Map layers overview

A map layer is something drawn on the map. You stack layers on top of a background (basemap), and the order of the layers controls what draws on top of what. Add a layer from the Layers tab in the Build sidebar with Add a layer, then choose the kind you want.

The layer types differ mainly in where their geometry comes from:

  • Data-bound layers get their geometry from a data source you've connected — each row of your data becomes a feature. They are selectable and filterable, and they cross-filter your charts.
  • Reference layers bring their own geometry from a file, service, catalog, or tileset. Several of them can then be bound to your data by a join, so they become data-driven too — see Binding reference layers to your data.

So the split isn't "static vs interactive": a Catalog boundary layer, a Shapes from file import, or a Vector tiles layer can all be joined to your data and styled by it, even though their shapes come from outside your data source.

Data-bound layers

Built from your connected data. See Data sources for how to connect the data first.

Layer What it does
Circles Plot points as styled circles, sized and colored by your data.
Icons Plot points as icons, markers, text, emoji, or images.
Lines & routes Draw connections, routes, and paths — straight, great-circle, road-network, or 3D.
Shapes & geometry Draw polygons and shapes from a geometry column, with fill, outline, and 3D extrusion.
Geospatial grids Aggregate points into H3, S2, A5, Geohash, or Quadkey cells.
Heatmap Show the density of your points as a heatmap.
3D models Place a 3D model at each point in your data.
Travel time Show how far you can travel from each point within a time or distance limit.
Vehicle tracker Track moving vehicles or assets live.

Reference layers

These bring their own geometry from a file, service, catalog, or tileset. The Bind to data column shows which can also be joined to your data and styled by it.

Layer What it does Bind to data
Catalog layers Ready-made hosted layers from the Icon Map Catalog or your Organizational Catalog. Yes (boundaries)
Shapes from file Import GeoJSON, TopoJSON, KML, GPX, Shapefile, GeoParquet, FlatGeobuf, or IMDF indoor maps. Yes
Vector tiles MVT or PMTiles vector tilesets. Yes
WMS An OGC Web Map Service, with click-to-identify and reprojection. No
Raster tiles XYZ tiles, PMTiles, MBTiles, COG (GeoTIFF), or WMTS tiled services. No
Image overlay Place a single picture (PNG, JPG, or GeoTIFF) on the map — drag, rotate, resize, and distort it. No
Planetary Computer Satellite and geospatial imagery from Microsoft Planetary Computer. No
3D Tiles Stream an OGC 3D Tiles tileset (photogrammetry meshes or point clouds). No
BIM model Place a building model from an IFC file on the map. No
Gaussian splat Place a photorealistic 3D Gaussian-splat scene on the map. No

Binding reference layers to your data

A catalog boundary layer, a Shapes from file import, or a Vector tiles layer supplies the shapes; your data supplies the values. You join the two on a matching key — for example, a postcode boundary layer joined to a sales table on the postcode column — and the layer is then colored, filtered, and made interactive by your data, exactly like a data-bound layer.

This is different from Shapes & geometry, where the geometry lives in your data source as a WKT/WKB/GeoJSON column. Use a reference layer with a join when you don't hold the geometry yourself; use a data-bound geometry layer when you do.

Options common to most layers

When you build a layer, you'll find options that behave consistently across layer types:

  • Style by data — size or color points, fills, and outlines by a value, a category, or a gradient.
  • Labels — attach a data-bound text label to items on the layer, with fine-grained placement controls.
  • Filter — restrict which rows or features the layer shows using filter rules.
  • Tooltip fields — the columns shown when a viewer hovers over a feature.
  • Allow selecting items on the map — enables the layer to be selected and to cross-filter your charts.
  • Auto-zoom map to this layer — frame the map on the layer's data when it loads.
  • Render with deck.gl (GeoArrow) — a GPU rendering path for very large point counts.
  • Interleave into the map stack — draw the layer within the map's 3D stack so it respects layer order and depth alongside buildings and terrain.

Next steps