This guide explains how to customize the appearance and behavior of category filters — including how categories look, how users browse them, and how locations are displayed on the map.
What Can You Customize?
Mapme provides extensive customization options for categories, including:
- How category filters appear and behave
- Whether parent categories automatically expand
- The order in which categories are displayed
- The map view shown when a category is selected
- Category marker appearance and interaction rules
and much more.
How Category Markers Are Chosen
By default, every location assigned to a category uses that category’s marker.
If a location belongs to multiple categories, the marker of the first category in the list is displayed.
You can override this behavior in two ways:
- Per-location custom marker:
Assign a custom marker to a specific location. This marker replaces the category marker for that location. - Global marker override:
Replace all markers on the map with a single marker style.
Learn more: Override all markers.
Marker Rules for Multilevel Categories
- Map Home: Parent category marker is displayed.
- Filtered views: Subcategory marker is displayed.
If a location belongs to multiple categories, the marker from the first category or subcategory in the list is used.
You can change this behavior using marker override.
Category & Marker Appearance and Behavior
Categories support many of the same display rules available for individual location markers, including:
- Marker style and halo
- Marker visibility control including zoom range rules
- Popup visibility
- Interactivity settings
These settings apply to all locations assigned to the category and can still be overridden at the individual location level.
You can access these controls at: Category > Category / Marker Display & Behavior.
You can also control whether:
- a category appears as a filter
- locations assigned to a category appear on the map home view
Category Map View
Control how the map looks when a user selects a category — including visible area, zoom level, pitch (3D effect), and bearing.
Choose one of the following view modes:
- AutoFit — automatically adjusts the map to show all locations in the category.
- Center / Zoom — define a specific map center and zoom level.
- Area — display a predefined geographic area.
For full details: Setting Map Views.
Favorites Category
You can designate one category as Favorites, allowing map users to save locations they like for quick access later.
See the setup guide: Save Places & Favorites.
Category Subsets (Shared Map Versions)
Create different shared versions of your map and control which categories appear in each version.
Categories not included in a shared version are completely hidden. Learn how to share a subset of categories.
Order of Categories
You can control how categories are ordered:
- Automatically using alphabetical order, or
- Manually arrange categories in any order you prefer.
Category order affects:
- The order shown in the filter panel
- The display priority of category markers on the map (learn more)
More details: Sorting categories.
Single Selection vs Multiselect (UI Impact)
The category interface changes depending on whether you use Single Selection or Multiselect.
For a full explanation, see: Multiple Category Selection.
Multilevel Categories: Parent Category Behavior
If your map uses multilevel categories (parent categories and subcategories), you can define how parent categories behave in Single Selection mode:
- Parent Category View:
Clicking a parent immediately displays all related locations on the map.
Ideal for buildings, floors, campuses, and venues. - Browse Subcategories:
Clicking a parent expands the subcategory list without changing the map.
Ideal for guides and browsing experiences.
Learn how to build Multilevel Categories.
Show All Subcategories When Map Loads
You can automatically expand parent categories when the map loads, helping users immediately see available filters.
- Go to Categories > Filter Visibility
- Enable Show all subcategories when map loads
You can optionally choose specific parent categories to auto-expand. Learn more.
CSS Customization
Use the CSS editor to further customize the category interface, including:
- Expand/collapse arrow styles
- Spacing and typography
- Filter panel appearance
See examples: Category CSS customization examples.
Not Sure Which Settings to Use?
If you’re not sure which filter settings fit your map, contact our support team using the chat button or contact form.
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I create a category for my map?
To create a new category:
- Go to the Categories section in the editor
- Click New Category
- Enter a clear, descriptive category name
- Customize the category settings (marker, behavior, visibility, etc.)
Tip: Choose names that visitors will easily understand when filtering the map.
What is the recommended number of categories?
For the best user experience, we recommend using 10 or fewer top-level categories.
Having too many categories can:
- Make filters harder to scan
- Clutter the map interface
- Slow down decision-making for users
If you need more categories, consider using multilevel categories (parent categories and subcategories).
Can I assign multiple categories to a single location?
Yes. A location can belong to multiple categories or subcategories.
Examples:
- A restaurant can be both Fine Dining and Seafood
- A park can be Outdoor Recreation and Family-Friendly
This allows users to discover locations through different filters.
How do I share a map with only specific categories visible?
You can create shared versions of your map using category subsets.
- Open the Advanced Code Generator
- Select the categories you want to include
- Generate a custom share link or embed
- Share it with your audience
Only the selected categories will be visible in that shared version of the map.
What happens if a category has only one location?
If a category contains a single location, selecting that category will open the location directly instead of showing a list view.
This helps users reach the relevant information faster.
Why don’t I see markers when selecting a category?
This usually happens when:
- No locations are assigned to that category, or
- The category visibility or zoom rules prevent markers from appearing.
Check the category’s Display & Behavior settings and zoom visibility rules.
Can I hide a category from the filter but still show its locations?
Yes. You can disable Show category as filter in the category settings.
Locations assigned to that category will remain visible on the map but users will not see the category as a filter option.
What is the difference between Parent Category View and Browse Subcategories?
- Parent Category View: Clicking a parent category immediately shows all related locations on the map.
- Browse Subcategories: Clicking a parent only expands the list of subcategories; the map updates after selecting one.
Parent Category View works well for buildings or floor maps, while Browse Subcategories is ideal for guides and directories.
Can I change the order of categories?
Yes. Categories can be sorted automatically (alphabetically) or manually reordered.
The order affects both the filter list and which category marker is shown when a location belongs to multiple categories.