Hide Google Maps Key

Question

I have some code that shows an image of a location like:

    <img alt="Gym" src="https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/streetview?location=43.035419,-89.380748&size=456x456&**key=<api key>**"/>

The problem is that the is now exposed to the public. Google Maps has a component that essentially hides the key (at least the way I understand it). Is there something similar for this "streetview" API?

Answer 1

The developers.google guide lines suggest you to restrict the keys so they can only be used inside you website (preferably it should be allowed just for a single page not the entire website), use a different key for each website, and monitor for any anomalies in key usage.

But if are really want to obfuscate the key you can write it inside your code using a simple Cesar Cipher and translating it before sending it to Google, at the end this is a terrible security feature and will only protect you against basic bots.

https://developers.google.com/maps/api-key-best-practices