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Configure Google Places API

Excalibur Dashboard integrates with Google Maps across key workflows:

  • Geofence management — view, pan, and create/edit geofences on interactive maps.
  • Actions view — in action details, see the map context of where a user performed their action.

The application ships with a built-in Google Maps API key restricted to the Maps JavaScript API and Maps Static API. This supports core functionality for both geofences and action details: map viewing, panning, and geofence creation/editing.

To unlock enhanced capabilities like place search, autocomplete, and location name resolution, provide your own Google Maps API key with the Places API enabled.

About Google Places API

Google Places API allows you to access detailed information about millions of places, including businesses, landmarks, and points of interest. This enables features like search, autocomplete, and detailed place information in your applications.

API Key:

  • Free to create — generating a Google Cloud API key does not incur any cost.
  • Required for all requests — every request to the Places API must include a valid API key to identify your project.
  • Security — you can restrict your key by domain, IP address, or mobile app to prevent unauthorized use.

Billing & Pricing:

  • Pay-as-you-go — while the API key itself is free, using the Places API is billed based on usage. Each request is counted depending on its type, referred to as a SKU.
  • Billing triggers — charges apply when your usage exceeds the free monthly quota provided by Google for each SKU.
  • Cost depends on request type — different requests, like Autocomplete, Place Details, or Nearby Search, have different rates.
  • Monitoring — you can track your usage and manage costs in the Google Cloud Console.

For more details, visit the Google Places API usage and billing documentation.

What Is Included by Default

The built-in key enables:

  • APIs: Maps JavaScript API, Maps Static API
  • Core map interactions:
    • View and pan maps (geofences and action details)
    • Create and edit geofences

The built-in key does not include:

  • Place search and autocomplete
  • Location name resolution (e.g., converting coordinates to place names)
  • Rich place details (names, addresses, categories)

Why Provide Your Own API Key

  • Security and control — use your own Google Cloud project and enforce API restrictions.
  • Access to enhanced features — Places API powers search, autocomplete, and richer data for both geofence flows and action details.
  • Scalability and quotas — manage usage and quotas under your own billing account.

Prerequisites

  • A Google Cloud project
  • Billing enabled on your project
  • A Google Maps API key
  • Places API enabled for the key

Create and Configure a Google Maps API Key

  1. Create an API key:

    • Go to the Google Cloud Console.
    • Navigate to APIs & Services → Credentials.
    • Click Create credentials → API key.
    • Copy the generated key.

  2. Enable required APIs:

    In APIs & Services → Library, enable:

  3. Apply key restrictions (recommended):

    In APIs & Services → Credentials, select your key:

    • Application restrictions — for browser-based usage, use "HTTP referrers (web sites)" and add your dashboard domain(s).
    • API restrictions — restrict the key to only the APIs you need (Maps JavaScript, Maps Static, and Places).
    • See API Key Best Practices for more guidance.

  4. Add your key to Excalibur Dashboard:

    • In the Dashboard, open Settings → Maps.
    • Paste your API key into Your Google Maps API Key.
    • Toggle Places API (Enhanced features) to On.
    • Click Save.

Feature Comparison

Capability Built-in Key (Maps JS + Static) Custom Key (Maps JS + Static + Places)
Map viewing & panning (geofences, action details) Yes Yes
Geofence creation & editing Yes Yes
Place search & autocomplete No Yes
Location name resolution (nearby names/addresses) No Yes
Rich place details (types, hours, ratings) No Yes
Control over quotas & billing Limited (shared) Full (your project)
API key restrictions & security Not configurable Configurable in your project

Troubleshooting

Places features not working:

  • Confirm Places API is enabled for your key in Google Cloud.
  • Check API restrictions: ensure Places API is allowed alongside Maps JavaScript and Maps Static.
  • Verify application restrictions: your dashboard domain must be listed if using HTTP referrers.
  • Inspect browser console/network logs for Google Maps errors and quota messages.

Quota and billing:

  • Ensure billing is active in your Google Cloud project.
  • Review usage in Google Cloud Console under Quotas.

References