Getting Started

Create Your First Map

Learn how to create your first interactive map in minutes.

Create a new map

Start by clicking New Map in your dashboard. You can either choose a starter kit or start from scratch.

Give your map a name -- this is used internally and as the default title shown on the embedded map.

Starter kits

Starter kits are pre-built templates designed for common use cases. They come with fields, filters, and styling already configured so you can get up and running quickly:

  • Store locator -- Business name, address, phone, hours, and category filters
  • Real estate -- Property listings with price ranges, bedrooms, and image galleries
  • Event directory -- Event names, dates, venues, and category-based filtering

Choose a starter kit to save time, or start from scratch for full control over your map's structure.

Adding data

Once your map is created, you need to populate it with data. There are three ways to do this:

1. Upload CSV or Excel

The fastest way to add data in bulk. Go to the Data tab, click Import, and upload your file.

  • Map each column in your file to a field in your map
  • Mapsemble will geocode addresses automatically if you don't have coordinates
  • Free plan: up to 3 file imports, 100 rows via API
  • Pro & Enterprise: unlimited imports

2. Add entries manually

Use the built-in form to add individual entries. Click Add Entry in the data tab, fill in the fields, and place the marker on the map. This is useful for small datasets or when you need to add a few entries at a time.

3. REST API

Push data programmatically from your own systems using the Mapsemble API. This is ideal for keeping your map in sync with an external database or CMS. See the API documentation for details.

Configuring fields

Each column in your data becomes a field on your map. Fields define what data each feature carries and how it can be displayed and filtered.

Available field types:

  • Text -- Names, descriptions, addresses
  • Number -- Prices, ratings, quantities
  • Date -- Event dates, opening dates
  • Image -- Photos, logos, thumbnails
  • Single select -- Categories, status values (one choice)
  • Multi select -- Tags, amenities, features (multiple choices)

Configure your fields in the Fields tab. You can reorder them, set display names, and mark fields as required.

Adding filters

Filters let your map visitors narrow down results. Add filter controls in the Filters tab:

  • Text -- Free-text search across one or more fields
  • Options -- Dropdown or checkbox group for single/multi-select fields
  • Autocomplete -- Type-ahead search for fields with many unique values
  • Range -- Slider for numeric fields (e.g., price range)
  • Date -- Date picker for date fields
  • Location -- Search by proximity to an address or the user's current location

Each filter is linked to a specific field. You can add multiple filters and they work together -- visitors can combine them to find exactly what they're looking for.

Customizing appearance

Markers

Control how your map pins look. Go to Map Styling > Markers and choose from:

  • Default pin -- The standard map marker in your chosen color
  • Icon -- Choose from a library of icons
  • Image from field -- Use an image field from your data as the marker (great for logos or headshots)
  • Text -- Display a short text value on the marker

Popups

Configure what appears when a user clicks a marker. In the Popups section, you can design the popup content using an HTML template with access to all your fields.

Cards

Design the list view that appears alongside the map. Cards show a summary of each entry and can be customized using HTML templates, just like popups.

Base layer

Choose your map's background tiles. Mapsemble supports 11 tile providers:

  • OpenStreetMap
  • Carto (Light, Dark, Voyager)
  • Google Maps (Road, Satellite, Terrain, Hybrid)
  • Mapbox
  • ESRI

Base layer selection is available on Pro and Enterprise plans.

Publishing your map

When your map is ready, toggle the Published switch in your map settings. This makes your map accessible via its public URL and embed code.

Unpublished maps are only visible to you in the dashboard.

Embedding your map

Click the Embed button to get your iframe code. Paste it into your website's HTML:

<iframe
  src="https://app.mapsemble.com/embed/your-map-slug"
  width="100%"
  height="600"
  frameborder="0">
</iframe>

The map will be live and interactive on your site immediately.

Next steps