API keys with referer restrictions cannot be used

API keys with referer restrictions

You’ve tried typing in addresses into your WordPress Store Locator Plus® map page but always get “location not found”. Being a tech savvy person you took a look at your browser developer console and notice an “API keys with referer restrictions cannot be used with this API.” in the JavaScript console.

Thankfully our MySLP users don’t have to deal with this sort of thing; but if you are using the self-managed WordPress plugins, read on.

Stop the Google API key madness with MySLP

MySLP drops the Google API key madness once-and-for-all. If you are tired of the API key game, it may be time to switch.

Where Is Toronto, Ontario?

If you are in North America you may be asking where is Toronto, Ontario. Depending whom you ask, the answer can be slightly different. It turns out that asking Google Maps Canada yields a different answer than if you pose the same question via Google Maps API.

We’ve touched on this disparity in a prior post about Google Maps returning inaccurate results. Today we’ll discuss a specific example for Toronto, Ontario.

And if you are wondering — our vote is that Toronto, Ontario is at

43.65320000 , -79.38320000

Where Is Toronto, Ontario? 43.65320000 , -79.38320000

Protecting Google API Keys

protecting google api keys

For those of you in the self-service Store Locator Plus® WordPress plugins camp you are going to want to spend time protecting your Google API Keys.    For those using our Store Locator Plus® managed SaaS service, this is yet another article you can skip.

The basic configuration of Google API Keys tells you to turn off ALL restrictions on the first API key you setup with Google.    Turns out a lot of people have issues with configuring the keys properly and getting them put in the right place. 

To make matters more complicated, some lower-end web hosting companies don’t understand security and in turn shut off critical web services that do nothing to improve security; Like disabling all communication between the web server and Google.  That breaks things like the ability to Geocode locations in Store Locator Plus®.

This article is here to tell our WordPress plugin users how to properly secure their Google API keys for web hosts are configured properly.