This Plus Code to Place ID converter turns a Google Plus Code into the Place ID for that location, with the address and coordinates Google holds for it. No API key, no account, no limit.
What a Plus Code is
A Plus Code is a short grid reference for a location, built from latitude and longitude rather than from a street name. Google shows one on most Maps listings. They exist so that places without a postal address, which is most of the world, can still be given something precise and shareable.
Google explains the format and its rules in the official Plus Codes documentation.
The code uses only twenty characters. A, E, I, L, O, S, U and Z are deliberately excluded, because they are the ones people misread or mishear. If a code you were given contains one of those letters, it was mistyped somewhere along the way.
Full codes and short codes
Two shapes exist and they do not behave the same way.
A full code looks like 8FW4V75V+8Q. It is eight characters, a plus sign, then two or three more. It identifies a point on its own, anywhere on Earth, with no other context.
By contrast, a short code looks like V75V+8Q. The leading four characters have been dropped, and they are meant to be inferred from where you already are. On its own it is ambiguous, so this converter will not guess: add the town or city, as in V75V+8Q Paris, and it resolves.
How to use the Plus Code to Place ID converter
- Copy the Plus Code from the Google Maps listing.
- Paste it above. If it is a short code, type the town after it.
- Press Get Place ID.
The Place ID appears in the first card with a copy button, and the address and map pin confirm you have the right spot before you use it anywhere.
Worked example
Paste 8FW4V75V+8Q. It resolves to V75V+8Q Paris, France, the grid square containing the Eiffel Tower, and returns a Place ID for that square.
However, one thing to expect: the same location entered as a full code and as a short code with a town can return two different Place IDs. Both are valid and both point at the same spot, because Google represents the query forms differently. Store whichever one you generated, and generate it the same way next time.
What a Plus Code Place ID is not
A Plus Code identifies an area of ground, not a business. The Place ID you get back describes that square, not the shop standing on it. If you want the listing itself, search its name in the Place ID Finder, or go the other way with the Place ID Lookup.
Frequently asked questions
Is this Plus Code to Place ID converter free?
Yes. It is free, needs no Google API key, and has no usage limit.
Why does my short code fail?
A short code such as V75V+8Q carries no information about which part of the world it belongs to. Add the town or city and it will resolve.
Where do I find the Plus Code for a place?
Open the place in Google Maps and scroll its details panel. The Plus Code sits with the address, marked by a small grid icon.
Can I go from a Place ID back to a Plus Code?
Yes. Google returns the Plus Code alongside the address when you look up an ID, so the Place ID Lookup will show it.
Do Plus Codes work offline?
The code itself is arithmetic, so it can be decoded to coordinates without a network. Turning it into a Place ID needs Google, because only Google issues those.
Are Plus Codes the same as what3words?
No. Both name a small square of ground, but they are different systems from different companies, and a code from one means nothing to the other.