MapTiler API Key Guide for BlenderGIS: Free Signup to Working Basemaps
Your MapTiler key is what unlocks satellite imagery, street basemaps, elevation, and place search in BlenderGIS. It’s free, it takes about five minutes, and this guide walks you through every step — including the v2.2.12+ API migration that Blender 4.2+ users need to know about.
What the MapTiler key does in BlenderGIS
BlenderGIS pulls several kinds of web data through MapTiler’s cloud platform:
- Basemaps — satellite imagery and street maps you drape over your terrain or use as reference.
- Elevation — terrain height data for building 3D landscapes.
- Coordinate / place search (CRS search) — finding locations by name inside the addon.
All three go through MapTiler’s API, and all three require your personal key. Without it, tiles come back empty, elevation downloads fail with HTTP 403, and place search returns nothing — often silently. If you’re new to the addon, start with the general BlenderGIS API key setup overview, which also covers the OpenTopography key for DEM data.
Step 1: Create your free MapTiler account
- Go to maptiler.com and sign up for a free account (email signup — no credit card required).
- Confirm your email if asked, then log in to MapTiler Cloud.
- Your default API key is shown right in the Cloud dashboard — it’s a long string of letters and numbers. Copy it.
The free tier includes a generous monthly allowance of map loads and API requests, which comfortably covers typical personal BlenderGIS projects — importing terrain for a scene here, a basemap there. You can watch your usage in the Cloud dashboard; as long as you’re working on personal projects rather than running a production tile server, you’re unlikely to hit the limit. (Exact quotas change over time, so check the dashboard rather than any fixed number you see quoted online.)
Security tip: treat your key like a password. It’s fine stored in your local Blender preferences, but don’t paste it into forum posts or share screenshots that show it.
Step 2: Paste the key into BlenderGIS preferences
- In Blender, open Edit > Preferences > Add-ons and expand BlenderGIS.
- In the Basemaps section, paste your MapTiler key into the API key field.
- If you’re on v2.2.12 or newer, also fill in the dedicated MapTiler API key setting dialog — the addon migrated to the new MapTiler Coords API in that version, and the key needs to be registered in the new location too.
- Save preferences. That’s it — try importing a basemap to confirm it works.
For terrain workflows that need high-resolution DEM, you’ll also want the OpenTopography key — see our OpenTopography key guide. Make sure you’re running a compatible addon build first: grab the latest stable (v2.2.15, released Dec 20, 2025) from our download page. Minimum Blender is 2.83 LTS; Apple Silicon Macs need at least v2.2.10.
Important: the v2.2.12+ MapTiler Coords API migration
This is the #1 reason previously working setups break. In December 2025, BlenderGIS v2.2.12 migrated from the old MapTiler endpoints to the new MapTiler Coords API. What this means for you:
- Blender 4.2+ users must run v2.2.12 or newer.
Older addon versions talk to deprecated endpoints and can fail even with a perfectly valid key. - Re-enter your key after upgrading.
Upgrading the addon can orphan the old key setting. Paste your key into the new MapTiler API key dialog in the addon preferences. - CRS / place search needs the key too.
In v2.2.12+, coordinate and place search runs through the MapTiler API — an empty search box is often just a missing key, not a bug.
If you’ve done all of the above and still get errors, our troubleshooting guide covers the remaining suspects: revoked keys, typos, and provider-side outages.
Frequently asked questions
Is the MapTiler free tier really enough for BlenderGIS?
For typical personal use — yes. Importing a basemap or elevation for a scene uses a modest number of requests, and the free monthly allowance is generous for that kind of workload. Keep an eye on your usage in the MapTiler Cloud dashboard if you batch-process many areas.
Where do I find my API key in MapTiler Cloud?
Log in at maptiler.com and open the Cloud dashboard — your default API key is displayed there right after signup. You can also create additional keys per project if you like, but the default one works fine for BlenderGIS.
My basemaps worked before — why did they stop?
Almost certainly the v2.2.12 API migration. Update BlenderGIS to v2.2.12 or newer (latest stable is v2.2.15, released Dec 20, 2025) and re-enter your MapTiler key in the addon’s preferences, including the new MapTiler API key setting dialog.
Do I need a credit card to get a MapTiler key?
No. The free account signup doesn’t ask for payment details. The key is issued immediately after you confirm your account.
Does place/coordinate search need the MapTiler key?
Yes — in BlenderGIS v2.2.12 and newer, the CRS and place search goes through the MapTiler Coords API, so an empty or failing search usually means the key is missing or hasn’t been re-entered after the migration.
Which CRS should I use with MapTiler web tiles?
Use Web Mercator (EPSG:3857) — it’s the projection web tile providers serve, so it keeps your basemaps and imported geometry aligned without reprojection surprises.
Can I use one MapTiler key on multiple machines?
Yes — the key is tied to your MapTiler account, not to a computer. Paste the same key into BlenderGIS preferences on each machine. Just remember that usage is pooled against your account’s monthly allowance.