The Maps Express: AI-First Extension for Google Maps

A Shortcut to Google Maps, but Rich and Beautiful.

🌐 English | 繁體中文 | 日本語

     

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A Chrome extension that streamlines your Google Maps workflow — search locations, get directions, and manage favorites with a single shortcut or right-click, plus AI-powered place summaries via Gemini.

No workflow disruption. No context switching. Just fast maps.

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Demo

https://youtu.be/xv0tVQAi3qo

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Features at a Glance

Feature	Details
Quick Search	Highlight text + Ctrl+Shift+S / ⌘+⇧+S or right-click → instant Google Maps search
Search Bar	Open via Alt+Shift+S / ⌥+⇧+S or click icon — search without leaving the page
Quick Directions	Right-click highlighted text or press Alt+R / ⌥+R → get directions instantly
Search History	Auto-saves your last 10 searches for quick re-access
Favorites List	Save, import, and export favorite locations as CSV — works with Google My Maps
Place Summary	AI-powered summaries of locations on any page via Gemini Flash
Video Summary	Extract and summarize locations mentioned in YouTube videos
Auto-attach Links	Automatically detect place names on web pages and attach Google Maps links
3 UI languages	English · 繁體中文 · 日本語 — auto-detected
Dark / Light theme	Theme toggle following your preference

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How It Works

You're browsing an article / watching a YouTube video / planning a trip
        │
        ▼
Highlight a place name (or press the shortcut)
        │
        ├─→ Quick Search    → opens Google Maps in a grouped tab
        ├─→ Quick Directions → opens Google Maps directions
        └─→ Place Summary   → Gemini AI summarizes the location
        │
        ▼
Search history auto-saved · ⭐ Favorite to your list
        │
        ▼
Export favorites as CSV → import into Google My Maps
        → Your personal map, built from any website

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Installation

For Users — Chrome Web Store (Recommended)

Install directly from the Chrome Web Store.

For Developers — Local Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/boyonglin/google-maps-extension.git
   cd google-maps-extension
   npm install

2. Open Chrome → chrome://extensions/

3. Toggle Developer mode on (top-right)

4. Click Load unpacked → select the Package/ folder

📸 Step-by-step screenshots

1. Open Browser Extensions → click "Manage extensions"
   

2. Enable Developer Mode
   

3. Load Unpacked → select the project folder
   

After any code change: click Reload on the extension card in chrome://extensions/, then refresh open tabs.

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Configuration

Keyboard Shortcuts

Action	Default Shortcut	Mac Shortcut
Quick Search	Ctrl+Shift+S	⌘+⇧+S
Open Search Bar	Alt+Shift+S	⌥+⇧+S
Auto-attach Links	Alt+S	⌥+S
Quick Directions	Alt+R	⌥+R

To customize shortcuts:

📸 How to change shortcuts

1. Go to extensions page → "Manage extensions"
   

2. Select Keyboard Shortcuts
   

3. Click the input field and set your desired key
   

4. (Optional) Change scope to "Global" for use outside the browser
   

Gemini API Key (for AI Features)

To enable Place Summary and Video Summary, you need a free Gemini API key:

1. Go to Google AI Studio and sign in
2. Agree to the terms of service
3. Click Create API Key → select a project
4. Copy the key and paste it into the extension's settings

📸 Step-by-step screenshots

1. Consent to Terms
   

2. Create API Key
   

3. Select a New Project
   

4. Copy Your Key
   

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Google My Maps Integration

Export your favorites as CSV and import them into Google My Maps to build a personal map:

📸 Step-by-step screenshots

1. Open My Maps: Google Maps → "Your places" → "Maps" → "Create Map"
   

2. Create a New Map
   

3. Import → click "Import"
   

4. Choose CSV File exported from the extension
   

5. Select Columns to position placemarks (default: "name")
   

6. Done!
   

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Privacy & Security

Question	Answer
Where is data stored?	Browser-local localStorage only — never leaves your device
Does it make network requests?	Only for Gemini API calls (when you use AI features) and ExtPay (payment). No tracking or telemetry on your search data.
Can websites see my data?	No. Data is isolated in the extension's storage, inaccessible to page scripts.
Can I delete my data?	Yes — delete individual items via the popup, or clear all via browser settings.

Your searches, favorites, and history stay on your device. The extension only calls external APIs when you explicitly use AI summary features.

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Tech Stack

Layer	Technology
Extension framework	Chrome Manifest V3
UI	HTML + Bootstrap 5.3 + SCSS
AI	Gemini Flash API (gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview)
Payment	ExtPay
Persistence	localStorage
Localization	Chrome i18n (en · zh-TW · ja)
Testing	Jest + jsdom

📂 Project Structure

.
├── Package/
│   ├── _locales/              # i18n (en, zh_TW, ja)
│   ├── css/                   # Compiled CSS
│   ├── dist/
│   │   ├── components/        # Modular UI components
│   │   ├── hooks/             # Custom hooks
│   │   ├── utils/             # Utility functions
│   │   ├── background.js      # Service worker
│   │   ├── contentScript.js   # Content script
│   │   └── popup.js           # Popup logic
│   ├── images/                # Icons and assets
│   ├── vendor/                # 3rd-party libraries (Bootstrap, etc.)
│   ├── manifest.json          # Extension configuration
│   └── popup.html             # Popup interface
├── scss/                      # SCSS source files
├── tests/                     # Unit tests (Jest)
├── jest.config.js
└── package.json

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Debugging & Testing

Target	How to reach it
Background Service Worker	chrome://extensions/ → The Maps Express → Service worker
Popup	Right-click extension icon → Inspect popup
Content scripts	DevTools → Sources → Content scripts
localStorage	DevTools → Application → Local Storage

npm test              # Run all unit tests
npm run test:watch    # Watch mode
npm run test:coverage # Coverage report

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Contributing

PRs and issues are welcome! Please open an issue to discuss significant changes before submitting a PR.

• Bug reports: open an issue
• Feature requests: open an issue
• Code contributions: fork → branch → PR

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License

MIT © 2023–2026 Clancy Lin

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References

• Chrome Extensions Documentation
• Chrome Extension 開發與實作 — 羅拉拉
• Localizing Your Chrome Extension — Shahed Nasser
• 簡單用 Chrome Extension 接 Gemini API — Wolke

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Contributors

• Chin-Hsuan Sun
• Michael Wu