What is a Network Link?

The network link feature in Google Earth provides a way for multiple clients to view the same network-based or web-based KMZ data and automatically see any changes to the content as those changes are made.  A network link allows for content publishing in a manner similar to web page/web browser content delivery:

• A network link provides a way to deliver dynamic data to multiple Google Earth users
  
  When users connect to your KMZ file via a network link, either you or they can specify how often to refresh the data in the file.  This way, regular updates made to the content by one person are automatically reflected in all connected clients.
   

• A network link is intended as a view-0nly reference to published content
  
  Just as web pages are viewed by many people, but only modifiable by those with permission, place data content can be linked to and seen by multiple users while set to be modifiable only by one author.  As with web pages, users who are viewing the content can always save that content to their hard drive, but they can only receive dynamic content via a network link.

The following figure illustrates the parallels between web-based content and KMZ content via a network link using Google Earth.