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How popups work in MangoMap

The four popup types, how popups take labels and formats from the Format tab, where viewers see them, and why raster and WMS layers have no Popup tab.

This page explains each popup type and how popups use layer attribute formatting. Read it before you configure a complex layer.

The Popup tab in one sentence

The Popup tab sets what viewers see when they click a map feature. The same settings apply to every feature, with each feature’s values filled in where needed.

The four popup types

The first control on the Popup tab is the Type dropdown. It has four options:

  • None — popups are disabled. Clicking a feature does nothing.
  • Default — MangoMap renders an automatic list of every visible attribute on the layer. The list, the labels, the formatting, and the order all come from the Format tab. There are no controls on the Popup tab beyond the type and an optional Title. New layers start with this type.
  • Custom — you design the popup in a rich-text editor. Embed field values, format text, add images, tables, charts, conditionals, equations, and interactive buttons.
  • Calculator — viewers fill in a form, and a formula combining their inputs with feature attributes computes a result. Useful for fertiliser-per-hectare or travel-time style popups.

Each layer has its own type. Layers on the same map can use different types.

If you are not sure which type to pick, answer three questions about the layer:

Which popup type to use Flowchart: choose None when clicking a feature should show nothing; Default for a list of the visible attributes, which is where new layers start; Calculator when viewers type in values for a formula; and Custom when you need your own layout, media or logic. NO NO YES YES YES NO You set up a layer’s popup Show something whena feature is clicked? Need your own layout,media or logic? Do viewers typein values? Nonepopups are off:clicking a feature does nothing Defaulta list of the visible attributes;new layers start with this type Calculatora form and a formula that worksout a result from inputs and fields Custom your own text, field values, images, charts, conditionals and buttons

How popups interact with the Format tab

The Format tab controls three things per attribute: the alias (display label), the format (how the value displays — 12,345.68, $12,345.68, 9 May 2026, etc.), and visibility (whether the attribute appears in the default popup at all).

  • Default popups show only attributes whose visibility eye is on, labelled by their alias, formatted by their format config. Attributes that hold an image URL are the exception: they show as images at the top of the popup even when hidden.
  • Custom popups substitute {field_name} variables using the underlying field name, not the alias. Hidden attributes still resolve in {field_name} references — the visibility toggle only governs the default popup.
  • Calculator popups use the same field-name variables in the title and the formula. The description takes no variables. Variables in the title and the formula format the same way as in Custom popups.

The diagram shows which Format tab settings each popup type uses:

How the Format tab feeds each popup Data flow: a clicked feature’s attributes pass through the Format tab’s alias, format and visibility; the Default popup uses all three and shows image URLs on top even when hidden, while Custom and Calculator popups use only the format, resolve hidden attributes too, and give equations the raw values. USES ALL THREE FORMAT ONLY A clicked featureevery attribute, as stored Format tabone setting per attributeAlias: the labelFormat: how a value showsVisibility: the eye, on or off Default popupa list built for youOnly attributes with the eye onLabelled with the aliasValues formattedImage URLs on top, even when hidden Custom and Calculator popupsfield values you place yourselfAny attribute, hidden or notValues formatted; alias not usedEquations use the raw valuesNo values in a Calculator description

If a popup looks wrong, check the Format tab first — see Attribute formatting overview.

Where popups appear

Popups render in:

  • The popup panel on the right of the map, when a viewer clicks or taps a feature. Popups only load on click or tap; there’s no hover-to-show behaviour.
  • The same panel shows Details could not be loaded and a Try again button when MangoMap finds the feature but cannot load its values. See A popup says “Details could not be loaded”.
  • The print and export popup overlay — popups in printed maps and PDFs.

Variable substitution

Custom popups support two kinds of inline values. The unified Title field, for any non-None type, supports only {field_name}.

  • {field_name} — substitutes the feature’s value for that attribute, formatted via the Format tab. In Custom and Calculator popups, missing or empty values render as blank, not NULL.
  • Equations — evaluate a small expression (arithmetic and numeric functions), such as {population} / {area}, and show the result. Same syntax as the Calculator’s formula. Equations use each attribute’s raw value, not the format from the Format tab.

Insert both from the editor toolbar. Insert an equation with Insert equation.

HTML sanitisation

An iframe must use an https:// address on another site: MangoMap removes one with an http:// address, a MangoMap page, or a page on the map’s own site. A video player needs an https:// file address. See How to embed an iframe in a custom popup.

Links and buttons get one more check, after the variables are filled in. The target must be a web address, an email, phone, or text message link, or a path on the same site. Any other kind of link shows as plain text, or as a button that does nothing.

Why raster and WMS layers don’t have a Popup tab

Raster and WMS layers don’t carry per-feature attributes on the MangoMap side. There’s no clickable feature, no attribute table to render in a popup, and no {field_name} to substitute. The Popup tab is hidden for these layer types — only the Details tab appears.

To add clickable points over a raster basemap, use a vector layer.

Common confusions

“My popup shows blank for a field that has data.” The variable name doesn’t match a field on the layer. Variable names are exact field names. If the field exists but the value is empty, that also renders blank in Custom and Calculator popups.

“I changed the alias on the Format tab but my custom popup still shows the old name.” The custom popup uses the literal text you typed into the editor. The {field_name} variable substitutes the value, not the label — so if you typed Population: next to a {population} variable, only the value updates when you change the alias. Edit the label text in the popup template directly.

“Calculator popup users don’t see the Calculate button.” The button text is configured in Step 1 of the Calculator wizard. The default is Calculate. If users see no button at all, check that all three steps were completed and the popup was saved.