Modern Maps Lite is the easiest way to add beautiful, customizable maps to your WordPress site. No API keys. No Google Cloud Console. No complicated setup. Just add a block, search for your location, and publish — your map looks good from the start.

Built from the ground up for the WordPress block editor, Modern Maps Lite uses MapLibre GL to render smooth, modern vector maps that match your site’s design. It’s the map block WordPress should have shipped with.

Why Modern Maps Lite?

Works instantly — no API key, no Google Cloud account, no billing setup
Native Gutenberg block — not a shortcode, not a widget, not a retrofitted legacy plugin
Curated style presets — White, Black, and Standard themes designed for modern web design
Theme color matching — pick a color and your entire map palette updates
Vector tiles — smooth, fast, and crisp at every zoom level

Features

Add maps to any page or post using the block editor
Search for any address or place name directly in the editor
Unlimited markers per map
Rich marker popups — add text, images, or any WordPress block inside a popup
3 style presets: White (clean, minimal), Black (dark mode), Standard (classic)
Theme color picker to match your map to your brand
Auto-fit viewport to show all markers, or set a fixed center and zoom
Adjustable map height with CSS unit support (px, vh, em)
Wide and full-width alignment options
Border, border-radius, and shadow controls via the block editor
Responsive and mobile-friendly
Lightweight — no jQuery, no legacy admin panels
Works with any properly coded WordPress theme
GDPR-friendly — all external service connections fully disclosed
No coding required

Want More? Try Modern Maps Pro

Modern Maps Pro adds powerful customization for designers and agencies:

Advanced LCH color space controls — fine-tune every color on your map
Additional style presets
Priority email support
Multi-site licensing (5 or 25 sites)

Perfect For

Small businesses showing their storefront location
Restaurants, cafes, and bars with a contact page
Real estate agents displaying property locations
Travel bloggers mapping their adventures
Churches, gyms, and community organizations
Nonprofits mapping their service areas
Freelancers and agencies building client sites
Anyone who wants a map on their WordPress site without the API key hassle

How It Works

Install — Find Modern Maps Lite in the WordPress plugin directory and activate it. No account creation. No API key setup.
Add a map — Open any page or post, add the Modern Maps block, and search for your location.
Make it yours — Choose a style preset or match your theme color. Publish and you’re done.

Source Code

The full unminified source code for all JavaScript and CSS is included in the src/ directory of this plugin. The compiled versions used at runtime are in the build/ directory.

External Services

This plugin relies on the following third-party external services to provide its core functionality. Each service is documented below in a consistent format showing what it is used for, when it is contacted, and what data is sent.

Modern Maps Tile Proxy

Used for: Delivering vector map tiles, fonts (glyphs), and sprite assets to the visitor’s browser so the map can render.
When: Whenever a map block is rendered, both on the public front end and inside the WordPress block editor.
Data sent: Standard HTTP request data from the visitor’s browser (this is true of any web request). The proxy itself samples sites — not individual requests — using a deterministic hash of the site’s hostname: approximately one in ten sites are included, and for those sites every request is logged (for the rest, no requests are logged). For included sites, the proxy records the calling site’s domain (taken from the standard Origin or Referer header the browser already sends), the asset type requested (tile, font, or sprite), and the HTTP response status. Records are retained for 90 days. No visitor IP addresses, user agents, request paths, query strings, cookies, or other personal data are stored.
Service URL: https://tiles.modernmapswp.com
Provider: Modern Maps (modernmapswp.com)
Terms of Use: https://modernmapswp.com/terms
Privacy Policy: https://modernmapswp.com/privacy

MapTiler

Used for: Source of the underlying vector tiles and font glyphs served by the tile proxy above.
When: Indirectly, whenever the tile proxy is contacted. The visitor’s browser does not communicate with MapTiler directly — all requests are routed through the proxy.
Data sent: Server-to-server requests from the tile proxy. No data flows from the visitor’s browser to MapTiler.
Service URL: https://api.maptiler.com
Terms of Use: https://www.maptiler.com/terms-of-use/
Privacy Policy: https://www.maptiler.com/privacy-policy/

Komoot Photon Geocoding API

Used for: Converting a typed address or place name into latitude and longitude coordinates.
When: Only when an admin types into the location search field inside the block editor. Never contacted on the public front end.
Data sent: The search query text and standard HTTP request headers from the admin’s browser.
Service URL: https://photon.komoot.io
Terms of Use: https://photon.komoot.io/ (Photon is an open-source geocoding API built on OpenStreetMap data and does not publish a separate privacy policy.)

Protomaps Basemap Assets

Used for: Sprite images and font glyphs used by the “Standard” map style.
When: Whenever a map using the Standard theme is rendered, in the editor or on the public front end.
Data sent: Standard HTTP request data (IP address, user agent) from the visitor’s browser to GitHub Pages.
Service URL: https://protomaps.github.io/basemaps-assets/
Provider: Protomaps
Project Page: https://protomaps.com/
GitHub Privacy Statement: https://docs.github.com/en/site-policy/privacy-policies/github-general-privacy-statement

Modern Maps Lite