What a Place ID looks like
Most Place IDs begin with `ChIJ` followed by a long base64-like string. Length varies; treat the whole token as opaque—do not truncate or “clean” it.
- Valid: a full string such as `ChIJN1t_tDeuEmsRUsoyG83frY4`
- Invalid: a business name, a search URL, or only part of a ChIJ token
- Also invalid as a Place ID: decimal CID or a hex pair like `0x…:0x…`
Where Place ID appears
| Surface | How you see it |
|---|---|
| Maps place / share URL | Often as `place_id=`, `query_place_id=`, or nested `!19sChIJ…` |
| Lead CSV / Online export | Column Place Id |
| Photos jobs & Agent API | Accepted as a `place` input alongside URL and business_id |
| Writereview links | `placeid=` on search.google.com local review URLs |
Reviews jobs primarily accept a Maps URL or business_id / Fid. Photos jobs also accept Place ID. See Place ID vs CID when a client sends the “wrong” format.
How to get a Place ID
- Open the listing on Google Maps and copy the place URL or share link (not a generic search results page).
- Paste it into the free Place ID & CID Converter.
- Copy the Place ID field into your CRM, API call, or review workflow.
For bulk discovery, scrape leads first with the Online extractor—Place Id ships on each row—then convert only when a review or Places API step needs a paste-time lookup.
How Place ID helps lead workflows
- Dedupe lists when two keywords return the same shop under slightly different names
- Re-enrich or re-scrape the same listing without guessing from address strings
- Start photos jobs from a stored ChIJ when you already keep Place IDs in a CRM
- Build writereview URLs that survive minor Maps URL redesigns