This tutorial shows you how to enter data in an online spreadsheet to generate a set of placemarks in Google Earth and Maps. Google Docs' web-based, collaborative editing allows your team members to simultaneously enter data and
instantly publish updates.
Using this tool you could: showcase your organisation's projects, programme sites or partners; map your offices, volunteers or resources; or visualise your data on local, regional or global scales.
Go to the sheet for each template that you've chosen and replace the values of the "Static Variables" with your information.
Optional: To change the look of the placemark icons and labels, modify the "KML Style Variables" as desired
Enter placemark names and locations
Go to the PlacemarkData sheet, delete the sample data and start creating your own placemarks.
A name and location are required for each placemark. Coordinates must be in decimal degree format (e.g.122.34567).
Tip: Don't know the latitude or longitude of your location? Click this link to add a mapplet to your Google Maps MyMaps tab which helps you find coordinates. You can also use free services like the geocoder.us or the Batch Geocoder.
Optional: Put your placemarks into folders by specifying a "Folder name". All the placemarks in the same folder must be grouped together, otherwise duplicate folders with the same name will be created.
Use the sort bar on the "Folder Name" column to keep placemarks in the right order.
Apply a template to each placemark
Enter the desired template number for each placemark into column H. Available templates are listed in the table at the top of the sheet.
Each template uses the spreadsheet's columns for different pieces of balloon content (e.g. Template No. 1, column I = "Left Column Header"; Template No. 2, column I = "Title"). Make sure you enter each placemark's data according to the appropriate column headers as show in the template list.
To make data entry easier, highlight a specific template by entering its number in cell H10 (see steps a, b, c below). That template's column headers will be highlighted in the template list and will also appear in row 10, right above the grey header bar.
Click the indicated tab in the upper right of the sheet to un-hide the extra columns and enter values for your placemarks.
Publish Your Changes
Go to the Publish tab on your spreadsheet and click the Re-publish.
Google Earth: In the Places panel, right-click the Network Link (named "Link to - Spreadsheet") you added earlier and select Refresh to load your changes.
Note: A second refresh may be required to see changes made on the template sheets.
For Google Maps: control-click the Google Maps link on the start here page.
Sharing your placemarks
Anyone can view the placemarks generated by your spreadsheet in Google Earth and Maps.
Sharing your layer in Google Earth
In Google Earth's Places panel, right-click your Network Link (named "Link to - Spreadsheet") and choose Save As...
Give the file a descriptive name and save it to your computer. The resulting KML/KMZ file will always retrieve the latest data from your spreadsheet.
Email the KML/KMZ file you saved above to your colleagues and friends or post the file on your website.
Sharing your layer in Google Maps
Control-click the Google Maps link on the start here sheet. "Backwards compatibility" must be enabled.
Use the Send or Link to this page options on the upper right of the Google Maps page to send to others.
Embed your layer onto a website by clicking Link to this page and then copying the HTML in the "Paste HTML to embed in website" section.
See 
