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 an 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 protect your API key
Step 3: Learn the basics (optional)
If you’re completely new to digital maps and MapTiler tools, we recommend getting familiar with the key concepts before you dive into map making. It’s not strictly necessary, but it makes things easier and less confusing from the get-go. 👉 How maps work
Step 4: Prepare your map
To get a beautiful 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.
The steps above are universal enough for anyone, but if you’re a developer, you might want to look specifically at how to build a map application.
Use location services
Our search and geolocation services work with or without a map. You can use them to:
- Search for places by their name or coordinates (geocoding)
- Locate users by their IP address (IP geolocation)
Work on-prem/offline
If you want complete control and secure access to your maps and data, explore our on-prem solutions:
- Self-host your maps with MapTiler Server
- Process large data on-prem with MapTiler Engine
More help
Are you stuck and self-study resources don’t get you anywhere? Contact our support for real human-to-human help.
Happy mapping!