How to Create a Map With Multiple Locations

To create a map with multiple locations, use Google My Maps for a short list you will rarely change, and a store locator for a map on your website that visitors can search. The right method depends on how many locations you have, who keeps them up to date and whether visitors need to find the nearest one.

This guide compares five methods with setup steps. We make StoreRocket, so weigh our view with that in mind.

Related: How to add a Google Maps store locator to your website | How to use Google Maps API free | What is a store locator? | Best map widget for your website

The short answer

• A handful of pins, free: Google My Maps. Embed it with an iframe.
• A one-off map from a spreadsheet: a batch geocoding tool such as BatchGeo.
• A map on your WordPress site only: a WordPress map plugin.
• A custom map your developers will own: the Google Maps JavaScript API.
• A map visitors search by address, with filters and a dashboard for your team: a store locator widget.

Only a few locations and no budget? You may not need a store locator at all. A free embedded map with a pin for each location is fine when the list is short, rarely changes and visitors only need to see where you are. Our guide to free store locator options compares them, and the free Google Maps embed generator makes the code for a map with several pins.

Method 1: Google My Maps (Free, Manual)

Google My Maps is a free option for mapping multiple locations. You create a custom map, add pins, and share or embed it on your website.

How to set it up:

1. Go to Google My Maps and sign in with your Google account
2. Click "Create a new map"
3. Use the search bar to find each address, then click "Add to map"
4. Repeat for every location you want to pin
5. Click Share, then "Embed on my site" to get an iframe code
6. Paste the embed code into your website's HTML

Strengths:

• Completely free, no account needed beyond Google
• No coding required
• Familiar Google Maps interface
• Works for plotting a handful of addresses quickly

Weaknesses:

• Viewers can search the map's contents, but there is no "nearest to my address" search
• Filtering is limited to showing or hiding layers
• It is a sharing tool rather than a reporting one, so you cannot see what viewers searched for
• The map carries Google's interface rather than your brand

Best for: Personal projects, trip planning, and one-off maps with fewer than 20 locations.

Where StoreRocket differs: My Maps is free and carries Google's interface. StoreRocket carries yours. Depending on the plan, it also tells you what visitors searched for and where they found nothing (current plans).

Locations limit: 2,000 features per layer, 10 layers, and 10,000 total lines, shapes, or places.

Method 2: Google Maps JavaScript API (Full Control, Developer Required)

For businesses with development resources, the Google Maps JavaScript API gives you complete control over every pixel. You load the map, plot markers from your database, and build whatever UI you want.

How to set it up:

1. Create a Google Cloud project and enable the Maps JavaScript API
2. Generate an API key and restrict it to your domain
3. Write JavaScript to initialize the map and add markers from your data
4. Build a backend database to store your location data
5. Add geocoding to convert addresses into coordinates
6. Implement search, marker clustering, info windows, and mobile responsiveness
7. Handle error states, rate limits, and API key security

AI tools can write much of this now. Build a store locator with AI, or use StoreRocket? covers who keeps it working afterwards.

Strengths:

• Complete design and behavioral control
• Build exactly what you need: custom search, advanced filters, directions integration
• No store-locator vendor's branding

Weaknesses:

• Requires a developer (or a team) to build and maintain
• Google Maps API charges $7 per 1,000 map loads after the first 10,000 free loads per month
• You own every bug, every performance issue, every mobile quirk
• Geocoding, clustering, internationalization are all on you
• Ongoing maintenance as Google updates their API

Best for: Large enterprises with dedicated dev teams who need highly customized functionality that no off-the-shelf solution provides.

Method 3: Batch Geocoding Tools (Quick and Dirty)

Tools like BatchGeo, MapCustomizer, EasyMapMaker, and ZeeMaps let you paste a spreadsheet of addresses and generate a map.

How to set it up:

1. Prepare your addresses in a spreadsheet (Excel, Google Sheets, or CSV)
2. Copy the data and paste it into the tool
3. Wait for the geocoding to process your addresses
4. Customize basic map settings (colors, map type)
5. Get a share link or embed code

Strengths:

• No coding or technical knowledge needed
• BatchGeo publishes full-text search, data filtering, and preset marker and map styles

Weaknesses:

• BatchGeo's own heat map layer plots your spreadsheet's density; the free tier carries ads and Pro is $99/mo
• Most free versions show ads on your map
• Published location details and filters vary by tool

Best for: Internal use, quick data visualization, conference planning, sharing a list of addresses via link. These tools answer "where are these places?" but not "help me find the nearest one."

Where StoreRocket differs: BatchGeo's free maps carry ads and removing them is $99 a month. StoreRocket is ad-free on every plan including the trial. The search heatmap, lead capture, Sheets sync, the REST API and white label depend on the plan.

Method 4: WordPress Map Plugins (CMS-Locked)

If your website runs on WordPress, there are several plugins that add multi-location maps: WP Store Locator, MapPress and WP Go Maps among them.

How to set it up:

1. Install a map plugin from the WordPress plugin repository
2. Enter your Google Maps API key in the plugin settings
3. Add locations through the plugin's admin interface
4. Place the map on any page using a shortcode or block

Strengths:

• Native WordPress integration
• Some plugins offer search and basic filtering
• Familiar admin interface for WordPress users
• Several free options available

Best for: Businesses that want to manage their locator inside WordPress.

Method 5: Store Locator Widget (Professional, Any Website)

A store locator widget is a purpose-built map application you embed on a website with a short embed code. Services like StoreRocket provide the map, search, filters, directions, business hours and hosting, with analytics on the plans that include them. You paste the embed code and it works.

How to set it up:

1. Create your locator, with a free trial, no credit card needed
2. Add locations manually or bulk import from CSV or Excel; for Google Sheets sync (depends on the plan), create a linked spreadsheet in StoreRocket
3. Customize the design: your brand colors, your fonts, your map style
4. Add filters and custom fields (for example "Free Parking" or "Wheelchair Accessible")
5. Copy the embed code from the Install page
6. Paste it into a page on Shopify, WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, BigCommerce, or any site that accepts an HTML or embed block

Strengths:

• Works on any website that accepts an HTML or embed block
• Visitors can search by city, zip code, or address and find nearby locations
• Filters, directions, business hours, phone numbers all built in
• Customizable design
• Analytics (plan-dependent): see what people search for, which locations get the most clicks and where people searched
• Lead form (plan-dependent): when a search finds no location nearby, the visitor can leave their email and the lead lands in your dashboard
• Bulk import: CSV or Excel; a REST API is plan-dependent
• After the free trial you connect your own Google Maps or Mapbox key and pay that provider directly; StoreRocket handles the locator, geocoding on import and hosting
• Custom markers and map styles

Trade-offs:

• A paid subscription after the free trial
• Someone else's roadmap, in exchange for no code to write or maintain

Best for: Businesses that need a searchable location map without building the application themselves.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Here's every method compared on the things that actually matter:

A dash means the capability is not part of that vendor's published plan list or product page. It is not a statement that the product cannot do it, and their sales or support team is the right place to confirm.

Which Method Is Right for You?

Don't overthink this. Your situation determines the answer:

"I need to map 5-20 locations for a one-time project" Use Google My Maps. It's free and good enough for personal or internal use.

"I need to visualize hundreds of addresses from a spreadsheet" Use a batch geocoding tool like BatchGeo or MapCustomizer. Fast, free, and purpose-built for data dumps.

"I need a map on my WordPress site and nowhere else" A WordPress plugin keeps location management inside WordPress. Compare the current plugin documentation before choosing.

"I need a professional store locator on my business website" This is where a store locator widget is the obvious choice. You get search, filters, a design that matches your brand and, on the plans that include them, analytics, without writing or maintaining code. It works on any site that accepts an embed block.

"I have very specific requirements and a dev team" Build it yourself with the Google Maps JavaScript API, and budget for development, map-provider usage, and ongoing maintenance.

"I have multiple locations across the country and need analytics on customer demand" A store locator service fits, because its analytics show where people searched and which locations get clicks. Here's what analytics look like. Analytics depend on the plan, see pricing.

Common Use Cases

Different industries have different mapping needs. Typical needs by industry:

Retail chains and franchises: They need search by zip code, filters for services offered and business hours. A store locator widget is the usual choice. See: franchise marketing guide.

Consumer brands and manufacturers: Products sold in third-party retailers. Need a "where to buy" or "find a dealer" page. Category filters help visitors narrow a long list.

Restaurants and food service: Multiple locations with varying menus, hours, and features. Opening hours, with an open-or-closed status on each result, matter most.

Healthcare and wellness: Clinics, pharmacies, practitioners. Need provider filtering and sometimes appointment booking links.

Real estate and property management: Listings across regions. Need map-based browsing with detailed info cards.

Events and conferences: Temporary maps for venues, hotels, restaurants near an event. Batch tools or Google My Maps work fine here since it's one-time use.

What About Keeping Your Map Updated?

Store locator widgets solve this with bulk updates. With StoreRocket, you can import a spreadsheet again, or, depending on the plan, link a Google Sheets spreadsheet and edit that sheet using its template columns (why a spreadsheet works as a location database). Sheets sync runs on demand or automatically once a day. Follow the Google Sheets setup guide. See pricing for which plan includes it.

StoreRocket gives businesses with several locations a store locator for their own website: import your locations from a spreadsheet, match it to your brand and paste one embed code. Create your locator with a free trial, no credit card needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a map with multiple locations for free?

Yes. Google My Maps is completely free, with map-content search and layer visibility controls. BatchGeo publishes location and ZIP-code search plus data filtering. Both are map-making tools rather than reporting ones.

How many locations can I put on a single map?

It depends on the method. Google My Maps supports up to 2,000 features per layer, 10 layers, and 10,000 total lines, shapes, or places. Store locator widgets like StoreRocket use search and clustering for large datasets.

Do I need a Google Maps API key to map multiple locations?

Only if you're using the Google Maps JavaScript API directly or certain WordPress plugins. Google charges $7 per 1,000 Dynamic Maps loads after the first 10,000 free monthly loads. Store locator services like StoreRocket handle the locator, geocoding on import and clustering; after the free trial you connect your own map key and pay that provider directly. For more details, see our guide on using the Google Maps API for free.

How can I plot multiple addresses on a map?

For a one-time map, paste your addresses into a batch-mapping tool. For an ongoing map on your website, a store locator widget can import locations from CSV.

Can I add a multi-location map to Shopify, Wix, or Squarespace?

Google My Maps can be embedded on most platforms via iframe, with map-content search and layer visibility controls. WordPress plugins only work on WordPress. A store locator widget works on any site that accepts an embed code. We have specific guides for Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, and BigCommerce.

How do I add search functionality to my location map?

Google My Maps lets viewers search the map's contents, but it is built for sharing a map rather than running a locator on a commercial site. With the Maps JavaScript API, you would need to build search, geocoding, and distance calculations yourself. Store locator widgets include that workflow out of the box.

Can I import locations from a spreadsheet?

Most methods support some form of bulk import. Google My Maps can import CSV and KML files (with limitations). Batch tools are built for this. WordPress plugins vary. Store locator widgets typically support CSV import, Google Sheets sync, and API-based imports for full automation.

How do I track which locations people search for?

Both Google My Maps and BatchGeo are map-making tools rather than reporting ones. WordPress plugin support varies, while the Google Maps API requires you to build tracking. Store locator widgets can include the search terms typed, clicks per location and a map of where people searched.