Creating Travel Diaries and Route Maps with WP Go Maps

Are you a traveler, outdoor enthusiast or simply wanting to show routes on your site? WP Go Maps is a great tool that can help you achieve that quickly and easily using the built in features, from importing to allowing your site visitors to add their own markers to the map.

Add Routes and Markers to your Map Efficiently

Importing your routes and markers can save you a lot of time! This can be one of the most powerful tools for travellers because instead of plotting routes and markers one-by-one, you can import them all at once.

WP Go Maps supports various different file types, but lets cover the most common ones you may use:

• GPX: Great if you can export your trails or routes, useful apps are Strava or Garmin
• KML/KMZ: Ideal if you plan your routes and destinations in Google Earth
• CSV: Best if you have a spreadsheet of coordinates and names of places that you plan to visit

How to import:

1. Navigate to Maps -> Tools -> Import
2. Select your preferred import source type (“File” if you are using any of the above types).
3. Select and upload your file.
4. Set the map you want to import the data to.
5. Click “Import”.

Note: If you are using a GPX or KML file, the importer will automatically import the respective data into your map. If you are using a CSV file, use the column remapping feature to match your column headers to the available columns.

Adding a few Routes and Markers Manually

Keeping your map clean and simple can also be a great way to showcase your routes and waypoints on your map. If you only have a few routes and markers to add to your map and don’t have a file to import, you can easily add them in the map editor.

Adding a Route:

1. Navigate to your Map Editor (Maps -> Edit).
2. ‘Right Click’ on the map and select “Polyline”.
3. ‘Left Click’ on the map to start plotting your route.
4. ‘Double Left Click’ to end the route.
5. In the editor panel on the left:
   1. Add information about your route such as title, description, link.
   2. Adjust the route colour, thickness and line style.
6. Click “Save Polyline”.

Adding a Marker:

1. Navigate to your Map Editor (Maps -> Edit).
2. ‘Right Click’ where you want to place a marker and select “Marker”.
3. Edit the “Address/GPS” field if needed or are using a street address.
4. In the editor panel on the left:
   1. Add information about your waypoint such as title, description, images, link and category.
   2. Set a custom marker icon to make your waypoint stand out.
5. Click “Add Marker”.

Custom Markers Icon Editor

Showing the start and end points of your routes can be really helpful to your visitors. Create custom markers with custom icons to showcase at a glance.

Creating a Custom Marker Icon:

1. In the marker editor panel, scroll down to the “Marker Icon” section.
2. Click the “Create” button.
3. Choose your preferred marker icon shape
4. Adjust the shape, colour and overlay aspects of the icon.
5. Click “Use Icon”. 

Allowing Site Visitors to add their own Markers

A great way to get your viewers engaged is to allow them to interact with your map. Other than looking around your map, why not let them add their own marker to the map to showcase a special attraction they found?

Note: Visitor Generated Markers Add-on required*

Add the Visitor Generated Markers form:

1. Navigate to your Map Editor (Maps -> Edit).
2. Navigate further to the Visitor Generated Markers options (Settings -> Visitor Generated Markers).
3. Set the “Allow Submission” option to “Yes”.
4. Set who can add markers by setting the “Allowed Users” option to “Everyone”.
5. Adjust the fields you want your visitors to add.
6. Enter your preferred form labels.
7. Click the “Save Map” button.

Once done, your visitors can go ahead and add their own markers to your map sharing what they have achieved.

A Great Addition to your Site!

People enjoy engaging and seeing what you have done on your journey, so why not add an interactive map that visually shows them your experiences and routes travelled?

Here are some examples of other sites that have an interactive map on their site:

• Hellenicca – Cyclades
• Nomadic Matt – Travel Guide
• Times of San Diego – Travel Guide
• CyclingUK – Journey Planner