How to Limit Google Maps API Spending

You can absolutely limit your Google Maps API Key spending by setting up budgets and alerts in Google Cloud Console. The goal is to prevent excessive charges if your API gets too many requests.

1. Sign in to Google Cloud Console

• Go to: https://console.cloud.google.com/

• Select the Project where your API Key is being used.

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2. Set Up Budget & Alerts

1. Go to Billing → Budgets & alerts

2. Click CREATE BUDGET

3. Select:

   • Billing account: Your billing account

   • Scope: Choose Project or Service (you can target only Google Maps APIs)

4. Set Budget amount (e.g., $20/month)

5. Add Alert thresholds:

   • 50% → Email alert when spending reaches $10

   • 100% → Email alert when spending reaches $20

   • 120% → Email alert when over budget

6. Save the budget

⚠ Note: Budgets only send alerts; they do not automatically stop the API when the threshold is reached.

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3. Limit API Request Quotas (to stop overspending)

To actually stop charges from exceeding your budget:

• Go to Google Cloud Console → APIs & Services → Enabled APIs & services

• Select the API you want to limit (e.g., Geocoding API, Places API)

• Go to Quotas → adjust Requests per day or Requests per minute.

Example:

• Geocoding API → Requests per day = 1,000 → When the limit is reached, the API will stop responding for that day.

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4. Remove or Restrict the API Key when not in use

• Go to APIs & Services → Credentials

• Select your API Key → Restrict key to:

  • Limit it to certain domains or IP addresses

  • Allow only specific APIs

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💡 Best Practice Combination:

• Budget + Alerts → Know when you’re close to your budget

• Quota limits → Ensure requests can’t exceed a safe amount

• Restrict key → Prevent unauthorized use of your API Key