Layer Management

The Layers panel is your control center for managing all data in your map project. From here you can add, organize, style, and control the visibility of every layer.

Layers Panel Overview

The Layers panel is located in the left sidebar and displays all layers in your project. Each layer represents a dataset visualized on the map.

Panel controls:

• Search - Click the search icon to filter layers by name
• Reorder - Drag and drop layers into a new order
• Add data - Click Add data to add new layers from uploads, connections, shared datasets, or Atlas Data Hub

Layer Visibility

Control whether a layer is shown or hidden on the map:

• Show/Hide - Click the visibility icon (eye) next to any layer to toggle its visibility
• Hidden layers remain in your project but don't display on the map

Layer Order

Layers stack on top of each other, with layers higher in the list appearing on top of layers below. To reorder:

• Drag layers up or down to change their stacking order

Tip: Place point layers above polygon layers to ensure points remain visible.

Layer Menu Options

Click the three-dot menu (⋮) on any layer to access management options:

Lock Layer

Prevent accidental edits to a layer's data. When locked:

• Features cannot be edited on the map
• Styling and other settings can still be changed

Useful for reference layers or finalized datasets that shouldn't be changed.

Data Table

Open the layer's data table to view and edit attribute data. The data table displays all records in a spreadsheet-like interface where you can:

• View all fields and values
• Edit cell values
• Add or remove fields
• Filter and sort records
• Select records to highlight on the map

See Data Table Fields for more on working with data.

Styling

Open the styling panel to customize how the layer appears on the map:

• Fill - Color and opacity for polygons
• Outline - Border color and width
• Radius - Size for point features
• Height - 3D extrusion for polygons
• Labels - Text labels from field values

See Layer Styles for detailed styling options.

Rename

Change the layer's display name:

1. Click Rename from the layer menu
2. Enter the new name
3. Press Enter or click away to save

Layer names are for display purposes and don't affect the underlying dataset.

Actions

Access additional layer operations:

Delete

Remove the layer from your project:

1. Click Delete from the layer menu
2. Confirm the deletion

Selecting Features

Click on features in the map to select them:

• Single click - Select one feature and view its attributes
• Click + Shift - Add features to your selection
• Draw selection - Use selection tools to select multiple features by area

Selected features are highlighted on the map and in the data table.

Layer Types

Different layer types have different capabilities:

Keyboard Shortcuts

Best Practices

Organizing Layers

• Name layers descriptively - Use clear names like "Building Footprints" instead of "Layer 1"
• Group related layers - Keep similar data together in the layer order
• Hide unused layers - Improve performance by hiding layers you're not actively using

Performance Tips

• Limit visible layers - Too many visible layers can slow down map rendering
• Use zoom-level visibility - Configure layers to only appear at appropriate zoom levels
• Simplify complex geometries - Large datasets with detailed geometries render more slowly

Troubleshooting