The help for step 1 is very verbose so it has been split into sections to make finding the appropriate part easier. You probably won't need to read this entire section, although if you haven't used Google Maps before, the main controls section might hold some handy tips.

Click the appropriate Show/Hide link beside the section of interest to open or close it.

Zooming In / Out:

   Use the zoom ladder on the side of the map to zoom in and out by small or large amount.

     Tip: Try double clicking the map to centre it as the map always zooms to the central point.
     Tip: Some areas of the world have little or no normal data, but often have good satellite images.


Basic Moving Around:

   Click and dragging the map around is often the most efficient method.
   Using the arrow buttons on the top left of the map moves by steady amounts.

     Tip: To drag long distances, it's often a good idea to zoom out a little first.


Regional Quicklinks Jump:

   The Regional Quicklinks menus allow quick navigation to a continent or country.

     Just select your continent and then the region or country and click the "Jump to >>" button.
     The map will then move and zoom to show the selected region/country.
     You can then drag the map around and zoom in as normal.


Custom icons:

   You can plot your own icons onto the map, label them and even provide a link to a web site if
     required which can pinpoint pretty much anything, eg: office location, wedding venues, start of
     your favourite walk etc.

   See "Adding a custom icon" for more details.


 
Misc Notes:

   The final saved map will be virtually identical to what is shown here including zoom level and map
     type (normal, satellite or hybrid).

   If you wish to use the extra content overlays in step 2, these will only work when the map is
    zoomed to level 5 or greater (zoom level shows just below the map).

   The extra content overlays set in step 2 won't show on the map below, but will on the public version.

1) Firstly zoom into the appropriate part of the world where you want the icon to appear.

2) Click once on the map to place the icon. Exact positioning isn't important at this stage.

3) The map will appear with a speech bubble above it:

    All the fields are optional here and you can edit the bubbles by clicking on any of the icons.
    After editing, remember to click the "Save the text" button to update the bubble details.
    More details are available under the "Icon Details" help section.

4) Zoom in as close to the map as you can and drag the icon to the most appropriate location.

    You may find the satellite button (top right) helps with this process.
    Some countries especially outside Europe the North America may only have satellite details.

The postal code option provides an easy way to plot a location from an address, although there are currently only a limited number of countries with postal code details available.


1) Enter the postcode and select the appropriate country for that code:

    For best results, enter the code in the standard format, eg: for the UK enter them as ZJ1 2LW
    Our system will attempt to understand other formats such as ZJ12LW, but may not be as reliable.


2) Click the "Plot with Postcode" button and after a couple of seconds, the map will update:

    If the system was unable to find a matching postcode, it will alert you with an error


3) Most postcodes cover an area of varying size so the icon might not be 100% accurate:

    UK postcodes tend to be the best and are often within 1/4 mile or less of the exact location
    If the postal code is not accurate, you will see a note to warn you of this

    To move the icon, simply zoom in and drag it to the most appropriate location
    Once added, the icon can be treated exactly the same as any other icon

If you know the exact latitude and longitude of the point you want to plot then this is the ideal option:


1) Enter the latitude and longitude into the relevent boxes:

2) Click the "Plot by Co-ordinates" button and in a second the map will update with a new point

If you have the grid reference of a point, then this can plot an icon to that point:


1) Enter the 8 character grid reference into the relevent box

2) Select the type of grid reference for the most accurate pointing

2) Click the "Plot by Grid Reference" button and in a second the map will update with a new point

    OS references are generally only used in the UK
    WSG84 is the most common for the rest of the world

1) Click on an icon to get the speech bubble.

2) Each icon can store a few details including a name, web site link and short description.

    Name is like a label, eg: "My House", "Wedding Venue", "Concert Venue".
    URL lets you link the name above to an external web site.
    Desc is for a short description such as "Bride due to arrive at 3pm" or the address of the church.

      All these details are optional
      Web address must be in the full format, eg: http://www.example.com/
      Description can be longer, but more than 5 lines will be extremely messy on the final page.
        Please remember to include line breaks usually every 5 - 10 words.

3) To save any details about the icon, click the "Save the text" button.
    To cancel changes, click the "X" on the top right of the bubble.

To remove an icon, simply click on it to display the speech bubble and click the "Remove Icon" link.

    Please note, this can not be undone and will remove any details entered about the icon.
    This won't affect any previously stored or in-use maps.