Map Content Partners: Frequently Asked Questions

Partnering with Google

What types of geospatial data or map content can my organization share with Google?

We welcome many types of geospatial data and other map content, including 3D building and digital terrain models, aerial imagery (current and historical), some types of vector data (boundaries, points of interest) and public transit system routes and schedules. Learn more at our website for Map Content Partners.

How do I tell Google about the map content my organization has to share?

Complete our contact form to tell us about your organization and the map content you have to share. The more details you provide the better, so that we can determine if your content is a fit with our services.

Should my organization provide its map content to Google through a third party, such as a regional consortium or state/provincial or national government organization? Can a service provider or contractor provide content to Google on my organization's behalf?

We welcome the opportunity to partner with individual public sector organizations, but it can be more efficient for all parties if your organization relies on a larger government organization or service provider either to enter into a content license agreement with Google or to handle the transfer of content. We're happy to help you consider the options. Tell us about your organization and relationships with other organizations or service providers.

Licensing Your Map Content to Google

Does my organization need to grant Google legal rights or a license to use our map content?

Yes, in order to add your organization's content to Google's services, we need to enter into a content license agreement by which you affirm that your organization has the necessary rights to license the content to Google. This agreement also defines what Google will and won't do with your content.

My organization's map content is in the public domain. Can't you just download it from our website or FTP server and use it? Or, can my organization just provide you a release without signing a contract?

In some cases, we are able to accept map content that is legally defined as in the public domain without a content license agreement. Tell us about your organization and the legal status of the map content you have to share.

How does my organization license its map content to Google?

Tell us about your organization and the content you have to share and we will provide you a content license agreement for your organization's legally authorized representative to approve.

Does sharing map content with Google entail an exclusive agreement?

No, partnering with Google and entering into our content license agreement does not entail an exclusive relationship.

Are the terms of Google's content license agreement negotiable?

We offer a simple content license agreement for map content that has been accepted by hundreds of organizations of all types. For public sector organizations, we offer a government-friendly version of this agreement that is tailored to the unique legal status of a public entity.

In some countries, we're able to provide this agreement in a click-to-accept format. We send you an invitation by email to review this online document and you can just click to agree to the terms. For other countries, we email you a conventional paper agreement.

In all cases, we strive to keep the process simple for your organization and Google, and to eliminate the need for negotiations over legal terms, so that we can quickly get to work adding your content to our services.

Does Google charge for hosting my organization's map content?

No, as with services like Google Web Search and Google Book Search, we do not charge content partners to index or host their content.

Will Google pay to use my organization's map content?

We are happy to add your map content to Google's services at no cost to you, but we generally do not pay for content.

Does Google help fund map content collection or development programs?

We do not help fund map content collection or development by local governments or other organizations. We believe that the most important benefit we provide our partners is to host their content on our services at no charge and make it freely available to hundreds of millions of Internet users worldwide on Google services and through our APIs.

Providing Your Map Content to Google

How do I know if Google will use the map content that my organization has to share?

We are interested in providing our users a richer view of every corner of the world. If you believe the map content you have to share is of better quality and more current than what you see on Google's services, then we will be happy to consider adding it. In the case of aerial imagery, we welcome older and historical imagery that we can make viewable through the Historical Imagery feature. However, we generally only accept map content that meets our specifications (see questions that follow). If you wonder whether your content may be a fit, tell us about it.

For what areas and time periods does Google want older or historical aerial imagery?

We welcome imagery for all areas and time periods.

What aerial imagery formats does Google accept?

Our preferred data format is 8-bit 3-band RGB imagery with no Alpha Channel orthorectified GeoTIFF with .PRJ and .TFW files.

Other acceptable formats:

• TIFF with worldfile (.tfw) and projection file (.prj)
• MrSID
• JPEG2000 Kakadu (JP2K)
• JPG with worldfile (.jgw) and projection file (.prj)

Color infrared as well as black and white may be acceptable for older and historical imagery. Also, in some cases we may accept imagery that has been georeferenced as opposed to orthorectified. This imagery must be in one of the above formats.

We generally do not accept un-referenced film/plate scans (images that have just been scanned in and not referenced). However, feel free to tell us about the data you have to share so we can determine if it is accepable.

How does my organization deliver aerial imagery to Google?

We prefer the electronic transfer of aerial imagery and can arrange to download datasets through HTTP(s) or FTP. Alternatively, you can send your data on DVD, or, for larger datasets, we may arrange to ship you a hard drive that you can use to deliver the data to us.

Can Google just pull my organization's content from an OGC-compliant web service?

While Google Earth and other Google services can pull content from OGC-compliant web services, we are only able to accept map content in raw form.

Does Google welcome updates to map content, such as aerial imagery, that my organization or another has previously provided?

Yes, we welcome updates. Please be sure to tell us that you're providing an update to a previous dataset and to combine as many datasets in an update as feasible.

Google's Use of Your Map Content

How will Google users know that my organization provided map content to Google?

We identify many of the organizations that have provided us map content when the content is being viewed in Google Maps and Google Earth. Whether we identify your organization depends on the type of map content you share and the Google service in which it appears. In Google Earth, for example, we identify many aerial imagery providers in a credits line at the base of the user interface.

In what Google services will my map content appear?

This depends on the type of map content you provide, but in general your content can appear on Google Maps, Google Earth and Google Maps for Mobile. Historical imagery and 3D models are only viewable on Google Earth at this time.

How long will it take for my map content to appear on Google's services?

The time it takes to add your content to Google's services varies by content type. For aerial imagery, it usually takes two to three months for us to process and incorporate the data. However, we cannot guarantee when or if your content will appear.

Will Google users be able to download my aerial imagery from Google's services?

No, aerial imagery is view-only and remains on Google's servers.

Will my map content be sold or used for other commercial purposes?

We do not resell or redistribute the map content that our partners provide us. It is viewable in free consumer services such as Google Maps which incorporates advertising and in products such as Google Earth Enterprise which is licensed to organizations at a fee. We also make certain map content, such as aerial imagery, viewable on third-party websites through our APIs including the Google Maps API. However, wherever your map content appears, it is hosted on Google servers and not redistributed.