Guides
How to add filters to a map
Direct answer
How to add filters to a map?
Filters make maps usable. The trick is keeping categories simple and naming them the way visitors think.
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Groups, tags, and counts
Filter setup workflow
1. Organize locations
2. Choose filter fields
3. Test the public view
Use labels people understand and verify that every filter returns useful locations.
No code
Visual map building
CSV + Sheets
Spreadsheet workflows
Website-ready
Share links and embeds
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Example: filters for a city food guide
A food guide can use Restaurants, Cafes, Markets, and Bakeries as groups, with tags for vegan, late-night, outdoor seating, and reservations.
Assign each location to the clearest primary group rather than duplicating nearly identical groups
Apply multiple tags only when each attribute is supported by the record or source
Use amenities for structured facilities when that field is available instead of repeating every facility as a tag
Test combinations such as Cafes plus outdoor seating and make sure zero-result combinations are understandable
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Configure and inspect the visitor filter panel
The current public experience presents groups and tags in a filter panel and updates markers and the location list as selections change.
Group controls include their current result counts and can be combined according to the configured map data
The unified panel exposes up to the first 12 available tag controls, so prioritize the most useful tags
The list and marker set should agree after every filter change
On mobile, filters use a collapsible panel or bottom-sheet-style layout; do not describe it as a dropdown
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Troubleshooting, mistakes, and limits
A filter cannot compensate for missing or inconsistent source data. Fix the records before adding more controls.
A group has zero results: inspect location assignments and whether another active filter excludes them
Expected tag is missing: confirm the exact normalized tag value and whether it falls outside the displayed top 12
Synonyms split results: merge labels such as restroom and bathroom into one canonical term
Opening, rating, or amenity filter is unreliable: populate and verify the corresponding structured field on every relevant record
Too many controls obscure the map: keep only filters that support a real visitor decision
How it works
1
List visitor decisions
Write down the few questions the filter panel must answer, such as type, accessibility, availability, or distance.
2
Create primary groups
Use distinct visitor-facing categories and avoid near-duplicate group names.
3
Add cross-cutting tags
Apply normalized attributes only where the source data supports them.
4
Populate rich fields
Add opening hours, ratings, amenities, and other structured values before enabling filters that rely on them.
5
Test the public panel
Check counts, combined selections, zero results, and the collapsible mobile experience.
6
Verify URL behavior
On the hosted public page, copy a filtered URL and reopen it signed out; test embeds separately.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a group and a tag?
A group is a primary category such as Hotel or Restaurant. A tag is an attribute that can cross categories, such as family-friendly or wheelchair access.
How many groups should I create?
Use the smallest set that represents real visitor choices. There is no universal target; add a group only when it changes how someone searches or interprets the map.
Are filter selections shareable in a URL?
Supported group, tag, and advanced-filter state can be synchronized on the hosted public /m/ page. That URL behavior does not apply inside an embed.
Do filters still work inside a website embed?
Configured controls can work in the interactive embed, but a filtered hosted-page URL is not an embed-state permalink.
Why does a tag not appear in the panel?
Confirm that locations use the normalized tag and review its ordering. The current unified panel exposes up to 12 tag controls.
Should I enable an Open now or rating filter?
Only when the relevant opening-hours or rating data is present, current, and consistent across the records a visitor expects to compare.
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