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How to refresh a layer's data without losing its styling

Replace a dataset's data from a new file or Dropbox sync. Every map that uses it keeps its layer order, styles, popups, and labels.

When the source data changes, you do not need to add a layer or restyle the map. MangoMap replaces the data in the existing dataset, and every map that uses it keeps its layer order, styles, popups, attribute formatting, labels, and access settings. The dataset’s URL doesn’t change either, so any embedded maps, share links, and bookmarks keep working.

Pick a path based on how often you’ll refresh

One-off / ad-hoc Ongoing / scheduled
Where Configuration → Update from file Configuration → Sync
You upload The new file each time Once — MangoMap pulls from Dropbox going forward
Frequency When you choose to Within about 10 minutes of a change in Dropbox
How-to Update a dataset from a file Set up Dropbox sync

Both paths replace the dataset’s records in place. The maps keep their styling, popups, formatting, and access. Only the rows or features change.

What’s preserved

A refresh replaces the rows and keeps everything built on top of them, so in-app edits are the one thing you can lose:

What a data refresh replaces Layer stack: a new file replaces every row and feature of the dataset, so edits and features added in MangoMap are lost; the dataset keeps its URL, name, description and access; every layer that uses it keeps its style, popup, formatting, labels, order and legend; new columns join default popups only, and a changed column type can break a quantity style. New file or Dropbox KEPTThe datasetSame URL, name, description and access REPLACEDEvery row and featureIn-app edits and added features are lostunless they are in the new file KEPT ON EVERY MAPEach layer that uses itStyle, popup, formatting, labels, order and legend CHECKNew and changed columnsNew columns join default popups; add them elsewhereA changed type can break a quantity style

Across both paths, refreshing a dataset preserves:

  • Layer styles on every map using the dataset (uniform colour, category, quantity, heatmap, fill patterns, line patterns, custom icons).
  • Popup templates (default, custom, conditional content, calculators, charts, iframes, embedded media).
  • Attribute formatting (renames, hides, number / date / currency / measurement formatting).
  • Labels, where applicable.
  • Per-layer order, grouping, visibility, and legend settings on every map.
  • Dataset access settings — Public access and each group’s View and Edit access.
  • The dataset’s URL.
  • The dataset’s name and description.

What the new file must keep

Layer styles and popups are keyed by attribute name and built for one geometry type. To protect them, MangoMap refuses a refreshed file that:

  • Drops or renames a column the dataset already has. The Processing failed dialog lists the missing columns: Missing required columns: …. Column names match without regard to capital letters.
  • Has a different geometry type — for example, lines in a polygon dataset. Single and multi-part shapes count as the same type.

When a file is refused, the dataset keeps its previous content.

What can still change

  • New columns. On a layer with a default popup, MangoMap adds each new column to the popup, visible, at the end of the Format tab list. Custom popups, styles, and labels don’t use a new column until you add it.
  • Column types. If a column’s values change type (for example, number to text), quantity-driven styling on that column can stop classifying. The style stays configured; the classification doesn’t apply. Class breaks are not recalculated on a refresh either, so check them if the range of values changes.

When you change column types, plan to revisit any map that uses the dataset. See How data updates work in MangoMap for the full propagation rules.

What is not preserved

These are NOT preserved by a data refresh:

  • Per-feature edits made through the popup’s three-dot menu (Edit attributes, Edit geometry). A refresh overwrites the dataset’s rows with the file you upload — any in-app edits are lost unless they’re already in the file you’re uploading. See How feature editing works in MangoMap.
  • New features added in-app via Add feature. Same reason — the upload replaces the row set.

If you want to preserve in-app feature edits, treat the in-app data as authoritative and export from MangoMap, not the other way round.