Google Maps has limited free usage quotas/limits, if you go over this usage value, you will be billed for service usage. See our recent announcement for more information about the new pricing changes for Google Maps API.
The purpose of this page is to explain what APIs we use, how and where we use them, so you can decide how to make the best of this service without ending up with large unexpected usage bills. We suggest you check out Google’s pricing page and cost calculator to check if your site usage will generate any costs according to the APIs Events Manager uses as described below.
We also have a Google Maps API usage and cost management documentation page providing you with information on how to entirely mitigate, or reduce these costs as much as possible depending on your site requirements.
With Events Manager (and Pro) we make use of Google API services in the following areas:
Please note that these are not the libraries you need to enable, rather the APIs according to their price sheet. See our Google Maps setup instructions for more information on what libraries you need to activate for each feature.
Displaying Maps
Every time a map is displayed, you are making an API call to the Google Maps Service. Events Manager offers multiple map types, you will be paying a different price for different types of map loads.
Maps are loaded by default on Event and Location pages. You may also be loading maps if using shortcodes to display event/location information which will use one or more of the following APIs:
- Dynamic Maps
- Embedded Maps
- Static Maps (Pro Only)
Also, if you’re using the [events_map] or [locations_map] shortcode, each map load will count as one Dynamic Maps API call. If you have multiple maps on a single page, each map displayed counts as one map load, even if on the same page.
Creating and Editing Locations
When creating and editing locations, you’ll notice a map that appears next to location address information, and dynamically changes as you change add or edit the address of your location. This map is using the Dynamic Maps API service and the purpose of this map load is to give you a preview of your location on the map, along with the ability to move the pin, changing the GPS coordinates of your exact location.
Every time you load a location or event edit page, a map to the corresponding location will be loaded with it. This will count as one API call per page load.
If you type in or change the address of your location which changes the location of the map, or move the pin around a Geolocation API call is also made to determine the coordinates based on the new address information. This still counts as one Dynamic Maps API call until the page is reloaded (such as if you click the ‘save’ button).
Searching Events with the Near… Field
Our search form has a geolocation autocomplete search field, which provides visitors with location names as they type. We use this functionality to determine coordinates of their desired location and search for events within a radius of those coordinates. This service uses the Google Places Autocomplete API.