Locations Plotter – learn the basics in 5 minutes

The simplest way to start plotting is to use the Google search field top left. This gives you autocomplete suggestions as you type.

Once you’ve selected an address, a marker will be dropped with a Save Location button. Notice that you can adjust the marker position by dragging before you save.

A box opens up where you can set marker colour and details about the location.

Save your location and see how it appears as a label in the sidebar as well as a marker on the map. When you click either the label or marker, a popup appears with the location details.

Notice that you also have Edit, Move and Delete buttons inside the popup.

You can plot a marker manually by selecting the marker icon top right, then clicking the map where you want to set the marker. Zoom in deep for accurate plotting. The address field will sense the nearest named location to where you’ve positioned your marker. You can edit the default “New Location” label and other details.

To plot lots of locations at once, click + Add a list in the search box. Then choose UK postcodes or worldwide addresses. You can paste in multiple addresses, one per line, for rapid search and plotting.

This sort of bulk plotting is called geocoding.

UK postcodes

This tool searches our database of 1.8 million active geographic UK postcodes for auto-plotting postcodes. You can process batches of up to 2,000 postcodes at a time, one per line, with no daily limit. Do not include any other part of the address. All postcodes, even partial ones (e.g. SW1X district), will be plotted as centroid points. You will be alerted to any that cannot be plotted.

Worldwide addresses

The Google geocoder will search for any addresses worldwide. Partial addresses with or without a postcode or even just a placename (“Edinburgh Castle”) can often be found. The fuller the address, the better chance of accuracy. You can search in batches of up to 50 addresses at a time with a daily limit of 500 using this field. The Premium Geocoder is available for users who need to bulk geocode bigger batches.

TIP: you can also import spreadsheets with extra data attached to your locations. See import and export data.

Click the layers icon to change base map and to turn map labels off and on.

The 3D base map options show 3-dimensional terrain and building details when tilted at deep zoom levels. And they turn into a globe when fully zoomed out. (See the 3D Edinburgh demo which opens at a 76° pitch on the default 3D Colour base.)

To change pitch on a desktop computer with mouse or pen either right-click or press control whilst dragging up or down.

To change pitch on a touch device place two fingers on the map and swipe up or down, and twist to change direction.

Click the bearing icon bottom right to reset.

Notice how the info-panel bottom left constantly updates the coordinates, zoom, bearing and pitch as you explore the map.

When you’ve added at least one marker, click Live View on the top bar. This will open a new browser tab with a clean live view of your interactive map without the editing tools.

Notice that the interactive listings can be sorted and searched.

You can share the Live View of your map with others – see Access Control.

You now know the basics for plotting locations, using the interactive index and markers, changing the map base, exploring in 3D and using Live View.

The Locations Plotter has other tools, e.g.

Set a radius with auto-calculating population and household figures

Drawing lines and shapes

Set colour keys and text category filters

Display options

Bulk edit locations in a table

Import and export data