The Place ID Finder on this page turns any business name or address into its Google Maps Place ID in one step. Type a place, pick it from the list, and copy the ID. There is no API key to request, no account to create, and no limit on how many places you look up.
What is a Google Place ID?
A Google Place ID is a unique, stable identifier (a string such as ChIJ…) that points to a specific place in Google Maps and the Google Places database: a business, landmark, park, or address. Because the ID stays the same even when a place is renamed or moves slightly, it is the reliable way to reference a location in the Places API, review widgets, store locators, and Google Business Profile integrations.
Names and addresses are not reliable keys. Two businesses can share a name in the same city, and addresses get reformatted constantly. The Place ID avoids both problems, so most Google APIs expect it rather than a text address.
How to find a Google Place ID
- Type the business name or address into the search box above.
- Select the matching place from the autocomplete list. The map drops a marker on it.
- The place name, address, and Place ID appear in the result cards, with a one-click copy button.
If several similar listings appear, check the address on the map marker before copying. Chains often have many nearby branches, and each branch carries its own Place ID.
New to Place IDs? Read the step-by-step guide to finding a Google Place ID. If you already have an ID and want the address back, use the Place ID lookup tool instead.
What the Place ID Finder returns
Every lookup returns four things: the formatted place name, the full postal address, the latitude and longitude, and the Place ID itself. The map preview confirms you picked the right listing before you copy anything.
That preview matters more than it sounds. The most common integration bug is a correct-looking ID for the wrong branch, and a glance at the marker catches it immediately. Because the Place ID Finder shows the marker before you copy, that mistake is easy to avoid.
What can you do with a Place ID?
- Pull reviews and place details through the Google Places API.
- Build a “leave us a review” link or store locator for your website.
- Connect your Google Business Profile to marketing and reputation tools.
- Reference an exact location in apps, QR codes, and integrations.
Review links are the most popular use. Once you have the ID, append it to Google’s review URL format and the link opens the review dialog directly, which measurably increases the number of customers who finish leaving a review.
Place ID formats you will encounter
Most Place IDs begin with ChIJ and run around 27 characters. You will also meet longer IDs starting with GhIJ or EicR, and these are equally valid. Treat the whole string as opaque: never truncate it, and never try to parse meaning out of it.
Store Place IDs as text, not as numbers. Some spreadsheet tools mangle long strings on import, which produces IDs that look right but resolve to nothing.
When a place will not resolve
Occasionally a search returns no usable result. There are three common reasons, and each has a straightforward fix.
First, the listing may be unverified or suspended, so Google withholds it from the Places database. Second, the business may be too new; freshly created listings can take days to appear. Third, you may be searching a description rather than a name, for example “coffee near the station” instead of the actual business name.
In each case, search the exact registered business name plus the city. If that still fails, look the place up in Google Maps directly and use its listing name verbatim, then run it through the Place ID Finder again.
Using a Place ID with the Places API
Developers pass the Place ID to a Place Details request to retrieve opening hours, phone numbers, ratings, photos, and reviews. Google documents the identifier and its guarantees in the official Place ID reference, which is worth reading before you build anything that stores IDs long term.
One rule from that documentation is easy to miss: refresh any Place ID you have stored for more than twelve months. A small number are retired as Google reorganises its data, and a stale ID fails silently rather than loudly.
Place ID Finder versus Google’s own tool
Google publishes a Place ID lookup inside its developer documentation, and it works well. However, it is built for developers: it expects you to already understand the Places API, and it sits several clicks inside a documentation site.
This Place ID Finder is aimed at the person who simply needs the identifier. There is nothing to configure, the result cards are readable without any API knowledge, and the copy button puts the ID straight on your clipboard. For a marketer building a review link, that difference saves real time.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Google Place ID Finder free?
Yes. This Place ID Finder is completely free, needs no Google API key, and works for any place in Google Maps.
What does a Place ID look like?
Most Place IDs are a long string beginning with ChIJ, for example ChIJN1t_tDeuEmsRUsoyG83frY4.
Do Place IDs ever change?
They are designed to be stable, but Google recommends refreshing a stored Place ID if it is more than 12 months old, since a small number can be retired over time.
Can I find the Place ID for my own business?
Yes. Search for your business name and city in the box above, select your listing, and copy the Place ID from the result card.
Does this tool work outside the United States?
Yes. The finder covers every country Google Maps supports, so you can look up places anywhere Google lists them.
Can I look up several places at once?
Not in a single request. Search them one after another, copying each ID as you go, because each lookup returns exactly one place.