Maps & Geolocation

Overview

Build location-based applications using mapping and geolocation APIs. This skill covers four major platforms — Google Maps Platform, Mapbox, Leaflet (open-source), and OpenStreetMap/Nominatim (free) — for geocoding, routing, interactive maps, geofencing, heatmaps, store locators, fleet tracking, and address autocomplete. Choose based on budget: Google Maps for full-featured commercial use, Mapbox for custom styling, Leaflet+OSM for zero-cost self-hosted solutions.

Instructions

Step 1: Platform Selection & Setup

Google Maps Platform ($200/month free credit):

# Enable: Maps JS API, Geocoding API, Directions API, Places API, Distance Matrix API
export GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY="AIzaSy..."

Mapbox (50,000 free map loads/month):

export MAPBOX_ACCESS_TOKEN="pk.eyJ1..."