Using Google Maps

As of June 2018 Google Maps requires that you use an API key. For me this means I had to embed it in my LocalSettings.php file so that Wiki Maps would work.

From StackOverflow: "According to the Google Maps Platform technical support, a billing account without any credit card information will be created for each project without billing account. This means that the API calls will still succeed, as long as they fit within the free tier of $200 per month. If your application goes over the 200$ free tier, the billing account will be closed, and API calls will start failing. The only option after that to reopen billing account is entering the credit card information."

I am pretty sure if you try to do this you will find that it does not work. You now have to put in a credit card (or bank account). Period.

Once it's set up you can set the project created to have a credit limit of $0 so that it will not bill you but the card still has to be in there.

There is still OpenStreetMap.

What you need to do

1. Get an account.
2. Get an API key.
3. Use the key.

In my Google Cloud Platform dashboard, I can see the one I use on this site (which is hosted at bluehost.com BTW), I called it "WildsongWiki".

Set "HTTP Referrer" restriction

What it's for

Restrict the key so that only requests coming from your site will be allowed.

This prevents people from inserting YOUR api key into THEIR websites and spending your credits.

How to set it up

1. Goto to your Google Cloud Platform console https://console.cloud.google.com/home/dashboard
2. Goto the "hamburger" and select "APIs and Services" -> Credentials
3. Click the pencil (edit) next to the relevant key
4. Under "Application restrictions" click the radio button HTTP referrers
5. Put in the appropriate URL for your server, in my case it would be http://*.wildsong.biz/* (in this screenshot it's one for Clatsop County)
6. Click "Save"

Google links

Get API key Google's notes on getting a key