The instructions for v.3 of the Google Maps API say that I
should load the Maps API using an API key
Curiously it says I should…, rather than I must….. Anyhow, at the moment, I am not using an API key simply because (as far as I can remember) there was no mention of an API key when I was writing the code that calls this API.
Should I go back and add an API key to the URL that loads the API? It seems to work fine without the key, so I don’t have any particular incentive to do this.
You’re actually required to not have a key if you’re a business user. Here’s a quote from Google:
Normal users, however, will be fine with or without a key, although Google recommends having a key so you can monitor the API usage. Here is a quote verifying this: