Best Practices

Learn proven strategies for creating high-quality, engaging maps that serve your audience effectively.

Planning Your Map

Define Your Purpose

Before creating, ask:

• Who is this map for?
• What problem does it solve?
• What action should viewers take?

Examples:

• Tourist guide: Help visitors find attractions
• Business directory: Help customers find locations
• Event map: Guide attendees to venues
• Real estate: Showcase properties

Research First

1. Identify key locations before starting
2. Gather data (addresses, photos, descriptions)
3. Organize in spreadsheet for easy import
4. Review similar maps for inspiration

Location Quality

Write Great Descriptions

Do:

• Be concise but informative (2-3 sentences)
• Answer: What is this? Why visit? What makes it special?
• Include practical info (hours, price range, parking)
• Use active, engaging language

Don't:

• Copy/paste generic descriptions
• Leave descriptions empty
• Use overly promotional language
• Include outdated information

Example good description:

"Authentic Italian bistro in the heart of downtown, known for house-made pasta and an extensive wine list. Cozy atmosphere perfect for date nights. $$-$$$, Reservations recommended."

Add High-Quality Images

• Use clear, well-lit photos
• Show what makes each location unique
• Compress images (<200KB ideal)
• Ensure you have rights to use images
• Add alt text for accessibility

Keep Data Current

• Review maps quarterly
• Update seasonal information
• Remove closed businesses
• Add new popular locations
• Verify hours and contact info

Organization & Structure

Use Categories Effectively

Best practices:

1. Limit to 5-8 categories max
2. Make names clear and specific
3. Use intuitive colors
4. Order by importance
5. Keep category sizes balanced

Good category sets:

• Dining, Shopping, Attractions, Hotels, Transportation
• Main Offices, Retail, Partners, Distribution, Corporate

Naming Conventions

Maps:

• Descriptive and specific
• Include location/region
• Add year if time-sensitive
• Example: "Seattle Coffee Shops - 2026"

Locations:

• Use official business names
• Be consistent with formatting
• Include neighborhood for common names
• Example: "Starbucks (Pike Place)" vs "Starbucks (Capitol Hill)"

Design & Visual Appeal

Choose the Right Base Map

Mapiry offers 5 base map styles. Choose based on your use case:

Available styles: streets-v12, satellite-v9, light-v11, dark-v11, outdoors-v12

Color Strategy

Categories are the only customizable visual element (besides base map style). Use color effectively:

1. Limit to 5-8 categories per map
2. Ensure contrast with your chosen base map
3. Use color psychology:
   • Red: Food, urgency, important locations
   • Blue: Water, hotels, services
   • Green: Parks, nature, eco-friendly
   • Purple: Culture, arts, luxury
   • Yellow/Orange: Attractions, events
4. Test for colorblind accessibility - avoid red/green only distinctions

Note: Markers cannot be customized beyond category colors. All locations use standard map pins in their category color.

User Experience

Map Configuration

When creating or editing a map, focus on:

Essential settings:

• Initial zoom level - Show all or most locations at once
• Center point - Geographic center or most important area
• Base map style - Choose appropriate theme (see above)
• Privacy setting - Public or private based on content

What's NOT customizable:

• No control toggles (zoom, search, filters) to enable/disable
• No custom marker icons or sizes
• No clustering controls
• No sidebar or location list display options

Mobile Optimization

Mapiry maps are responsive by default, but consider:

1. Test on actual mobile devices before sharing
2. Keep location descriptions concise (mobile screens are small)
3. Avoid maps with 100+ locations (performance on mobile)
4. Touch gestures work automatically (pinch to zoom, drag to pan)

Content Strategy

Write SEO-Friendly Titles

Good titles:

• "Best Coffee Shops in Portland, Oregon"
• "Chicago Museum Guide - Family-Friendly"
• "Vegan Restaurants in Austin, TX"

Poor titles:

• "My Map"
• "Places"
• "Map 1"

Craft Compelling Descriptions

Your map description should:

1. Explain what the map contains
2. Who it's for
3. Why it's useful
4. Include relevant keywords for SEO

Example:

"Discover the best family-friendly museums in Chicago. This curated guide features 15 top museums with kid-friendly exhibits, interactive displays, and educational programs. Perfect for parents planning educational outings."

Note: There is no tagging system in Mapiry. Use descriptive titles and descriptions instead to help with discoverability.

Workflow Tips

Version Control with Cloning

Since Mapiry doesn't have built-in version control, use cloning strategically:

1. Before major changes - Clone your map as a backup
2. Test variations - Clone to try different category structures
3. Seasonal versions - Clone and modify for different seasons
4. Regional splits - Clone and filter locations by region

How cloning works: Creates a complete copy of map + locations (defaults to private).

Review Process

Before publishing a new map:

• Check all locations have accurate coordinates
• Verify no duplicate locations
• Preview on desktop and mobile
• Check spelling and grammar in all descriptions
• Ensure all locations have descriptions
• Test embed code if you plan to embed
• Review privacy settings (public vs private)
• Verify category colors have good contrast

Performance Optimization

Keep Maps Fast

1. Optimize images - Compress before upload (<200KB ideal)
2. Limit location count - Split very large maps into regional versions
3. Keep descriptions concise - Reduce data transfer
4. Use lazy loading for embeds - Add loading="lazy" to iframe

Scale Considerations

10-50 locations: Optimal performance, no special considerations needed

50-200 locations: Map may slow down on mobile devices. Consider:

• Splitting into multiple regional maps
• Using more selective categories
• Keeping descriptions shorter

200+ locations: Performance impact likely. Best practices:

• Split into multiple focused maps
• Link maps together via descriptions
• Consider using CSV import for bulk updates

Accessibility

Make Maps Inclusive

1. Color contrast - Ensure category colors are distinguishable
2. Alt text - Add descriptive text to location images
3. Descriptive text - Write clear descriptions (helps screen readers)
4. Avoid color-only distinctions - Don't rely solely on color to convey meaning

Note: Mapiry uses standard web accessibility features. Maps are navigable via standard browser controls (zoom, pan with keyboard).

Security & Privacy

Protect Sensitive Data

Best practices:

• Use private maps for internal or confidential data
• Use temporary access tokens (24-hour expiration) when sharing private maps temporarily
• Review which maps are public periodically
• Never include sensitive personal information in public maps

Privacy Best Practices

1. Don't include in public maps:

   • Personal home addresses
   • Private phone numbers
   • Sensitive business data
   • Security-related information

2. Use private maps for:

   • Internal company data
   • Personal trip planning
   • Confidential client information
   • Work-in-progress maps

3. Temporary sharing: Generate 24-hour access tokens for one-time sharing of private maps

Maintenance

Regular Updates

Monthly:

• Check for new locations to add
• Verify existing locations still accurate
• Update seasonal information
• Check your map analytics (views, shares, likes)

Quarterly:

• Comprehensive data audit
• Test embeds still working (if embedded)
• Update categories if your content has evolved
• Refresh or add new images

Annually:

• Consider creating a new version for the new year
• Archive old/outdated maps (set to private)
• Review your map strategy and goals

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don't:

1. Overload maps - 100+ locations hurt performance and usability
2. Use only pins - Add descriptions and details to locations
3. Forget mobile - Always test on mobile devices
4. Ignore analytics - Check views, shares, and likes to understand usage
5. Set and forget - Maps need maintenance and updates
6. Copy content - Create original, valuable information
7. Skip research - Verify all information before publishing
8. Use poor images - Quality matters for engagement
9. Make private unnecessarily - Share publicly when appropriate for discovery
10. Neglect SEO - Use descriptive titles and descriptions for discoverability

Pro Tips

Maximize Your Efficiency

1. Start with AI - Use AI generation (50/day Free, 100/day Pro) then refine manually
2. Clone for templates - Clone successful maps as starting points
3. Use CSV import - Bulk import locations from spreadsheets
4. Use KML import - Import from Google My Maps or other KML sources
5. Test embeds - Preview embeds before adding to your website
6. Monitor analytics - Check views, shares, and likes regularly
7. Cross-promote - Share maps on social media for visibility
8. Descriptive naming - Use clear, searchable titles and descriptions
9. Category planning - Design category structure before adding many locations
10. Backup via cloning - Clone important maps before making major changes

What's Next?

• Use Case Guides - Specific examples
• SEO & Discovery - Increase visibility
• Creating Maps - Creation techniques
• Map Customization - Design details