A method in a user computing device for incorporating digital map into electronic documents, the method comprising: receiving, from a third-party software application that receives input from a user via a user interface and operates independently of a map service, a string of alphanumeric characters submitted by the user; automatically determining whether the string is consistent with one or more indications of geographic locations; in response to determining that the string is consistent with an indication of a geographic location, (i) providing a notification to the third-party software application that a potential indication of a geographic location has been detected in the string and requesting that the third party software application generate a dialogue screen, (ii) receiving a request, via the generated dialogue screen of third-party software application, for a digital map of the indicated geographic location, wherein the request includes parameters of an image of the digital map and (iii) in response to the request from the third-party software application, receiving the digital map from the map service and providing an image of the digital map of the indicated geographic location to the third-party software application in accordance with the received parameters. receiving, from a third-party software application that receives input from a user via a user interface and operates independently of a map service, a string of alphanumeric characters submitted by the user; automatically determining whether the string is consistent with one or more indications of geographic locations; in response to determining that the string is consistent with an indication of a geographic location, (i) providing a notification to the third-party software application that a potential indication of a geographic location has been detected in the string and requesting that the third party software application generate a dialogue screen, (ii) receiving a request, via the generated dialogue screen of third-party software application, for a digital map of the indicated geographic location, wherein the request includes parameters of an image of the digital map and (iii) in response to the request from the third-party software application, receiving the digital map from the map service and providing an image of the digital map of the indicated geographic location to the third-party software application in accordance with the received parameters. (i) providing a notification to the third-party software application that a potential indication of a geographic location has been detected in the string and requesting that the third party software application generate a dialogue screen, (ii) receiving a request, via the generated dialogue screen of third-party software application, for a digital map of the indicated geographic location, wherein the request includes parameters of an image of the digital map and (iii) in response to the request from the third-party software application, receiving the digital map from the map service and providing an image of the digital map of the indicated geographic location to the third-party software application in accordance with the received parameters.