Map Drawing Tool: Draw on Google Maps or Custom Map

Maptive's drawing tool includes 12 features for placing shapes, lines, labels, callouts, numbers, icons, and images directly on your map.

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How to Draw on Your Map in Maptive

1

Open the Draw Tool

Go to Map Tools in your dashboard and select Drawing. A toolbar appears with arrows, callouts, shapes, labels, and more.

2

Start Your Drawing

Pick a feature from the toolbar and click Start Drawing. Click the map to place it, or click and drag to set its size.

3

Edit Your Drawings

Click any placed element to open its settings panel. Adjust color, opacity, stroke weight, or font size from there.

Every Drawing Feature Available in the Toolbar

Maptive's drawing tool offers 12 annotation features: circles, rectangles, polygons, polylines, arrows, callouts, labels, freeform text, numbered markers, icon markers, and an image uploader.

These are visual layers for presentation and reference, not data containers like Maptive's Radius or Territory tools.

Draw Circles, Rectangles, & Polygons on Your Map

The circle, rectangle, and polygon tools place visual shapes anywhere on the map. Each one is customizable by fill color, stroke color, opacity, and border weight. These shapes are for annotation and presentation purposes and do not extract or contain spreadsheet data.

Add Arrows and Polylines to Connect or Highlight Locations

Arrows point to specific spots or indicate direction, with adjustable triangle size, line weight, and color. Polylines draw connected line segments across multiple points, and you can adjust stroke opacity, weight, and color for each one after placement.

Place Callouts, Labels, & Text Directly on the Map

Callouts create note bubbles with typed text inside, and the bubble scales as you adjust the font size. Labels attach text to an anchor dot you can drag anywhere. The freeform text tool types directly onto the map surface with adjustable font size and color.

Number Locations with Sequenced Marker Bubbles

The number tool places numbered circles on your map starting from whatever value you set. Each bubble is adjustable by radius, font size, fill color, stroke color, and opacity. You can reposition them by clicking and dragging after pausing the drawing mode.

Upload Custom Images and Icons to Your Map

The icon marker tool adds symbols from Maptive's built-in library to mark services, transit stops, or categories. The image uploader lets you place your own files on the map at any click point, with options to resize, toggle borders, and scale with map zoom level.

Shapes, Text, & Media in Practice

Using Shapes to Mark Areas & Boundaries on Your Map

The circle, rectangle, and polygon tools are the three shape options in the drawing toolbar. Each one works the same way: select the tool, click Start Drawing, and then click on the map to place the shape. For circles and rectangles, you click a starting point and drag outward to set the size. For polygons, you click each vertex and then click your starting point again to close the shape.

Every shape you draw is a visual layer on the map. You can adjust its fill color, fill opacity, stroke color, stroke opacity, and stroke weight from the settings panel that opens when you click on it. If you need to resize a shape after placing it, double-click inside it to access the control points and drag them to a new position. Shapes can also be repositioned by clicking and dragging them across the map.

One distinction worth noting is that these shapes are purely visual. They do not contain or extract data from your spreadsheet. If you need a circle that counts markers inside it or exports their data, that is the Radius Tool. If you need a polygon that functions as a territory with aggregated metrics, that is the Territory Drawing Tool. The drawing tool shapes are for annotation, presentation callouts, and visual reference on the map.

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Adding Text, Labels, & Callouts for Context

3 tools in the drawing toolbar handle text: the callout tool, the label tool, and the freeform text tool. Each places text on the map in a different format, and all three are editable after placement.

The callout tool creates a bubble with a pointer at its base. You click the map to place it, type your text inside the bubble, and adjust the font size to scale the bubble proportionally. The pointer can be dragged to reposition the callout relative to the location it references. You can customize border radius, stroke and fill opacity, stroke weight, and colors for both the bubble and the text.

The label tool attaches text to an anchor dot. You click the map, type your label, and drag the dot to reposition it. Font size, dot size, dot color, background color, and font color are all adjustable from the edit panel. Labels work well for naming locations, marking data points, or adding short identifiers across the map.

The freeform text tool types directly on the map surface without a bubble or anchor. Click the map, start typing, and the text appears at your click point. Font size and font color are the two adjustable properties. This option is the lightest of the three and works for brief annotations where a callout or label would be more structure than you need.

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Placing Icons, Numbers, & Images on Your Map

The icon marker, number, and image upload tools each add a different type of visual marker to your map. They work independently of your spreadsheet data and other Maptive tools.

The icon marker tool gives you access to Maptive's built-in library. Select an icon, click the map, and it appears at that location. You can reposition it by pausing drawing mode and dragging the small circle at its base. Icons work well for marking categories that your data does not already represent, like transit stops, parking, or service points you want to call out visually.

The number tool places sequentially numbered bubbles starting from whatever value you set in the panel. Each click drops the next number. You can adjust radius, font size, stroke and fill opacity, weight, and all colors. This is practical for building a numbered key where each bubble corresponds to a legend entry or a slide in a presentation.

The image upload tool places your own files onto the map. Upload from your computer or select from your library, then click to place. You can resize the image, toggle its border, and choose whether it scales with the map zoom or stays fixed. Double-click the image to access position, appearance, and removal options.

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Map Drawing Tool FAQs

1How many drawing features does Maptive include?
The drawing toolbar contains 12 features: arrow, callout, circle, icon marker, image upload, label, number, polygon, polyline, rectangle, text, and the manage drawing elements tool which returns your cursor to its default state. All 12 are accessible from the same toolbar once you open the Drawing Tool from the Map Tools menu.
2Can I draw shapes that extract data from my spreadsheet?
No. Shapes created with the drawing tool are visual annotations only. They do not count markers inside them or export data. If you need a shape that functions as a data container, use the Radius Tool for circles with marker counts and exports, or the Territory Drawing Tool for polygons with aggregated metrics and territory-level data.
3How do I edit a shape or text element after placing it?
Click on the element you want to edit. A settings panel opens on the right side of the screen where you can adjust properties like color, opacity, stroke weight, font size, and border radius depending on the element type. You can also reposition any element by clicking and dragging it to a new location on the map.
4Can I delete a single drawing without removing everything?
Yes. Click the element you want to remove, then click the red trash can icon in the right side panel or next to the element listing in the drawing tool. Each element is independent, so deleting one does not affect any other drawings you have placed on the map during the same session.
5What is the difference between the callout, label, and text tools?
The callout creates a bubble with a pointer, the label attaches text to a movable anchor dot, and the freeform text tool types directly on the map surface without any container. Each serves a different level of visual weight, from the callout being the most prominent to the text tool being the lightest.
6Can I upload my own images to the map?
You can. The image upload tool lets you select a file from your computer or choose from previously uploaded images in your library. Click the map to place the image, and then double-click it to adjust size, toggle the border, or choose whether it scales with the map zoom level. You can remove the image the same way you would any other drawing element.
7Do drawings stay on the map after I close my session?
Drawings are saved to your map in the cloud, so they persist between sessions. When you log back in and open the same map, your annotations, shapes, and images will still be in place. You can edit or remove them at any time by clicking on them and using the settings panel.
8Can I use the drawing tool alongside other Maptive features?
Yes. Drawings render as a separate layer on top of your map data, so they work alongside heat maps, radius circles, territories, boundary overlays, and any other active tool. They do not interfere with those features and can be added or removed without affecting your underlying data or other map layers.
9How do I reposition a drawing element on the map?
For most elements, click the item and drag it to the new position. Some elements like callouts and icons have a small circle at their base that serves as the drag handle. For shapes like circles and rectangles, double-click to access control points and drag them to resize. Pause the drawing mode first if you are still actively placing new elements.
10What customization options are available for shapes?
Shapes like circles, rectangles, and polygons can be customized by fill color, fill opacity, stroke color, stroke opacity, and stroke weight. These properties are accessible from the edit panel that appears when you click on a placed shape. Each property adjusts independently, so you can make a shape fully transparent with a colored border or solid-filled with no visible border.
11Can I add numbered markers to create a map key?
The number tool is built for this. It places sequentially numbered bubbles on your map, starting from whatever number you set in the panel. Each click drops the next number in the sequence. You can adjust the bubble radius, font size, and colors, and reposition each one by pausing the drawing and dragging it to a new spot on the map.
12Is there a limit to how many elements I can draw on one map?
There is no fixed limit on the number of drawing elements you can place. You can add as many shapes, lines, text elements, icons, numbers, and images as your map requires. Each one is saved to your map in the cloud and can be individually edited or removed from the drawing tool panel at any time.

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