/quick-maps]
[quick-maps type="hybrid"]Golden Gate Bridge[/quick-maps]
[quick-maps type="terrain"]Aspen, CO[/quick-maps]
Zoom
Set the zoom with zoom, from 0 (the whole world) to 21 (street level):
[quick-maps zoom="16"]Times Square, NYC[/quick-maps]
Language
Show the map interface in any language with lang (an ISO code such as es or fr):
[quick-maps lang="es"]Madrid[/quick-maps]
Driving directions
Draw a route between two places with from and to:
[quick-maps from="Orlando, FL" to="Miami, FL"][/quick-maps]
Each of these has a full walkthrough in the Guides. For color schemes, custom markers, and lazy-load facades, see Quick Maps Pro.
Global defaults
Under Settings → Quick Maps you can set a default address, default width, default height, and default zoom level. A bare [quick-maps][/quick-maps] with no content renders the default address, which is useful when the same office location appears across many pages.
The widget
Quick Maps ships a classic widget: Appearance → Widgets → Quick Maps. Drop it in any sidebar or widget area, give it a title and an address.
Performance behaviour
The plugin enqueues no JavaScript and no CSS. The only output is the map iframe itself, which carries loading="lazy" (the browser doesn’t fetch the map until it nears the viewport), allowfullscreen, and a descriptive accessible title. There is nothing to optimize, defer, or exclude in your caching plugin.
Developer filters
Four filters for code-level control:
| Filter | Purpose |
|---|---|
quickmaps_shortcode_tag |
Rename the shortcode tag itself (e.g. to migrate from another plugin’s tag). |
quickmaps_default_width |
Override the default width programmatically. |
quickmaps_default_height |
Override the default height programmatically. |
quickmaps_default_content |
Override the default address when the shortcode has no content. |
For example, to make every map 400px tall site-wide unless the shortcode says otherwise:
add_filter( 'quickmaps_default_height', fn() => '400px' );
Requirements
WordPress 6.0+, PHP 7.4+. Tested up to WordPress 7.0.4. No Google account of any kind is needed. See why no API key is required.
Where the Google Maps shortcode gets its map
Every basic map uses Google’s Maps Embed endpoint, which is the one Google offers without a key for standard place and directions views. Quick Maps builds that URL for you and wraps it in a responsive iframe.
The plugin itself lives on WordPress.org, where you can read the changelog and open a support thread. For the styling and facade options that sit on top of this shortcode, see Quick Maps Pro.