How can I create an interactive map with a spreadsheet import?

In this article, you will learn how to add interactivities to a map made from a spreadsheet import.

This documentation is always evolving.

You have a list of locations and you need to get all of them quickly on a map? No problem! You can import spreadsheets (CSV or XLSX format) or text files that contain location information such as latitude and longitude or address lines which consist of street names, numbers, ZIP codes or city names. To add interactivities to them, you can even include text or rich media links in separate columns and reference to them with the upcoming steps. Here is an example of what an Excel spreadsheet can be built of, or check out this article to learn more about how to build an import spreadsheet:

To import this file, simply drag it from your PC’s location onto the mapping canvas. When latitude and longitude are included, the system recognizes these cells and will place the icons automatically for you. Mapcreator supports file imports with up to 1,000 location entries.

Of course, if you need to make changes to the icon’s location, you can either move them manually, fill in the icon’s address popup or change the lat/long info inside the table. You can open the inline spreadsheet by going to the elements list, click on the file name and make changes to the required columns. You can also define the styling of the imported icons. If you click once on a symbol, all of those of the imported group are activated, any setting will be applied to all. If you click a second time, the change will only be applied to one icon.

If no lat/long info is available, you can specify different columns to indicate the address. This can look as follows:

Finally, to include the interactivity, click on one of the icons and go to the interactivity tab of the icon popup. Here you can insert references from the spreadsheet by opening the drop-down menu or by choosing one of the suggestions after writing the $-sign.

To preview an example, click on the Preview button or go directly to the export menu to output the iframe and link.

Hint: If you notice your file import is taking longer than expected, please double-check your file and make sure it has no empty rows. Also, closing unused browser tabs and windows might increase the tool’s performance.