Map Discovery & Profiles
Explore public maps created by the Mapiry community and discover your favorite map creators through user profiles.
Explore Page
Browse all public maps on Mapiry through the Explore page.
How to Access
Click "Explore" in the navigation menu or visit /explore
What You'll Find
The Explore page displays:
- All public maps created by the community
- Grid layout with map cards showing title, description, location count, and thumbnail
- Search and filter tools
- Pagination (12 maps per page)
Search Functionality
Search by keywords:
- Search map titles and descriptions
- Type in the search box at the top of the page
- Results update automatically as you type (debounced)
Filter by Country
Filter maps by country:
- Click the Country filter dropdown
- Select a country from the list
- See only maps from that country
- Clear filter to see all countries
Country list shows:
- Country flag and name
- Number of public maps for each country
- Searchable dropdown for quick access
Sort Options
Choose how to sort results:
- Most Popular (default) - Maps with the most likes
- Most Recent - Newly created maps first
- Most Locations - Maps with the most locations
Click the sort dropdown to change sorting.
Clear Filters
Click the "Clear" button to reset all filters and search to defaults.
Liking Maps
Save maps you find interesting by liking them.
How to Like a Map
- Open any public map (from Explore or a direct link)
- Click the ❤️ Like button
- Map is now liked (button turns filled/active)
- Click again to unlike
Note: You must be logged in to like maps. You cannot like your own maps.
Viewing Your Liked Maps
Access maps you've liked:
- Go to your Dashboard
- Click the "Liked Maps" tab in the navigation
- See all maps you've liked
- Click any map to view it
- Unlike from the map page or from the liked maps list
Public Profiles
Every user with a username has a public profile page.
Viewing User Profiles
Access profiles at: mapiry.com/u/username
Ways to find profiles:
- Click a username from a map's creator info
- Search for a username and visit their profile URL
- Share your profile URL with others
What's on a Profile
Public profiles display:
User Information:
- Display name (or username if no name set)
- Username (@username)
- Profile avatar (generated from first letter of name/username)
- Number of public maps
- Join date (month and year)
Public Maps:
- Grid of all public maps created by the user
- 12 maps per page with Load More button
- Shows map title, description, location count, and thumbnail
- Click any map to view it
What's NOT on Profiles
Public profiles do NOT show:
- Bio or description
- Social media links or website
- Location/city/country
- Follower/following counts
- Liked maps
- Profile statistics
- Private maps
- Activity feed
- Comments or engagement history
Making Your Maps Discoverable
Help others find your maps by making them public.
Make a Map Public
- Open your map
- Click the Share button
- Toggle "Make Public" to ON
- Your map now appears on the Explore page
Best Practices for Discoverability
Add a descriptive title:
- Use clear, specific titles
- Include location or topic
- Example: "Best Coffee Shops in Portland" instead of "My Map"
Write a good description:
- Explain what the map shows
- Who it's useful for
- Any special notes or tips
Organize your locations:
- Use categories to group locations
- Add descriptions to individual locations
- Include images when relevant
Set accurate location data:
- Verify your map's country and city
- Ensure locations have correct coordinates
What's NOT Available
Map discovery and profiles do NOT include:
- Following users - No follow system
- Activity feeds - No feed of maps from followed users
- Comments on maps - No commenting system
- Featured maps - No featured/trending badge system
- Map categories - No category organization (Travel, Food, etc.)
- Tags - No tagging system (#roadtrip, etc.)
- Ratings - No star ratings or reviews
- Collections - No ability to group liked maps into collections
- Social sharing from Explore - Share buttons are on individual map pages, not Explore cards
- Map cover images - No custom thumbnail images
- Profile customization - No bio, location, website, social links
- Privacy controls - No granular profile visibility settings
- Follower/following counts - Not displayed anywhere
- Notifications - No notifications for likes, new maps, etc.
- Activity tracking - No notification system for map updates
- Reporting system - No way to report inappropriate content
- Search by creator - Can't search for maps by a specific username in Explore
- Advanced search - No filtering by date range, location radius, etc.
What's Next?
- Map Actions - See all actions available on maps
- Sharing Your Maps - Learn about sharing options
- Your Account - Set your username and name
- Map Analytics - Track your map views and engagement