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Shared live (embeddable) maps: step-by-step guide to setting up your first shared map
Shared live (embeddable) maps: step-by-step guide to setting up your first shared map

Share your map by link and embed it into your website, customer portal, reporting dashboard or simply send it to a client

Sergey Shurygin avatar
Written by Sergey Shurygin
Updated over a week ago

Shared maps allow you to create a link to a map powered by Mapsly and embed it into an external webpage using an iFrame or send it directly to your customers. You can set up which subset of data should be available on a shared map, as well as which Mapsly features.

Implementation of shared maps is included in your subscription!

Your Pro and Enterprise Mapsly subscription comes with implementation services for shared maps, so we're inviting you to book a web call with our engineer today, so we can learn more about your use scenario and set up shared maps for you during the call, so you can start using them today. You may also ask us for help in chat any time 24/7.

Concept

Mapsly user as the basis for your shared map configuration

For each shared map, you'll need to assign a Mapsly user, whom we'll be referring to as the Shared maps user, whose permissions and visualization settings will be used to determine:

  • how your shared map will look,

  • to what data a visitor will have access

  • and which Mapsly features will be enabled on it.

As for any other Mapsly user, you'll be adjusting this configuration items in the Shared maps user's profile, which we'll be referring to as the Shared maps profile, and the user's "personal" visualization settings by logging in as this user.

For security reasons, only user profiles of the Anonymous users (shared maps) type may be used for shared maps user. Also, users with such profiles are free-of-charge and do not take up paid Mapsly user seats.

Using a combination of Search filter and List view in shared maps

Although available for any Mapsly user, Search filter and List view are especially useful in shared maps, as their combination can replace Layers panel and Table view to provide a better experience for users who do not need the capabilities of layer groups and table view, like users of shared (embedded) maps or who mostly use Mapsly on their mobile phones.

Defining which data will be visible on a shared map

A shared map will show only objects activated for the shared maps profile has access to in the Profiles & Permissions:

To show all records of an object, leave both Owner and Non-owner access level at View:

If you manually enter CRM user id for your Shared map user, you can also use record ownership to determine whether a record should be visible on a shared map (just like to any standard user).

To show only records that meet certain criteria, set both Owner/Non-owner access to Hide and use the Record sharing to grant the shared maps profile access to records based on a condition:

NOTE. Currently, unlike formulas in map layers and map filters, record sharing rules cannot use URL parameters, search bar filter parameters or personal user properties (like CRM user ID), so if you'd like to use any of these parameters to limit what's shown on a shared map, log in under the shared map user and create/apply a map filter with the necessaery formula while keeping the Layers panel hidden — this would effectively keep this filter always applied.

Step-by-step guide to creating your first shared map

1- Adjust permissions of the "Shared maps" user profile

Your account comes with a user profile "Shared maps", which is pre-configured for shared maps. Out-of-the-box, it:

  • doesn't have access to any objects;

  • all Mapsly features (Territories panel, Layers panel, List view, Isochrones, Isocircles, Search bar filter and Map rendering settings) are hidden by default;

Go to Setup -> Profiles & Permissions and grant this profile access to one or multiple objects that you'd like to show on your shared map. Add record sharing rules if necessary.

Depending on your use scenario, you may also want to activate additional Mapsly features.

NOTE #1. Routing and Prospecting are NOT available on shared maps, as they - by design - require an authenticated (logged in) user.

NOTE #2. By default, the following features are disabled for use with shared maps on your Mapsly account but can be activated for an additional fee (contact Mapsly support to activate them):

  • Creating and updating data: Modify-level access to your data, which enables creating new records and updating existing ones.

  • Layers pane: seeing object layers and their dynamic map layers and filters, showing/hiding them, as well as creating/modifying map layers and filters.

  • Table view: viewing data in the tabular format (which is also required for mass-updating records).

If you are planning to have multiple shared maps that cannot be addressed by one user profile, create more user profiles while selecting Anonymous users (shared maps parameter:

NOTE #3. For security reasons, only profiles created with the Anonymous users (shared maps) setting can be used with shared maps. So Administrator and Standard user profiles cannot be used for shared maps.

NOTE #4. As mentioned in the Search filter article, search filters use automation suite's Form feature, which is available on the Pro and Enterprise Mapsly plans. On Mapsly's Essential plan, you can use the default search filter, which comes out-of-the-box with a Distance picklist field with preset values; and you can ask Mapsly support team to change its static values and to add more fields with static values to it. However, if you'd like to add custom event handlers for the filter's fields (for example, to implement dependent fields that appear or disappear in response to certain values of a parent field), you'll need to upgrade to Pro or Enterprise.

2- Create a Mapsly user for shared maps

Now, create the Shared maps user by pressing the + button in Setup -> Users:

Enter any long password here, because it'll never be used.

3- Log in as the shared map user to adjust how map will look and feel

In the Shared maps user's context menu:

click the Log in as (for setup):

which will log you in as the shared maps user with all Mapsly features enabled (regardless of whether they're enabled in the Shared maps profile). This mode is designed specifically for setting up properties and settings that are "stored on a Mapsly user", like:

  • Map layers and filters: create map layers and layer groups, as well as filters. Use URL parameters and Search filter parameters in their conditions.

  • Map properties: adjust which fields to show in the map marker's label, on-hover label and in the map popup, and hide buttons that you don't need.

  • Table view properties: adjust table columns and the number of records per page.

  • List view: adjust the content of the list block and the soft order.

  • Record view properties: adjust fields on the full-size record view pop-up.

  • Map rendering settings: adjust map transparency, clustering settings and select the map tiles.

  • Update base location: decide if you want to have this checkbox checked by default for your shared maps visitors.

Now, adjust the the properties and settings listed above relevant to your use scenarios. You may ignore the settings/properties that are turned off in the Shared maps profile, because they won't be visible on the shared map.

If you're using the standard search bar filter and would like to show to users only records within a distance that the user selects in the Distance field, create a map layer with the following condition, while hiding the "Other" layer (or create and apply a map filter with this formula):

IMPORTANT NOTE #5. If you are planning to use map layers to hide records that do not match a condition, be sure to uncheck the "Other" layer before exising the Log in as (for setup) mode. Similarly, if you're using map layers for this purpose, apply them before exiting the mode.

You may use URL parameters and search filter parameters in conditions of your map layers and filters, as usual.

Double-check that the map, panels, and data on the map look exactly like it's supposed to do on a shared map, then exit the setup mode by clicking Return to Admin in the main menu.

IMPORTANT NOTE #6. Reloading Mapsly while in the setup mode will terminate your active Mapsly session, and you'll be seeing the map with all profile restrictions applied. To return to Admin or re-enter the setup mode, you'll need to log into Mapsly again by going to app.mapsly.com/login.

4- Activate the Shared maps plugin and add your Mapbox access token

Follow these steps to turn on Shared maps:

  • In the main menu, go to Setup -> Shared maps:

  • Turn ON the plugin switch:

  • You'll be prompted to add your Mapbox access token:

Mapbox is a provider of map tiles that Mapsly uses in shared maps. Its free tier includes 200,000 tiles. Follow this guide to sign up for a freemium Mapbox account and create an access token for Mapsly. Then add this token to the popup shown above and click Save.

5- Create your first shared map

On the Shared maps screen click the + button:

and fill in the Shared map configuration settings popup. This popup will also contain your shared map link:

Test your shared map by opening the shared map link in an incognito window of your browser, or in a browser that you haven't used before for a logged in user.

IMPORTANT NOTE #7. Always your test shared map link in an incognito window or in a browser where you're not logged in as a Mapsly user. Opening a shared map in a browser where you're logged in as a Mapsly user will terminate your active user session.

IMPORTANT NOTE #8. When using URL parameters to restrict access to data when a particular shared map user must not see, be sure to use URL signature.

6- Optionally, embed your shared map to a website, customer portal or dashboard

To embed a shared map to an website, customer portal or dashboard, use this example iFrame tag:

<iframe src="https://app.mapsly.com/map/aa6b4ds4396dh38dywb6760e1fb891" allow="geolocation; clipboard-read; clipboard-write" style="width: 500px; height: 500px"> </iframe>

IMPORTANT NOTE #9. It is important to include the allow="geolocation; clipboard-read; clipboard-write" attribute in your iFrame if your shared map is configured to center on the user's location, otherwise some browsers may prevent Mapsly from obtaining user's location. It will also prevent the copy to clipboard errors.

These articles will help you embed your shared map to popular web services:

Additional resources

Use shared maps to Implement advanced features and processes without development:

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