How to Plan a Free Multi-Stop Sales Route in Google Maps

≡Table of Contents⌄

A six-stop Riyadh route dropped from 1 hour 52 minutes to 1 hour 7 minutes in Google Maps, only by changing the order of the stops.

This guide shows each step with live screenshots, then covers the limits you will hit and where route planning software takes over.

The method suits small field teams in FMCG, Pharma, Building Materials, and Logistics and Field Services.

It works best for a rep with a handful of outlets a day and no route planning tool yet.

What You Need Before You Start

• Google Maps in a web browser, or the Google Maps app.
• The day's outlet list, with an area or address for each outlet.
• A start point, usually the warehouse or distributor office.
• A Google account, only if you want to send the route straight to a phone.

Step by Step: Build the Route in Google Maps

Step 1: Search for Your Starting Point

1. Open Google Maps and search for the start point, here Al Olaya in Riyadh. Then click Directions.

Step 2: Add the First Stop

2. Enter the first outlet's area as the destination.

Maps shows the drive time and distance straight away, 17 minutes and 12.6 km from Al Olaya to An Nakheel here.

Step 3: Add the Remaining Stops

3. Click Add destination below the last field and type the next stop. Repeat until the day's list is in.

Maps accepts ten locations per route, which means one start point plus nine stops.

With six locations entered in the order they appeared on the visit list, this route takes 1 hour 52 minutes and covers 60.1 km.

Step 4: Reorder the Stops by Hand

Maps keeps stops in the order you type them. It does not rearrange them to find the shortest drive.

4. Hover over a stop, grab the six-dot handle on its left, and drag it up or down.

Group neighbouring districts together and work outward from the start point. Check the total after each move.

Step 5: Send the Route to the Rep's Phone

5. Click Send directions to your phone, or Copy link and share it in the team's chat group.

The rep opens the link in the Google Maps app and starts navigation from the first stop.

What Reordering Saved on a Real Route

Order	Stops after Al Olaya	Drive time	Distance
As entered	An Nakheel, Al Malaz, Al Wurud, Al Murabba, As Sulimaniyah	1 hr 52 min	60.1 km
Reordered	Al Murabba, Al Malaz, As Sulimaniyah, Al Wurud, An Nakheel	1 hr 7 min	35.0 km

That is 45 minutes and 25.1 km saved on one rep's day, from a free tool and a few drags.

Drive times reflect live traffic when the route was built, so the same route will read differently at another hour.

Where the Manual Method Runs Out

• Ten locations per route — a rep covering 25 outlets needs three separate routes.
• No automatic ordering — every sequence is trial and error, repeated for each rep.
• Nothing is saved to the rep — tomorrow's route is typed in again from scratch.
• No proof of visit — the map cannot show whether a stop was reached, or for how long.
• No team view — managers cannot compare planned and completed outlets across reps.

How 1Channel Picks Up Where Google Maps Stops

1Channel stores each rep's outlets as a saved beat plan, by weekday or by distributor, so the day's route is ready without retyping a list.

Offline GPS check-ins confirm every visit, and beat compliance reports show outlets visited against outlets planned, per rep and per day.

Need	Google Maps (free)	1Channel route planning
Stops per day	Ten locations per route	Full beat plan per rep
Reusing a route	Retyped each day	Weekly recurring beat plans
Visit proof	None	GPS check-in and check-out
Weak signal	Navigation only	Offline capture, synced later
Manager view	None	Planned vs completed visits

Conclusion

Google Maps is a sound free starting point for a rep with a short outlet list. The biggest win is simply putting the stops in a sensible order.

Once a team outgrows ten stops, or managers need proof of each visit, a saved beat plan with GPS check-ins takes over.

Note: Since the manual method was only tested once, consult a technical expert before running bulk operations.