Google Maps List vs. My Maps: what's the difference for exporting?

They're both Google mapping tools, but they're built differently, and that changes how you get your data out.

Sample Exports

Free up to 25 waypoints per list. No account needed.

It's an easy mix-up: Google Maps Lists (the collections you build from regular Google Maps, on your phone or the desktop site) and Google My Maps (a separate, more advanced tool for building custom maps with layers, lines, and shapes) sound similar but aren't the same product.

Google Maps Lists are what you get when you save a group of places from regular Google Maps and share them, no separate app, just the Share option in the list menu. There's no built-in export to GPX or KML, which is exactly the gap MapsLinkQuest fills.

Google My Maps (found at mymaps.google.com) is a standalone map-building tool. It supports a real, native KML export, click the three-dot menu on your map and choose Export to KML/KMZ, no third-party tool required.

So the short version: if your places live in a My Maps map, Google already gives you an export button, use it. If they live in a regular Google Maps list (the far more common case for saved trip stops, favorite spots, or a list someone shared with you), that's what MapsLinkQuest converts to GPX or KML.

Common questions

How do I know if I have a My Maps map or a regular Maps list?

My Maps has its own separate interface at mymaps.google.com with layers, drawing tools, and custom styling. A regular list is built inside the normal Google Maps app or site and just holds a set of saved places, no custom drawing or layers.

Does My Maps really export to KML on its own?

Yes, natively. Open the map in My Maps, click the three-dot menu, and choose Export to KML/KMZ, no conversion tool needed for that specific case.

Can My Maps export to GPX too?

No, My Maps only exports to KML/KMZ natively. If your places actually started as a regular Maps list rather than a My Maps map, MapsLinkQuest exports GPX directly from that list instead.

I shared a Maps list with someone and they said they couldn't export it, why?

Regular Maps lists don't have a built-in export option at all, that's normal, not a bug on their end. That's the exact gap MapsLinkQuest fills for list links.

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