Adopting unified Maps URLs

Access Maps URLs and options for displaying Maps information across Apple platforms.

Overview

In iOS 18.4 and later, macOS 15.4 and later, and watchOS 11.4 and later, the Maps platform provides a new, unified collection of URLs that offers the same functionality on all devices. Use the Maps path components to control aspects of the Maps display, ranging from the presentation of a simple map centered on a location you provide, to finding specific points of interest (POIs) and providing complex multistop driving, walking, or transit directions.

Frame the map display

Use the /frame path component and query parameters to control aspects of the map’s framing and representation. This component allows you to set a map’s orientation, style, visible area (the map’s span), and other perspective controls, as described in the table below.

Parameter	Description
`center`	Frames the map on a specific center described by comma-separated coordinate pair, such as `40.773957,-73.970974`.
`span`	Specifies the size of the area around the center point of the search in degrees of longitude and latitude, for example `0.05,0.05`, which is approximately one km for these examples. For more information on what these distances mean at different latitudes, see doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/mapkit/mkcoordinatespan/init(latitudedelta:longitudedelta:).
`mode`	Sets the map’s mode to optionally allow location tracking: values can be `follow` or `follow-with-heading`, or `none`.
`heading`	Sets the direction toward which the map orients.
`pitch`	Sets the the vertical angle the map is oriented to.
`distance`	Sets the apparent distance from the viewer to the map surface; this parameter also affects the map’s `span`.
`map`	Sets the type of map to display: values can be `explore`, `driving`, `transit`, `satellite`, or `hybrid`.

The following /frame path component examples demonstrate different kinds of map framing, along with details, where necessary, on how specific parameters affect what the map displays.

Center the map at specific coordinate — https://maps.apple.com/frame?center=40.753035,-73.981846.
Set map mode to transit and center map at specific coordinate — https://maps.apple.com/frame?map=transit&center=40.753035,-73.981846.
Set the map mode to explore and set user tracking to follow — https://maps.apple.com/frame?coordinate=40.753035,-73.981846&map=explore&mode=follow&span=0.024461,0.043938.
Set map mode to explore; this setting cause the map to focus on a specified coordinate, and sets the map camera attributes — https://maps.apple.com/frame?map=explore&center=40.753035,-73.981846&heading=180&pitch=15&distance=10000.
Set the map mode to explore, and set location tracking mode to follow — https://maps.apple.com/frame?map=explore&center=40.753035,-73.981846&heading=18a0&pitch=15&distance=10000&mode=follow. If you’re setting tracking mode and camera properties, the tracking mode takes precedence. Setting camera properties requires a center coordinate.
Center the map at a specific coordinate and frame the map to the specified span — https://maps.apple.com/frame?center=40.753035,-73.981846&span=0.05,0.05. It’s also possible to frame the map using the distance parameter, for example, https://maps.apple.com/frame?center=40.753035,-73.981846&distance=17825.
Set the map mode to explore, which centers the map at a specified coordinate, and sets the map camera elevation, heading, and angle; in this example, facing East (90˚), a distance of 1 km, and a map pitch of 15˚ — https://maps.apple.com/frame?map=explore&center=40.753035,-73.981846&heading=90&pitch=15&distance=10000.
Center the map at a specific coordinate and set the camera distance — https://maps.apple.com/frame?map=explore&center=40.753035,-73.981846&distance=10000.
Center the map at a specific coordinate and set the camera to the specified properties — https://maps.apple.com/frame?center=40.753035,-73.981846&distance=5000&pitch=15&heading=180&span=1.0,1.0. If you provide both the span and camera properties, the camera properties take precedence, since they’re more specific than a span.

Perform general searches

You can use the /search path component to search for specific kinds of locations using several query parameters.

Parameter	Description
`center`	Searches the map starting at a specific center point described by a comma-separated coordinate pair, such as `40.773957,-73.970974`.
`query`	A search string. This parameter can be a general point of interest (POI) such as `pizza`, or a specific location such as an address string, such as `1000 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY`, or a city name such as `San Francisco`. For a list of POIs, see Mkpointofinterestcategory.
`span`	A span that specifies the size of the area around the center point of the search in degrees of longitude and latitude, for example `0.05,0.05` which is approximately 1 km for these examples. For more information on what these distances mean at different latitudes, see doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/mapkit/mkcoordinatespan/init(latitudedelta:longitudedelta:).

The following /search path component examples demonstrate how to use the search path component to find pizza, one of Maps’ POI identifiers, using different kinds of location and distance descriptions.

Show results for pizza around a person’s location: https://maps.apple.com/search?query=pizza. The default center point is a person’s location.
Show results for pizza centered on Trafalgar Square in London, United Kingdom — https://maps.apple.com/search?query=pizza&center=51.507984,-0.128015.
Show results for pizza within approximately 1 km around Washington Square Park in New York City — https://maps.apple.com/search?query=pizza&center=40.730877,-73.997603&span=0.05,0.05.

Show the place card of a POI

Using the /place path component enables you to specify a place card that shows useful details about points of interest on the map. Use the parameters in the following table to specify a POI and optionally the place card name and map type.

Parameter	Description
`coordinate`	The latitude and longitude of the location, as a comma-separated pair of floating point values that represent latitude and longitude.
`address`	The address of the location, such as “1000 Fifth Ave, New York, NY”.
`place-id`	A Place ID is a unique identifier for a POI, such as `I521E602783BA9605`, The Metropolitan Museum of Art at 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028, United States; for more information on Place IDs, see Identifying Unique Locations With Place Ids.
`map`	The type of map to display. Maps supports `explore`, `driving`, `transit`, `satellite`, or `hybrid` as the map type.

The following examples demonstrate different place card details along with details, where necessary, on how specific parameters affect what the maps displays.

Show the address 1000 Fifth Ave, NY, NY, which is located at the specified coordinate and associated POIs near this address — https://maps.apple.com/place?coordinate=40.779092,-73.962932.
Show 1000 Fifth Ave, NY, NY, 10028 using an address string and display associated POIs near this address: https://maps.apple.com/place?address=1000%20Fifth%20Ave,%20NY,NY,10028%20United%20States.
Show the place at PlaceID IF149E70A3B3C4CB2 — American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park W, New York, NY 10024, United States — https://maps.apple.com/place?place-id=IF149E70A3B3C4CB2. To find a specific Place ID, you can use MKMapItem in AppKit and UIKit, Place in MapKitJS, or see Place ID Lookup.
Show a place card at the specified coordinate with custom name you provide — https://maps.apple.com/place?coordinate=40.864791,-73.931723&name=My%20Favorite%20Place. You can use this parameter when dropping a pin if you need to display a custom name for the place card.
Show a person’s current location — https://maps.apple.com/place?place-id=my-location. This parameter requires that a person has given permission for Maps to display their location.
Show the location of a person’s parked car — https://maps.apple.com/place?place-id=parked-car. This parameter requires that a person has given Maps permission to record the place they parked.

Explore the environment using Look Around

Use the /look-around path component and one of the following parameters to specify the initial location to start a session using Look Around.

Parameter	Description
`coordinate`	The latitude and longitude of the location as a comma-separated pair of floating point values that represent latitude and longitude.
`address`	The address of the location. This parameter is an address string, such as “1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028”.
`place-id`	A Place ID, which is a unique identifier for a point of interest, such as `I521E602783BA9605`, The Metropolitan Museum of Art at 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028, United States; for more information on Place IDs, see Identifying Unique Locations With Place Ids.

The following examples demonstrate Look Around experiences in different cities:

The San Francisco Ferry Building — https://maps.apple.com/look-around?place-id=IBE1F65094A7A13B1
The New York Stock Exchange, New York City, United States — https://maps.apple.com/look-around?coordinate=40.706974,-74.011281
The Tower of London, London, United Kingdom — https://maps.apple.com/look-around?address=The%20Tower%20of%20London,London,UK
The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France — https://maps.apple.com/look-around?address=The%20Eiffel%20Tower,Paris,France

Request directions

Use the /directions path component and following query parameters in several combinations to request directions.

Parameters	Description	Values	Notes
`source`	The starting point of the navigation route	Specify an address, coordinate, or a place name
`source-place-id`	An optional place identifier for the source parameter	A Place ID	Specifying a `source-place-id` also requires the `source` parameter
`destination`	The ending destination of the navigation route	Specify an address, coordinate, or a place name
`destination-place-id`	An optional place identifier for the destination parameter	A Place ID	Specifying a `destination-place-id` also requires the `destination` parameter
`waypoint`	This parameter describes destinations in between the `source` and `destination` you can use for multistop routing	Specify an address, coordinate, or a place name	You can specify multiple waypoints by repeating the `waypoint` parameter
`waypoint-place-id`	An optional place identifier for the waypoint parameter	A Place ID, which is a unique identifier for a point of interest, such as `I521E602783BA9605`, The Metropolitan Museum of Art at 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028, United States; for more information on Place IDs, see Identifying Unique Locations With Place Ids
`mode`	The transportation mode	You can specify one of `driving`, `walking`, `transit`, or `cycling`
`avoid`	The route preferences are specific to the transportation mode	You can specify `tolls`, `highways`, `busy-roads`, or `stairs`	Specify multiple options by using a comma (,) as the delimiter
`transit-preferences`	The preferred method of travel for transit	Available modes are `bus`, `subway`, `commuter`, or `ferry`	Specify multiple options by using the comma (,) as the delimiter
`start`	Starts navigation after the delay in seconds that you specify	An integer that indicates the number of seconds to delay

You can use the query parameters to the directions path in a large number of combinations to control how Maps displays directions. Limitations on the combinators or side effect that they may have are listed in the table above.

Show driving directions from a person’s current location to San Francisco City Hall: https://maps.apple.com/directions?destination=1%Dr.%20Carlton%20B.%20Goodlatte%20Place,%20San%20Francisco,%20CA%20%94102,%20United%20States&mode=driving.
Show the step-by-step walking directions from the San Franciso Ferry Building to San Francisco City Hall: https://maps.apple.com/directions?source=37.795442,-122.393624&destination=1%Dr.%20Carlton%20B.%20Goodlatte%20Place,%20San%20Francisco,%20CA%20%94102,%20United%20States&mode=walking.
Show multistop driving directions to The San Francisco Ferry Building and San Francisco City Hall — https://maps.apple.com/directions?destination=1%Dr.%20Carlton%20B.%20Goodlatte%20Place,%20San%20Francisco,%20CA%20%94102,%20United%20States&waypoint=37.795442,-122.393624&mode=driving. You can specify multiple waypoint parameters for different waypoints.
Show multistop driving directions, in New York City, from Riverside Park to The American Museum of Natural History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The New York Public Library — https://maps.apple.com/directions?source=328%10Riverside%20Drive,%20New%20York,NY%2010025&destination=200%20Central%20Park%20W%20New%20York,%20NY%2010024%20United%20States&waypoint=40.779092,-73.962932&waypoint=476%20Fifth%20Ave%20New%20York,%20NY%2010018%20United%20States&mode=driving.
Show transit directions from the New York Public Library to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City — https://maps.apple.com/directions?source=200%20Central%20Park%20W%20New%20York,%20NY%2010024%20United%20States&destination=200%20Central%20Park%20W%20New%20York,%20NY%2010024%20United%20States&mode=transit. Leaving off the source instructs Maps to display directions using public transit to the specified destination from a person’s current location, which might not be practical depending on a person’s location.
Show driving directions from The American Museum of Natural History in New York City to Jones Beach State Park on Long Island, New York, avoiding tolls, if possible — https://maps.apple.com/directions?source=476%20Fifth%20Ave%20New%20York,%20NY%2010018%20United%20States&destination=40.596896,-73.514907&mode=driving&avoid=tolls.
Show driving directions to 941 Alamo Dr, in San Francisco, CA avoiding tolls and highways, if possible — https://maps.apple.com/directions?destination=941%20Alamo%20Dr,%20Vacaville,%20CA%20%2095687,%20United%20States&mode=driving&avoid=tolls,highways. You can use ‘,’ as a separator to specify multiple avoid options.
Show walking directions from, a person’s current location to 1 La Avanzada St, San Francisco, CA avoiding highways, hills, stairs, and busy roads, if possible — https://maps.apple.com/directions?destination=1%20La%20Avanzada%20St,%20San%20Francisco,%20CA%20%2094131,%20United%20States&mode=walking&avoid=highways,hills,stairs,busy-roads. The avoid options are only applicable to their respective transportation modes.
Show transit directions from a person’s current location to Sausalito, preferring bus and ferry — https://maps.apple.com/directions?destination=Sausalito,%20CA,%20United%20States&transit-preferences=bus,ferry&mode=transit. Leaving off the source instructs Maps to display directions using public transit to the specified destination from a person’s current location, which might not be practical depending on their location.

Find guides and curated places

Using the /guides path component, you can ask Maps to provide details about place guides and curated collections using the following URL: https://maps.apple.com/guides.

Report a problem

If you find an issue with Apple Maps, you can report a problem using the /report-a-problem path component, followed by any of the following parameters:

Parameters	Description	Values
`coordinate`	The latitude and longitude of the location	A comma-separated pair of floating point values that represent latitude and longitude
`address`	The address of the location	An address string, such as 1000 Fifth Avenue
`place-id`	The unique Place ID for a point of interest; for example, the place ID `I8CAD8EFA77AA3D42` represents Bethesda Terrace in New York City’s Central Park	For more information on Place IDs, see Identifying Unique Locations With Place Ids

Example problem reports

You can report a problem using the same kinds of location descriptors the other queries use. The following examples show how to report a problem using a coordinate, an address, or a Place ID.

Report a problem at the coordinate 40.753035,-73.981846 (The New York Public Library at 42nd St & 5th Ave in New York City) - https://maps.apple.com/report-a-problem?coordinate=37.316115,-122.050910
Report a problem at the address 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028 United States — https://maps.apple.com/report-a-problem?address=1000%20Fifth%20Ave%20New%20York%20NY%2100284%20United%20States
Report a problem at Place ID IBE1F65094A7A13B1, the San Francisco Ferry Building — https://maps.apple.com/report-a-problem?place-id=IBE1F65094A7A13B1

When you open the report-a-problem URL, Maps opens a problem report sheet to ask a person for more detail on the nature of the problem, which Apple uses to investigate the report.

Retrieve a full Maps URL from a shortened URL

When people share a map URL from Maps, this system creates a shortened version that’s more efficient to send in the app, for example, Messages or Mail. If you need to recover the full URL, follow these steps:

Check to see if the URL is a shortened Apple Maps URL; the host portion of an Apple shortened Maps URLs always end in maps.apple (no .com).
Attempt to access the URL programmatically, the full Apple Maps URL is accessible from the HTTP 301 redirect response that the maps.apple server returns.