Public, unlisted and password maps
Choose who can open a map: anyone, only people who have the link, or only people who know the password.
On this page
Every map is public when you create it. Under Map settings → General → Access you can keep it out of search results, or put it behind a password. The setting covers every address of the map and every embed.
The three options
| Option | Who can open it | Search engines |
|---|---|---|
| Public | Anyone with the link | May list it |
| Unlisted | Anyone with the link | Are asked not to list it |
| Password | Only people who enter the password | Are asked not to list it |
Choose an option and select Save access. The change takes effect immediately; it is not part of the editor's Save.
Unlisted keeps a map out of search results, but it is not private: anyone you share the link with can pass it on. Use Password when the map must stay closed.
Password-protected maps
When you choose Password, set a password of 6 to 128 characters. To change it later, type a new one; leave the field empty to keep the current password.
Visitors see a page that says This map is password-protected and asks for the password. Until it is entered, nothing of the map is sent to their browser — no data, no name, no description, no share image. Shared links show a generic title.
- A browser that has entered the password stays unlocked for 7 days.
- Changing the password locks everyone out until they enter the new one.
- A visitor can try the password 10 times in 15 minutes; after that the page asks them to try again in a few minutes.
- Switching back to Public or Unlisted deletes the stored password.
Opening your own map
While you are signed in, you can open your own password-protected map without the password on its mapji.com addresses (the map address and a subdomain). On a custom domain, and inside an embed, you are asked for it like any visitor.
Password maps in an embed
An embedded password map asks for the password inside the frame before it shows anything. Safari blocks cookies in embedded frames, so Safari visitors may be asked again on a later visit.
What search engines see
Public maps can appear in search results under their name and description. Unlisted and password-protected maps tell search engines not to index them. Embeds are never indexed, whatever the setting, so search results always point at the map's own address.