Google Tour Builder to be shut down on July 15, 2021

[Google Earth Outreach]

Greetings,

Google Tour Builder was launched almost seven years ago as an experimental tool for veterans to record all the places their military service has taken them and help preserve their memories. The aim was to make an incredibly simple web based tool where anyone could create and customize tours with their own multimedia content and share in a matter of clicks. Tour Builder was quickly adopted for all types of projects, ranging from museum installations to photojournalism projects, and presentations in primary schools, showcasing the value and diversity of map based storytelling.

Three years ago we introduced Google Earth for modern browsers and devices, and last year, we launched creation tools in Google Earth for Web. With creation tools, anyone can create, collaborate, and share custom Google Earth projects, similar to the functionality of Tour Builder, but with compelling 3D perspectives. Furthermore, Google Earth Project integration with Google Drive allows for much more seamless collaboration when working with multiple project authors.

As we continue to develop the new creation tools and storytelling capabilities of Google Earth for Web, we have decided to retire Tour Builder. You will be able to continue to edit, share, and save your tours in Tour Builder in the coming year. However, the tool will be fully shut down, links to tours will no longer function and all the user data will be deleted after July 15, 2021.

We wanted to share a few different paths that will enable you to enjoy your tours long after Tour Builder shuts down.

Export your tours directly into Google Earth for Web before July 15, 2021

We have launched a new feature in Tour Builder that allows you to directly export your tours into Google Earth for Web with just a few clicks. To learn more about the feature and what will happen to your tours once you export them to Google Earth, visit the About Tour Builder page. 

Download your data before July 15, 2021

Tour Builder’s pre-existing ‘Export’ feature  gives you the option to download your tour as a KML or a CSV file, so you can open your tour in other software.

If you have feedback or questions, please visit the About Tour Builder page and reach out to our community experts in the Google Earth Help Forum.

Thank you for supporting Tour Builder over the years, and we’re excited for the next chapter for Google Earth.

Sincerely,

The Google Earth Team