---
title: "Map settings reference"
description: "Look up every field on a map's Configuration page by section: Map details, Access, and Layout & navigation, with limits and save behaviour."
---

This reference lists every map-settings field by section. The page has three sections: `Map details`, `Access`, `Layout & navigation`. The `Access` section has its own dedicated reference at [Map access settings](/docs/map-access/map-access-settings); this page summarises it but does not duplicate it.

Open the page from `Configuration` in the sidebar of a map you can edit. The page header is `Map settings`. The side nav lists `Map details`, `Access`, and `Layout & navigation`. Each link scrolls to its section.

## Map details

### Map title

|         |                                                          |
| ------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| Where   | `Map details` → top-left field |
| Required | Yes |
| Range   | 1–200 characters |
| Saves   | When you click out of the field or tab away |

The map's primary name. Shown in the browser tab, the public portal listing, the title block overlay, and search engine results. Required — leaving it empty produces the inline error `Map title is required`. A character counter appears under the field.

### Description

|         |                                                          |
| ------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| Where   | `Map details` → second field on the left |
| Required | No |
| Saves   | When you click out of the field or tab away |

Optional. Used in the public portal listing card, search engine results, and the title block overlay (under the title) when the title block is enabled. Leave it blank if you want a title-only block.

### Initial view

|         |                                                          |
| ------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| Where   | `Map details` → radio group below the description |
| Choices | `Fit to data (all layers)`, `Use current position and zoom` |
| Default | `Fit to data (all layers)` for a new map. On a map with no layers, `Fit to data` is off and the page shows `Add data to enable fit to data.` |
| Saves   | On click for the radio choice; on click for `Set to current position` |

Sets where the map opens for a viewer:

- **`Fit to data (all layers)`** — the map opens at a view that fits its layers.
- **`Use current position and zoom`** — MangoMap opens at a fixed centre and zoom you save. A `Set to current position` button below the radio saves the centre and zoom of the map you opened last in the same browser tab. The saved coordinates and zoom appear below the button (for example, `Current: 10.0000, 20.0000 (zoom 2)`). When the page has no map position to read (you opened it from a link or reloaded it), this option and the button are off, and the page shows `Preview map not available. Open the map to set position.`

See [How to set the initial map view](/docs/map-settings/set-initial-map-view).

### Preview card

|         |                                                          |
| ------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| Where   | `Map details` → right column |
| Editable | No (it reflects the form fields and access settings) |

A 16:9 card that previews how the map will appear in a portal listing. The card shows:

- The thumbnail image (updates when you regenerate it).
- The current `Map title` (or `Untitled Map` when empty).
- The current `Description` (or `No description provided` when empty).
- Access mode chips: `Public`, `Hidden` (link-only), `Password protected`, or `Internal`.
- Portal visibility and search-engine indexing chips, when those are enabled.
- A `Group Editable` chip when at least one group has edit permission.

### Regenerate thumbnail

|         |                                                          |
| ------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| Where   | `Map details` → button below the preview card |
| Saves   | On click; the button shows `Regenerating...` while running |

Draws a new preview thumbnail from the map's saved state: the initial view, the default basemap, and the layers visible on load, with their styles. MangoMap also draws a new thumbnail each time you save a change to the map or its layers; use the button when the thumbnail still looks out of date.

## Access

The middle section. The three publishing modes, the public-portal toggle, search-engine indexing, and per-group view/edit toggles all live here. For a full reference of every Access control, see [Map access settings](/docs/map-access/map-access-settings). For how-tos, see the rest of [Map access](/docs/map-access).

Top-level controls in this section, summarised:

- **`Allow public access`** — top toggle. Off means only signed-in users with permission can open the map; on enables the publishing modes below it.
- **Publishing mode** — `Public`, `Link-only`, or `Password`. Mutually exclusive.
- **`Show in public portal`** — public mode only. Lists the map on the account's public portal page.
- **Search-engine indexing** — public mode only. Allows search engines to index the map's URL.
- **Per-group access** — for each access group, a `View` toggle and an `Edit` toggle. View is forced on for every group when the map is public.

## Layout & navigation

The third section. Two controls: the title-block overlay and the custom navigation menu.

### Display title block

|         |                                                          |
| ------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| Where   | `Layout & navigation` → top toggle |
| Default | On |
| Saves   | On click |

When on, MangoMap shows the `Map title` and `Description` in a bar above the map. When off, the title and description go; the bar stays only if the map has navigation items. On a phone, the map title shows in the top bar either way. The portal listing and browser tab still use the title and description regardless. Helper text under the toggle reads `Shows the map title and description overlay on the map`.

See [How to show or hide the title block on the map](/docs/map-settings/show-the-map-title-block).

### Use navigation

|         |                                                          |
| ------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| Where   | `Layout & navigation` → second toggle |
| Default | Off |
| Saves   | On click |

When on, the `Navigation Items` list appears below the switch, and the enabled items show to viewers in the bar above the map. When off, no custom menu is shown.

### Navigation builder

|         |                                                          |
| ------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| Where   | `Layout & navigation` → below the `Use navigation` toggle (visible only when the toggle is on) |
| Saves   | On every add, edit, delete, reorder, or enable/disable change |

The `Navigation Items` list shows every navigation item, in display order, with controls to reorder (drag and drop), edit, delete, and enable or disable each item. A map can have up to 10 items. Click `Add item` to open the `Add Navigation Item` dialog; click an item's pencil to edit it; click its trash icon to delete it (with a confirmation dialog).

Each navigation item has:

- **`Item Label`** — the text viewers see in the menu (up to 50 characters).
- **`Navigation Type`** — one of seven (table below).
- **`Configuration`** — the type-specific fields (URL, email, modal content, target map list, etc.).
- **`Enable this navigation item`** — a switch that hides the item from viewers without deleting it.

#### Navigation item types

| Type | What it does | Configuration fields |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `Link` | Opens an external URL | URL, open in new tab |
| `Email Link` | Opens the viewer's email client with a pre-filled message | Email, subject, body |
| `Modal` | Opens a custom modal dialog with rich text | Modal title, modal content (HTML) |
| `Terms Modal` | Opens a terms-of-service modal with rich text | Terms version, terms content (HTML) |
| `Maps` | Links to one or more other maps in the account | Target maps (multi-select) |
| `Map portal` | Links to the account's public map portal | None (auto) |
| `Data portal` | Links to the account's public data portal | None (auto) |

For each type, the add and edit modals show only the fields relevant to that type.

See [How to build a custom navigation menu](/docs/map-settings/build-custom-navigation-menu).

## What this reference does NOT cover

- **Layers, basemap, draw order, hiding from legend, default basemap** — see [Layer panel controls](/docs/managing-layers/layer-panel-reference).
- **Account-wide customisation** — brand logo, brand colours, custom domain, Google Analytics, localisation — see [Customisation](/docs/customisation).