You aren't limited to one API key; you can get as many as you want for different domains/servers.
I run the Maps API on my own test servers all the time. In my case, the "test server" is one of my ThinkPads, and I have an API key for this machine's hostname. I access the test maps from other machines on my LAN as well as from virtual machines. I think every company that does serious Maps API development is doing this too. It only makes sense. Where I used to work (at a company that uses a lot of Google maps on their public sites), we had a staging server behind the company firewall, where we tested the site including the Maps API. It may be outside the letter of the TOS, but it's certainly within the spirit. After all, Google knows you need to develop and test your site before opening it to the world. If you release a buggy site, it makes you look bad and it makes Google look bad too. I doubt they want that. I've seen suggestions that you test on a secret public URL that you don't tell anyone about and has no incoming links, the theory being that by being "public" this would bring you in compliance with the letter of the TOS. But that's bogus, because a secret test URL is certainly not "generally accessible to consumers without charge" as the TOS requires. It's really no different from a private test server in that regard. So, my suggestion to you: Get the API key for your test server and don't worry about it. And my suggestion to Google (Pamela, can you pass this along?): Amend the TOS so that it is clear that this reasonable and essential development practice is legitimate and we can all stop worrying about it. :-) -Mike (Disclaimer: I do a lot of contract work for Google, but I don't speak for them in any way.) > From: rquintal > > I'm making several Google Maps on my site and everything is > proceeding well. I need to be able to develope my maps on a > testing server and, of course, my key won't work on that > server. That's expected. Looking at the rules, it appears > that I'm not allowed to use the API on a testing server > because it's not public-facing. Is there an exception that > allows me to use another key on that server? I really don't > want to have my maps hanging out on a production server until > they're complete. I have found no other way to visualize my > in-progress maps . --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Google Maps API" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Google-Maps-API?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
