diff --git a/src/components/map/suggest-place-dialog.test.tsx b/src/components/map/suggest-place-dialog.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6beea73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/map/suggest-place-dialog.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+import { cleanup, fireEvent, render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+import {
+  SuggestPlaceDialog,
+  isGoogleMapsUrl,
+} from "@/components/map/suggest-place-dialog";
+
+const { toastError } = vi.hoisted(() => ({ toastError: vi.fn() }));
+
+vi.mock("sonner", () => ({
+  toast: { error: toastError },
+}));
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  cleanup();
+  toastError.mockReset();
+  vi.restoreAllMocks();
+});
+
+function fillRequiredFields(gmapsLink: string) {
+  fireEvent.change(screen.getByLabelText("Place name"), {
+    target: { value: "Central Library" },
+  });
+  fireEvent.change(screen.getByLabelText("City"), {
+    target: { value: "Mumbai" },
+  });
+  fireEvent.change(screen.getByLabelText("Google Maps link"), {
+    target: { value: gmapsLink },
+  });
+}
+
+describe("isGoogleMapsUrl", () => {
+  it.each([
+    "https://maps.google.com/?q=19.0176,72.8562",
+    "https://maps.app.goo.gl/abc123",
+    "https://www.google.com/maps/place/Central+Library",
+    "https://goo.gl/maps/abc123",
+  ])("accepts supported Google Maps URLs: %s", (url) => {
+    expect(isGoogleMapsUrl(url)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    "google maps com/place/x",
+    "http://maps.google.com/?q=19.0176,72.8562",
+    "https://maps.google.com.evil.example/place/x",
+    "https://example.com/maps/place/x",
+  ])("rejects malformed or non-Google Maps URLs: %s", (url) => {
+    expect(isGoogleMapsUrl(url)).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("SuggestPlaceDialog submission", () => {
+  it("rejects an invalid Google Maps URL inline", () => {
+    render(<SuggestPlaceDialog open onOpenChange={vi.fn()} />);
+    fillRequiredFields("google maps com/place/x");
+
+    expect(screen.getByRole("alert").textContent).toContain(
+      "Enter a valid Google Maps link.",
+    );
+    expect(
+      (screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Open GitHub issue" }) as HTMLButtonElement).disabled,
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps form data and exposes a fallback link when the popup is blocked", () => {
+    const onOpenChange = vi.fn();
+    vi.spyOn(window, "open").mockReturnValue(null);
+
+    render(<SuggestPlaceDialog open onOpenChange={onOpenChange} />);
+    fillRequiredFields("https://maps.app.goo.gl/abc123");
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Open GitHub issue" }));
+
+    expect(window.open).toHaveBeenCalledWith("", "_blank");
+    expect(onOpenChange).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(false);
+    expect((screen.getByLabelText("Place name") as HTMLInputElement).value).toBe(
+      "Central Library",
+    );
+    expect((screen.getByLabelText("City") as HTMLInputElement).value).toBe("Mumbai");
+    expect((screen.getByLabelText("Google Maps link") as HTMLInputElement).value).toBe(
+      "https://maps.app.goo.gl/abc123",
+    );
+
+    const fallback = screen.getByRole("link", { name: "Open GitHub here" }) as HTMLAnchorElement;
+    expect(fallback.href).toContain("github.com/StudentSuite/StudyMap/issues/new?");
+    expect(fallback.rel).toBe("noopener noreferrer");
+    expect(toastError).toHaveBeenCalledWith("Pop-up blocked. Your suggestion is still here.");
+  });
+
+  it("severs opener before navigating a successful popup and closes the dialog", () => {
+    const onOpenChange = vi.fn();
+    const replace = vi.fn();
+    const opened = {
+      opener: window,
+      location: { replace },
+    } as unknown as Window;
+    vi.spyOn(window, "open").mockReturnValue(opened);
+
+    render(<SuggestPlaceDialog open onOpenChange={onOpenChange} />);
+    fillRequiredFields("https://maps.google.com/?q=19.0176,72.8562");
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Open GitHub issue" }));
+
+    expect(opened.opener).toBeNull();
+    expect(replace).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    expect(replace.mock.calls[0]?.[0]).toContain("github.com/StudentSuite/StudyMap/issues/new?");
+    expect(onOpenChange).toHaveBeenCalledWith(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/components/map/suggest-place-dialog.tsx b/src/components/map/suggest-place-dialog.tsx
index f6c12f8..95dc62c 100644
--- a/src/components/map/suggest-place-dialog.tsx
+++ b/src/components/map/suggest-place-dialog.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 "use client";
 
 import * as React from "react";
+import { toast } from "sonner";
 
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
 import {
@@ -53,6 +54,26 @@ function buildIssueUrl(fields: {
   return `${site.repo}/issues/new?${params.toString()}`;
 }
 
+export function isGoogleMapsUrl(value: string): boolean {
+  try {
+    const url = new URL(value.trim());
+    if (url.protocol !== "https:") return false;
+
+    if (url.hostname === "maps.google.com") return true;
+    if (url.hostname === "maps.app.goo.gl") return url.pathname.length > 1;
+    if (url.hostname === "www.google.com") {
+      return url.pathname === "/maps" || url.pathname.startsWith("/maps/");
+    }
+    if (url.hostname === "goo.gl") {
+      return url.pathname === "/maps" || url.pathname.startsWith("/maps/");
+    }
+
+    return false;
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * Public, no-account entry point for suggesting a new place: collects the
  * same fields as the GitHub-issue path in /docs/contributing, then opens a
@@ -66,6 +87,7 @@ export function SuggestPlaceDialog({ open, onOpenChange }: SuggestPlaceDialogPro
   const [address, setAddress] = React.useState("");
   const [gmapsLink, setGmapsLink] = React.useState("");
   const [note, setNote] = React.useState("");
+  const [popupBlocked, setPopupBlocked] = React.useState(false);
   const [lastResetKey, setLastResetKey] = React.useState<boolean | null>(null);
 
   // Clear the form each time the dialog opens, during render (not an
@@ -79,22 +101,43 @@ export function SuggestPlaceDialog({ open, onOpenChange }: SuggestPlaceDialogPro
       setAddress("");
       setGmapsLink("");
       setNote("");
+      setPopupBlocked(false);
     }
   }
 
-  const isValid = name.trim() && city.trim() && gmapsLink.trim();
+  const trimmedName = name.trim();
+  const trimmedCity = city.trim();
+  const trimmedGmapsLink = gmapsLink.trim();
+  const isGmapsLinkValid = isGoogleMapsUrl(trimmedGmapsLink);
+  const showGmapsError = trimmedGmapsLink.length > 0 && !isGmapsLinkValid;
+  const isValid = Boolean(trimmedName && trimmedCity && isGmapsLinkValid);
+  const issueUrl = isValid
+    ? buildIssueUrl({
+        name: trimmedName,
+        type,
+        city: trimmedCity,
+        address: address.trim(),
+        gmapsLink: trimmedGmapsLink,
+        note,
+      })
+    : null;
 
   function handleSubmit() {
-    if (!isValid) return;
-    const url = buildIssueUrl({
-      name: name.trim(),
-      type,
-      city: city.trim(),
-      address: address.trim(),
-      gmapsLink: gmapsLink.trim(),
-      note,
-    });
-    window.open(url, "_blank", "noopener,noreferrer");
+    if (!issueUrl) return;
+
+    // Open a blank tab first so a non-null handle genuinely means the browser
+    // allowed the popup. Passing "noopener" to window.open intentionally
+    // returns null even when the tab opens. Sever opener before navigating.
+    const opened = window.open("", "_blank");
+    if (!opened) {
+      setPopupBlocked(true);
+      toast.error("Pop-up blocked. Your suggestion is still here.");
+      return;
+    }
+
+    opened.opener = null;
+    opened.location.replace(issueUrl);
+    setPopupBlocked(false);
     onOpenChange(false);
   }
 
@@ -166,7 +209,14 @@ export function SuggestPlaceDialog({ open, onOpenChange }: SuggestPlaceDialogPro
               value={gmapsLink}
               onChange={(e) => setGmapsLink(e.target.value)}
               placeholder="https://maps.app.goo.gl/..."
+              aria-invalid={showGmapsError}
+              aria-describedby={showGmapsError ? "suggest-place-gmaps-error" : undefined}
             />
+            {showGmapsError ? (
+              <p id="suggest-place-gmaps-error" role="alert" className="text-xs text-destructive">
+                Enter a valid Google Maps link.
+              </p>
+            ) : null}
           </div>
 
           <div className="grid gap-1.5">
@@ -181,6 +231,21 @@ export function SuggestPlaceDialog({ open, onOpenChange }: SuggestPlaceDialogPro
               placeholder="Optional - why it belongs on the map, rating, review count..."
             />
           </div>
+
+          {popupBlocked && issueUrl ? (
+            <p role="alert" className="text-sm text-destructive">
+              Pop-up blocked. Your suggestion is still here.{" "}
+              <a
+                href={issueUrl}
+                target="_blank"
+                rel="noopener noreferrer"
+                className="font-medium underline underline-offset-4"
+              >
+                Open GitHub here
+              </a>
+              .
+            </p>
+          ) : null}
         </div>
 
         <DialogFooter>