You've spent hours building the perfect list — the restaurants, the cafés, the viewpoint someone swore by. Then a friend asks you to send it over, and you hit the wall every Google Maps user hits: there's no clean way to share a saved list with someone who isn't already deep in your Google account.
Here are five ways to actually do it, from the one that works for anyone to the one that only works in a pinch — with a quick comparison table at the end to help you choose.
1. A Shareable Link (the one to reach for first)
A share link is a single URL that opens your whole list for anyone, on any device, with no app to install and no Google account to sign into. They tap the link and see your places on an interactive map — names, addresses, and an "Open in Google Maps" button on each one so they can navigate the moment they arrive.
This is the method most people actually want, because it removes the friend-side friction entirely. It drops cleanly into WhatsApp, iMessage, email, a Notion page, or an Instagram DM, and it looks the same to an iPhone user, an Android user, and someone opening it on a laptop.
To create one with ExportMyMap (the setup guide has the full walkthrough):
- Install the ExportMyMap extension and open Google Maps with the list you want to share.
- Click the extension and pick the list — Starred, Want to go, or any custom one.
- Choose Share Link. The URL copies to your clipboard.
- Paste it wherever your friends already are.
Best for: group trips, sending a city shortlist to someone who doesn't live in Google Maps, or embedding your picks in a travel blog.
2. A PDF Guide
A PDF turns the same list into a clean, numbered document — place names, addresses, and categories laid out like a small guidebook. Because it's a file, it works completely offline: save it to your phone before a flight and it's there in the dead zones where a live map isn't.
It's also the most giftable format. Sending someone a tidy PDF of your favorite spots in a city reads very differently from pasting a wall of links, and it prints well if anyone wants it on paper.
Best for: offline trips, sharing with someone who prefers documents over apps, or keeping a permanent backup of a list you put real effort into.
3. A Printable List
Print view is the PDF's stripped-down sibling: a minimal black-and-white layout with no images, built to come out of a printer cleanly and cheaply. Just a numbered list with the essentials.
Best for: sticking on the fridge while you plan, handing a paper copy to a travel companion, or tucking a no-battery backup into a daypack.
4. Google Maps' Own Shared List
Google Maps does have a native sharing feature. Open the Saved tab, pick a list, and use its share option to send it to people — or make it collaborative so others can add places too. It's the only method here that lets a group *edit* the same list together.
The catch is the friction it pushes onto everyone else: each person needs a Google account and the Maps app, and the list stays locked inside Google rather than being something you can hand off freely. If your whole group already plans in Google Maps, it's genuinely good. If even one person doesn't, it falls apart.
Best for: a group that already uses Google Maps and wants to build a list together rather than just receive yours.
5. A Screenshot Collage
The old-school move: screenshot each place and drop the images into the group chat. No tools, no setup, works on any phone.
It also falls apart fast. Past three or four places it becomes an unsearchable scroll of images — no addresses you can tap, no way to open anything in a map. Fine for "here are the two spots," useless for a real itinerary.
Best for: sharing one to three places quickly. Not for anything you'd call a list.
Before You Share, Tidy the List
A shared list is only as good as what's in it, and a few minutes of cleanup makes yours far more useful to the person on the other end.
- Give it a clear name. "Lisbon — food" tells a friend what they're looking at; "Untitled list" doesn't.
- Drop the dead weight. Remove places you've already crossed off or saved by accident, so the list reads as a real recommendation rather than a dump.
- Lead with your best picks. Every format here keeps the order of your list, so move the must-visits near the top.
- Add a line of context where it helps. "Go for the pastéis, skip the coffee" turns a pin into advice — and that note survives in a PDF or a share link.
None of this is required, but it's the difference between a list someone skims once and one they actually use on the trip.
Which Way Should You Pick?
For almost everyone, the honest answer is a share link or a PDF: they ask nothing of the person receiving them and they scale to lists of any length. Reach for Google Maps' native list only when the group needs to co-edit, and keep screenshots for the one-off "check out this place."
| Method | No Google account needed | Works offline | Good for long lists | Others can edit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share link | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| PDF guide | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Printable list | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Google Maps shared list | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Screenshot collage | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I share my list without making everyone use Google Maps? Yes — that's the whole point of a share link or a PDF. Both open for anyone, on any device, with no account and no app. Only Google Maps' own shared list requires the other person to be a Google Maps user.
Do my friends need to install anything to open a share link? No. A share link opens in any normal web browser. They tap it and see your places straight away — nothing to download or sign into.
What's the best way to share a long list? A share link or a PDF. Native Maps sharing handles long lists too, but only for people already in Google Maps, and screenshots become unusable well before a dozen places.
Can people add their own places to my list? Only with Google Maps' native collaborative list, where everyone with a Google account can edit. A share link and a PDF are read-only snapshots of your picks — usually exactly what you want when you're the one who built the list.
Will sharing expose my other saved places? No. Only the list you choose to export is shared. Your other saved lists, your search history, and your account stay private — a share link or PDF contains just the places in that one list. If a list itself includes somewhere private, leave that pin out before you share.
Wrap-up
Sharing a travel list shouldn't mean everyone needs the same app and the same account. A share link or a PDF gets your places to anyone in seconds, looks good doing it, and works whether or not they live in Google Maps.
Create a shareable list at exportmymap.com.