Manage Locations in Store Locator Plus® (SLP) by clicking on Locations in the sidebar after you’ve logged into your account.
SaaS users can login via the SLP Dashboard.
Manage Locations
Getting Started with Store Locator Plus®
This article covers the first 3 steps (2 if you are using our SaaS product) for getting started with Store Locator Plus®.
Store Locator Plus® makes it easy to add interactive location maps and directories on your website. Our latest technology is included in the Store Locator Plus® Maps and Directories SaaS offering. Some of our customers still prefer the self-managed WordPress plugins available via our Store Locator Plus® for WordPress plugins.
Regardless of which method you prefer, both can be setup quickly and have a fully functional site map or directory listing online in minutes.
Load Locations from WordPress Locator to MYSLP®. SaaS platform
Load locations does not replace the csv file import functionality available to the MySLP Professional or Enterprise level plan subscribers but it can be used to load basic location data from your WordPress Store Locator Plugin (such as WP Store Locator Plus®,) into your SLP SaaS account. (The basic load will not load category tables. You would need to use import csv file for that.)
This functionality can be found from the MYSLP account, the SLP sidebar tab and under Locations details as shown in the screenshot below.
The loader supports loading locations from WordPress sites running the WordPress Store Locator Plus plugin. You can attempt to load from other WordPress Locator plug-ins but they might not be in the same format.
If you are using a locator or directory plugin other than Store Locator Plus, please contact us
Step 1: WordPress Store Locator Plug-in Users Need A Google API Key
SaaS users can skip this step. Store Locator Plus® for WordPress plug-in users need a Google API key to utilize the full features available in the the plugin. WordPress administrators who are self-managing their plugin updates, security, and Google services need to setup a Google API account so they can start billing for map services.
If you are a subscriber to Store Locator Plus® – our SaaS directory and locator service, you can ignore this page, we’ve got it covered. Go to our Getting Started guide and move on to Step 2.
For the Store Locator Plus® for WordPress users these instructions are a general guideline. You will need to visit the Google developers page and read their User guide to obtain a new account or update your existing account. Google will bill you directly for your monthly map views and location look-ups.
Store Locator Plus® SaaS versus WordPress Plugins
Store Locator Plus® for WordPress plugins are NOT the same thing as our Store Locator Plus® SaaS service. This article will describe the differences between Store Locator Plus® SaaS versus WordPress plugins.
SaaS
All Store Locator Plus® software updates are handled for you.
There are no Google or other map location service API keys to manage.
Store Locator Plus® bills a low easy-to-understand monthly fee.
WordPress
You must manage your own Store Locator Plus® software updates.
Google requires an API key for all products using their map software. You must create, manage, and secure your own API key.
Google will bill you for every map view and location geocoding request. Rates are on a sliding scale and are different for map views and location look-ups.
Where to find the Store Locator Plus for WordPress Plug-in versions and updates
For the WordPress SLP stand alone (do it yourself) plug-in , the latest update to the Word Press base plugin normally appears in your WordPress site Plugin menu for auto update
To check your version against what is currently available please see the site home page under Support/Versions
The WordPress Store Locator Plus base plug-in is again available in the WordPress plug-in directory. If you purchased an add-on you will need to log into your WPSLP account and download it manually the first time you use it.
ALWAYS BACK-UP your site immediately before updating any Plug-ins.
Map Settings for Store Locator Plus®
Under the menu for SLP / Settings /Map :
The settings contained in the map panel will change the functionality of the map domain, center map, zoom and appearance.
- ,Google Map domains,language .
The following settings are available to manage functionality for both WPSLP stand alone plug-in and MySLP SaaS managed service..
At Startup
- Center Map: This is where you enter an address, or a state, or a location or a specific latitude and longitude to be displayed as the initial focus for the Map. If nothing is entered in this box , the default will be the center of the United States . Google map has determined the center of United States to be somewhere in Kansas. Example: See Google Localizing the Map: The geocodes “Toledo” based on the default region (US) to “Toledo, Ohio” or one which biases results based on a region set to ES (Spain) to “Toledo, Spain.
- Center Latitude Fallback: Center Longitude Fallback: These are the latitude/longitude settings that will be called if the Google server is “busy” or offline and not able to geocode or “call” to load your locations. If you reset to blank it will fill in with the Center latitude/longitude of the map domain you have chosen. You can have a different Lat/long fallback then your map domain or center map if you choose. An image of your fallback will be displayed
Geocoding stopped working suddenly
(This page has been updated to reflect the changes in Google Cloud Platform API changes)
Most likely reasons;
- You moved your site or changed the domain name and did not change your Google Map API key or , as of JUNE 2018 Google API changes, did NOT ADD BILLING TO YOUR API KEY . See Getting Started
- Check your Google Platform Usage reports
- A self-imposed usage cap has been exceeded.
- The provided method of payment is no longer valid (for example, a credit card has expired).
- You have exceeded the QPS limits for a given API.
- If you have the Power add-on and are using the import function , your csv file is incorrect, or your header rows are not accurate, or they have wrong field names, the columns may be misaligned and the data field for an address could not import and/or does not geocode. Check your import message log.
- Google does not recognize an address. See FAQ post
Store Locator Plus Location Imports troubleshooting
On June 11, 2018 Google changed their API. There is now a pay as you go billing requirement. You will need to reconsider how to import, how often to import , and whether to break the list into smaller chunks , or skip geocoding. (Or switch to the MYSLP SaaS managed service and choose the Professional or Enterprise level plan ( restrictions apply) .
In order to perform bulk location imports with a CSV file for the WPSLP plugin you will need the Power add-on installed. WPSLP Power add-on does not alleviate the need for you to obtain your own Google API key. MySLP SaaS users do not need to obtain their own API keys but will need the Professional level plan or higher to import.
Google Geocoding and Browser keys
This article effects the WordPress StoreLocatorPlus users “Do it yourself ” plug-in with pay as you go Google Maps API keys
MAP Service and API Keys
Changes as of June 11, 2018 will effect the WordPress Store Locator Plus (DIY) community. Google requires all sites using map services to have an API key with a billing account attached. See Google Developers console.
The Browser key is used to display the map and handle user-input addresses during a location search. The Geocoding API is used on your WordPress server to geocode locations you’ve entered via the Google “Places” box and APIs. You do not need the additional geocoding “key” unless you have added restrictions. You do however, need to have the geocoding API enabled in your Google projects library.
