Introducing Places UI Kit: A low-code way to display Google’s Places content on your map of choice

The Google Maps Platform team is introducing the Places UI Kit, a new low-code, cost-effective toolkit designed to bring the familiar Google Maps experience for Places to any map interface. This release is aimed at helping developers create more intuitive and engaging user experiences.

Backed by rich, trusted data on over 250 million places, the Places UI Kit makes it easier for businesses and developers to build frontend features that allow users to explore and discover locations seamlessly.

Available through the Maps JavaScript API and the SDKs for iOS and Android, the Places UI Kit includes three core UI components:

• Place Details component: Offers essential information about locations—such as operating hours, accessibility, and user ratings—enabling users to make informed decisions. (Now generally available across web and mobile.)

• Place Search component: Allows users to search for nearby places using either category filters or free-text input. (Currently in Experimental for the Maps JavaScript API.)

• Autocomplete component: Accelerates and improves place searches by offering predictive suggestions as users type. (Expected to launch in late 2025.)

This toolkit represents the next step in making location-based experiences even more accessible, intuitive, and impactful.

Places UI Kit components examples

Get started with just a few lines of code and easily customise the UI

Places UI Kit components can be embedded into any visual application with minimal code. While providing Google's trusted UI, the components also allow for visual, layout, and functional customisation. This means you can tailor the look and feel to align with your brand’s visual identity, providing a more cohesive experience for your users.

The Place Details component can be customized to change color, size and level of detail.

Use Google Maps Places with any map for the first time 

For the first time, the Google Maps Platform team is offering the ability to integrate the Google Maps Places UI onto or alongside non-Google maps. For iOS developers who prefer working with the default iOS maps platform, this new capability allows them to effortlessly bring factual, up-to-date information about over 250 million places globally from Google Maps into their iOS applications. This development streamlines the process and ensures consistent user experiences across platforms.

The Places UI Kit offers a more cost-effective way to incorporate Google’s extensive Places data into your map visualisations, making it an ideal solution for both high-growth startups and large enterprises. With the Places UI Kit, developers can optimise their budget while still delivering rich, detailed location-based experiences.

Whether you're building a real estate website or another location-based service, you can now enhance your platform with just a few lines of code. For instance, a real estate site can easily integrate Google’s Places data into listings, allowing potential buyers to explore nearby amenities, schools, and key points of interest. Information like hours of operation, ratings, and other essential details will help users get an immediate sense of the area, leading to more showings and, ultimately, more confident purchasing decisions.

The Place Search and Place Details components help highlight nearby amenities.

Similarly, you can use Places UI Kit to enable travelers to effortlessly discover nearby restaurants, attractions, and other popular POIs near their hotel or holiday rental. They can compare options and plan itineraries faster, supported by rich images and trusted ratings, while keeping them engaged on your platform longer. 

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