Creating your first map

A map is an item that combines one or more layers with a viewport and a basemap. Maps are how you compose data for human consumption; they're what web apps render and what print templates print.

Steps

1. From the items grid (the landing page after you sign in), click + New item.
2. Pick Map from the wizard.
3. Give the map a title, then click Create.
4. You land on the map's detail page. Click Open builder.
5. In the map builder, click + Add layer in the top-left rail.
6. Pick a data layer you have access to and click Add.
7. The layer renders with default symbology. Save with ⌘S or the Save button.

That's it. You now have a map you can share, embed in a web app, or print.

What you do next depends on the use

• Style the layer: select it in the layer panel and use the Style + Symbology controls. See Map editing → Symbology.
• Constrain what users see: add a filter on the layer (Filters section).
• Decide what happens on click: configure popups (Popups section).
• Share it: the Sharing section on the map's detail page.

What the map item stores

The map item's data blob includes:

• The list of layers (each with its style, filter, popup config).
• The default viewport (center, zoom, bearing, pitch).
• The basemap binding.
• Per-layer access overrides (separate from the underlying data layer's own sharing).

It does not duplicate the features themselves. Those live in the referenced data layer items. A change in the underlying data layer shows up immediately on every map that references it.