A friend sends you a beautifully researched Google Maps list. You can open it, follow it, and use every pin—but there is no obvious Download button. If you want the places in a spreadsheet, on a Garmin, or inside your own project, Google leaves you with the prospect of copying them one at a time.
You do not have to own a list to export it. You do need legitimate access to it: the shared link must still work for your account, and the owner must not have made the list private.
First, understand what “shared” means in Google Maps
Google Maps has three slightly different states that look similar on screen:
- Your own list: you created it and can edit its places.
- A shared list: somebody sent you a link that lets you view their list.
- A followed list: you opened somebody's shared list and clicked Follow, so it now appears under your Saved tab.
Following does not make you the owner and it does not create an independent copy. It simply makes the source easier to find. The owner can still edit it, stop sharing it, or delete it.
Google's official list-sharing guide also calls out an important exception: Starred places cannot be shared as a native Google Maps list. Custom lists can. If somebody says they shared their stars, they probably copied them into a custom list or sent an exported file or link.
Step 1: Open the list in the right account
Open the link on a computer in Chrome, Edge, Brave, or Arc. Check the profile picture in Google Maps before doing anything else. If you have a work account and a personal account open in the same browser, it is surprisingly easy to follow the list with the wrong one.
The list should show its title, owner, and places. If Google says it cannot be found, ask the owner to check the sharing setting and send a fresh link. An export tool cannot see a list that Maps itself refuses to show you.
Step 2: Follow it—or keep the shared page open
Click Follow if that option is available. The list then appears under Saved, alongside your own lists, and you can return to it later without hunting through messages.
Following is convenient but not compulsory. If the shared list is open and its places are visible, ExportMyMap can recognize that shared-list view directly. Following is most useful when you expect to export again after the owner updates the list.
Step 3: Scan the shared list
Install ExportMyMap from the Chrome Web Store, then launch it over Google Maps. Choose the shared or followed list and let the scan finish.
The extension handles owned and shared lists separately behind the scenes because Google serves them through slightly different Maps requests. From your side, the workflow is the same: select a list, wait for the places to load, and review the result.
Compare the number of scanned places with the number shown by Google Maps. If the owner is still editing the list, refresh Maps and scan once more before treating the export as final.
The free version covers the first 10 places; a paid plan is required for the full list.
Step 4: Pick the format that matches the next job
Do not default to CSV just because it is familiar. The useful format depends on where the list is going.
| What you want to do | Best starting format |
|---|---|
| Sort, filter, deduplicate, or add columns | CSV or Excel |
| Open the pins in Google Earth or My Maps | KML |
| Move waypoints to Garmin or OsmAnd | GPX |
| Analyze points in QGIS or code | GeoJSON |
| Send a clean human-readable copy | Share link or PDF |
| Hand it out at an event or meeting |
The CSV export guide explains the spreadsheet fields. For a navigation app, start with the KML guide or GPX guide rather than converting an already flattened spreadsheet later.
Before you download, decide whether to include personal notes. Notes in a shared list may have been written for the original audience, not for everyone who will receive your new file.
Step 5: Treat the result as a snapshot
An exported file does not remain connected to the source. If the owner removes a restaurant tomorrow, your PDF still contains it. If they add five hotels next week, your KML does not gain five pins by itself.
Put the export date in the filename when freshness matters: berlin-team-list-2026-07-15.xlsx is more honest than berlin-final-final.xlsx. If you plan to repeat the export, keep following the original list and make a fresh copy when needed.
This snapshot behavior can be useful. It gives a project team a stable record of what the list contained at a deadline, even while the live Google Maps version continues to change.
What happens if the owner revokes access?
Your existing downloaded file remains on your computer, but you will not be able to scan the private source again. ExportMyMap respects the access Google Maps gives the signed-in account; it does not bypass list permissions.
That makes timing important for temporary collaborations. Export the agreed version while you can still open it, and ask before redistributing a list that contains private addresses, client locations, or personal notes. Technical access is not the same thing as permission to publish.
If the list is actually Starred places
Google does not offer native sharing for the built-in Starred list. The owner has three practical options:
- Move or copy the relevant places into a shareable custom Google Maps list.
- Create an ExportMyMap share link that opens as a clean list outside Google Maps.
- Send a PDF, CSV, KML, or GPX snapshot.
For a trip with several contributors, a custom Maps list is useful while people are still adding ideas. Once the plan settles down, a share link or PDF is easier for relatives and colleagues who do not want to follow another Google list. The article on five ways to share a travel list compares those handoff options.
The important part is that nobody has to retype 80 place names. Open the list with the access its owner gave you, scan it once, and choose the file that fits the next step.