A basemap is the background map layer that provides geographic context for your data. Atlas includes a built-in gallery of basemap styles and also supports connecting to external tile services.
Switching basemap styles
Click the Basemap button in the bottom-right corner of the map editor to open the style gallery. Click any style to apply it — the change takes effect immediately and is saved automatically with your project.
The gallery includes:
- Light / Street styles — clean road maps suited for most data overlays
- Dark styles — inverted palettes that make bright data stand out
- Satellite — real-world aerial imagery; this is the "physical" or terrain view most users are looking for
- Custom styles — Daybreak, Overcast, Lavender, Dune, Indigo, and others added over time
If you are looking for a physical or terrain-style map, select Satellite from the gallery.
Custom basemaps
Atlas also supports connecting to any external map service that provides a Style JSON URL or XYZ tile endpoint. This is useful when you need a specific commercial style or a self-hosted tile server.
To add a custom basemap, click the Basemap button in the bottom-right corner and choose Custom.
MapTiler
Tiles hosted by MapTiler can be used in Atlas via Vector Style JSON:
https://api.maptiler.com/maps/{layer}/style.json?key={key}
Sample tile URL
https://api.maptiler.com/maps/basic-v2/style.json?key={YOUR_MAPTILER_KEY}
⚠️ Users with whom you share a Atlas map with a custom MapTiler background will be able to view the public API key.
Stadia Maps
Add the Vector Style URL for any Stadia Maps style:
https://tiles.stadiamaps.com/styles/alidade_smooth.json
Carto CDN
https://basemaps.cartocdn.com/gl/positron-gl-style/style.json
XYZ / ZXY Tiles
Atlas supports basemaps served via XYZ (also known as ZXY or slippy map) tile services using {x}, {y}, and {z} placeholders:
https://yourtileserver.com/{z}/{x}/{y}.png
For example, ArcGIS World Imagery:
https://services.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/World_Imagery/MapServer/tile/{z}/{y}/{x}