Custom Color Coded Map

A color coded map in Maptive paints pin color, boundary fill color, and heat color from any column you pick in a single uploaded file, with a key for every color rule on view.

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Pin color by group
Numeric pin buckets
Boundary fill by data
Manual boundary fills
Heat color palette
Drawn territory color

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Six color paths, one file

Color Coded Maps Built Several Ways

Color code your map across 6 paths in Maptive. Pin color, numeric pin buckets, boundary fills by data, manual boundary picks, heat color, and drawn territory color sit on the same map.

Marker color by group

Open the Grouping Tool, pick a column as the Primary Group, and Maptive paints every pin tied to each value a separate color.

Numeric pin buckets

Switch a number column to Numeric in the Grouping Tool, pick Value Ranges or Percentage Ranges, then color pins as Blue, Multi-color, or Growing pins.

Boundary fill by data

Open the Boundary Tool, pick a Boundary Set, then fill by My Numerical Data, My Group / Territory Data, Marker Count, or Demographic Census Data.

Manual boundary coloring

Pick No Fill / Manual Fill, click Set Manual Fill, then hand-pick boundaries On Click, On Hover, or by Lasso Tool, and save a fill group color.

Heat color palette

Open the Heat Mapping Tool, pick Marker Density or Represents Numerical Data, set up to 3 gradient color stops, then flip Gradient on.

Drawn territory color

Open the Territories Tool, draw a polygon or select boundaries, then pick a territory color and fill transparency at save for every territory tone.

Create a Color Coded Map

How it works

Color a Map in 3 Steps

Upload

Upload your file to Maptive as xlsx, xls, csv, or tsv, and every row plots as a pin on the base map for color coding.

Color

Open Map Tools, pick the Grouping Tool, Boundary Tool, Heat Mapping Tool, or Territories Tool, then color by a column.

View

A color coded map and a key appear, ready to share by link, embed in a deck, or export to a file for an offline view.

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Where it pays off

What a Color Coded Map Shows

A column that hides as digits or text in a file turns into a pattern you can see at a glance on the map.

Pin Color

Pick a categorical column like owner, status, or region in the Grouping Tool, and every value takes its own pin color. Color clusters show a regional pattern, and a lone pin flags an outlier.

Numeric Pin Buckets

Switch a number column like sales or score to Numeric in the Grouping Tool, then split it by Value Ranges or Percentage Ranges. Maptive colors each bucket across Blue, Multi-color, or Growing pins, so highs and lows separate at a glance.

Boundary Fills

Fill regions by My Numerical Data, Group / Territory Data, Marker Count, or Demographic Census Data, and the map colors each state, county, or zip by that metric. A planning call moves faster when every region carries its own color.

Manual Boundary Picks

Need color for a region your data does not name yet? Load the set with No Fill / Manual Fill, then pick boundaries On Click, On Hover, or by Lasso. Save them as a Fill Group, and the manual fill stays alongside your data-driven fills.

Heat Color

Paint density or a numeric value across the map with the Heat Mapping Tool. Set the radius, opacity, and intensity, then pick up to 3 gradient color stops, or turn Gradient off for a single solid color.

Layered Fills, 1 Set

Stack more than 1 fill on a single Boundary Set with Add More Fills, from Numerical to Group / Territory, Marker Count, and Census. Click a fill's number in the quick menu to switch the active rule, and the boundaries re-paint.

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Under the hood

Color Coding Maps in Practice

A Maptive map with pins colored by a single data column and a matching color key

Pins Colored by Column

A color coded map in Maptive starts with the simplest path. A column in your uploaded file holds a value worth a color, and the Grouping Tool turns that column into a colored pin map. Open Map Tools, pick the Grouping Tool / Colored Pins Tool, and pick the column you want as Primary Group. Every unique value picks up its own color, and every pin tied to a row in that value takes that color across the pin map.

The output is a colored pin map and a key, with each group listed next to the color it carries. Click the small white icon to the right of a group to open the picker and set a custom color or marker style. The choices stick across reloads of the same data set, so the rule looks the same on day 1 and day 30. A numeric column works through the same tool with a different switch. Pick Numeric, set the number of ranges, pick Value Ranges or Percentage Ranges, choose a marker style, then click Group Now.

A Maptive boundary map with each region filled by a value from a data column

Boundaries Colored by Value

A boundary fill on a color coded map is the path for a region answer. Open the Boundary Tool, pick a Boundary Set, then pick a fill type. The 5 fill types are No Fill / Manual Fill, My Numerical Data, My Group / Territory Data, Marker Count / Location Density, and Demographic Census Data. Click Load Boundaries, and the map paints each region a color from your data.

Fill Settings carry the color logic. A color progression runs across the numeric ranges, and you set the number of ranges and pick Value Ranges or Percentage Ranges. Opacity runs 0 to 100, color picks accept an HTML code, and any range gets customized. Boundary Formatting sits alongside the fill controls, where Line Width and Line Color tune the outline of each region. Add More Fills lets a Boundary Set carry many fills, with 1 active at a time. You can also pull Demographic Census Data for a region with no extra columns.

A Maptive map blending a heat color layer with drawn territory color

Heat and Territory Color

A heat colored map is the 3rd path for a color coded view in Maptive. Open the Heat Mapping Tool from Map Tools, pick a heat map style, and click Add Heat Map. Marker Density uses every marker as a count of 1, and Represents Numerical Data takes a numeric column like Sales, Price, or Square Ft. for the heat weight. Adjust radius, opacity, and intensity threshold to set the spread, set the 3 color stops, or flip the Gradient toggle for a single solid color heat.

The Territories Tool adds a 4th color path. Open Map Tools, pick the Territories Tool, then draw a polygon or pick boundaries with On Click, On Hover, or Lasso Tool. At save, pick a territory color and a fill transparency for each territory. The drawn territories sit alongside the pin color, the boundary fill, and the heat color, so a single color coded map can carry every color rule at the same time.

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Pairs well with

Related Features

The tools teams reach for alongside a color coded map.

Marker Grouping Tool

Color pins by category or numeric range from any column.

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Boundary Tool

Fill regions by county, state, or zip with your data.

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Heat Mapping Tool

Paint density or a numeric metric in a color gradient.

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Automated Territory Creator

Draw and color territories alongside every other layer.

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Good to know

Color Coded Map FAQs

Can I color code my map by any column in my data set?

Yes. Open the Grouping Tool / Colored Pins Tool from Map Tools, then pick a column as the Primary Group. Maptive assigns a color to each unique value in that column and paints every matching pin across the map. The key lists each group next to the color it carries, and the same step works for the Secondary Group when an extra column adds value. The color rules stick across reloads of the same file, so a map by owner, status, or region looks the same next time.

How do I color code a boundary by a number in my file?

Open the Boundary Tool, pick the Boundary Set you want, then pick My Numerical Data as the fill type. Select a function from Sum, Average, Max Value, or Min Value, then pick the numeric column to color by. Click Load Boundaries and the map colors each region across the calculated ranges. A key lists the numeric ranges, and Customize Fills lets you set how many ranges show, switch between Value Ranges and Percentage Ranges, and change the color or opacity for each range.

Can I color code a heat map by a number column?

Yes. Open the Heat Mapping Tool, set the heat map style to Represents Numerical Data, and pick the numeric column from the dropdown. The column has to hold numeric values for the heat to weight against. Click Add Heat Map and the heat layer paints across the map with color weight tied to the numbers in your file. Adjust radius, opacity, and intensity threshold for the spread, set the 3 color stops, or flip the Gradient toggle off for a single solid color heat that still follows the numeric column.

Can I color in boundaries by hand without any data column?

Yes. Open the Boundary Tool, pick the Boundary Set you want, and pick No Fill / Manual Fill as the fill type. Click Load Boundaries, then click Set Manual Fill to open the Boundary Selection Tool. Pick On Click, On Hover, or Lasso Tool, then hand-pick the boundaries you want in the same color. Save the picks as a new Fill Group, name it, and pick a color. The manual fill rides on the map alongside any data-driven fills, so a region picked by hand looks the same as a region colored by your numbers.

How do I change the color of a single boundary range?

Click the Fill Settings icon for the boundary set, then click Customize Fills to open the modal. The modal lists every range across the active fill. Click the color icon for the range you want to change, pick a new color, or paste an HTML color code into the picker. Opacity for the same range runs from 0 for invisible to 100 for solid, and Maptive applies the choice across the boundary map. The same modal lets you delete a fill layer with the red trash icon when a layer is done.

Can I switch a categorical color rule to a numeric color rule?

Yes. Inside the Grouping Tool, switch the column from a category split to Numeric. The popup lets you set the number of ranges, pick Value Ranges or Percentage Ranges, and pick a marker style across Blue bubbles, Multi-color bubbles, or Growing pin markers. Maptive paints each range a color and a marker size across every matching pin. Click Group Now to apply, and the map updates to color by ranges rather than by every unique value across the column.

Can I hide a color group on the map without removing it?

Yes. The legend on a color coded map acts as a toggle for visibility. Click a group in the Grouping Tool legend and the pins for that group disappear from the map, click again to bring them back. The Boundary Tool runs in the same pattern through the quick reference menu, and the Heat Mapping Tool carries an eye icon next to each heat layer for the same purpose. The data stays in place, only hidden from view, so a focused map can be set up for a question and reset later.

Can I color code a map by Census data without any column in my file?

Yes. Open the Boundary Tool, pick a Boundary Set, then pick Demographic Census Data as the fill type. Pick a Demographic Group for the category of data, then pick the Fill Data for the specific metric. Click Load Boundaries and the map colors each region across the demographic metric, with a key for the ranges. The Demographic Census Data option is available for boundaries in the US and Canada. The map colors by census data on a region with no extra columns added to your file.

Can I stack more than 1 fill on the same boundary set?

Yes. Open the Fill Settings icon for the boundary set, then click Add More Fills. The modal lets you set a new fill type from My Numerical Data, My Group / Territory Data, Marker Count / Location Density, or Demographic Census Data. Each new fill carries its own color rule, and a Boundary Set on the map can carry many fills on the same set. Only 1 active fill paints the boundaries at a time; click the number in the quick reference menu to switch the active fill.

Can I share a color coded map with my team?

Yes. A color coded map in Maptive gets sent by link, embedded in a web page, or exported for use outside the app. The pin color, boundary fill color, heat color, and drawn territory color all travel with the share, along with the key for each layer. A viewer sees the color story without a Maptive account, and the toggles on the legend stay active for a hidden category, a hidden boundary fill, or a hidden heat layer. The same share works on a deck, a phone, or a tablet for the field.

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Put Color Coding to Work on Your Map

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