Get started with MapTiler
Welcome to the MapTiler newbie kit! If you’re new to our products or even digital maps in general, you’re in the right place. We’ll help you understand the basics and take the first steps, no prior knowledge required.
Step 1: Create a MapTiler account
Workflows described in this documentation generally require you to be logged in to a MapTiler account. Creating one is fast, free, and with no obligations. 👉 Create a MapTiler account (If the link takes you directly to the Maps page, you’re already logged in.)
Step 2: Get your API key
An API key is needed to use, test, and play around with our maps and services. Once you have a MapTiler account, go to page API keys and copy your default key to have it handy. Remember, this key is for testing only! 👉 Learn how to use and protect your API key
Step 3: Get familiar with basic concepts
If you’re completely new to digital maps and MapTiler tools, it’s useful to know how it all works. As a practical intro, we recommend learning about the key concepts you’ll see in your MapTiler account: 👉 Maps, tiles, data
Step 4: Select your workflow
Let’s get to real work. Specific steps depend on what exactly you need, so check the general scenarios below and pick one that fits best.
To build a map showing whatever you want to share with the world, follow these general steps:
- Select and use a ready-made map.
- Optionally, customize the design of the map to make it your own.
- Add your data to the map.
- Build a map application.
Our geolocation services can be used with or without a map. Here's what you can do with them:
- Search for places by their name or coordinates (geocoding)
- Locate users by their IP address (IP geolocation)
- Convert coordinates from one system to another
For complete control and secure access to your maps and data, use our on-prem solutions:
- Self-host your maps with MapTiler Server
- Process large data on-prem with MapTiler Engine
If you get stuck and self-study resources don’t get you anywhere, contact our support to get real human-to-human help.
Happy mapping!