# Change the map style

> Switch the editor basemap, hide labels, try the blueprint look or add your own style, and set the dashboard thumbnail. Your website or app is unaffected.

The map style (basemap) is the background map you draw entries on in the Spatibase editor. This page shows how to switch between the built-in styles, hide labels, use the blueprint look, and add a style of your own.

## What does the map style change?

The map style changes only the background map inside the Spatibase editor. It does not change what your website or app gets from the Content Delivery API: your apps draw their own maps.

The choice is saved for the whole project, so everyone who works on the project sees the same map. Owners and Editors can change it. Developers see the map in the chosen style but do not get the map style button.

## Switch to another style

1. Open **Entries**.
2. Click the **Map style** button at the bottom left of the map.
3. Choose **Streets**, **Terrain**, **Light**, **Dark** or **Automatic**.

**Automatic** is the default for a new project: the map follows your light or dark theme (Streets in light mode, Dark in dark mode) until you pick a style yourself. Picking one pins it for everyone on the project. **Terrain** adds hill shading for outdoor and mountain projects. **Light** and **Dark** are muted maps that let your own shapes stand out. A style you pick shows in light and dark mode alike.

The menu stays open while you try styles and move or zoom the map. Click the **Map style** button again or press Escape to close it.

To zoom, use the scroll wheel, pinch, double-click, or the + and − keys. The map credits sit at the bottom right: on a large map they show at first and fold into a small **ⓘ** as soon as you move the map; click the ⓘ to see them again.

The buttons at the bottom left of the map are, from the left, **Map style**, **Use view as thumbnail**, **Zoom to all entries** and **Show my location**. **Zoom to all entries** fits the map to the entries in the list. **Show my location**, the arrow button, moves the map to where you are and shows a blue dot. Your browser asks for permission the first time. Spatibase remembers where you left the map for each project, in this browser.

## Show or hide labels

The **Labels** switch in the same menu shows or hides place names, road names and similar text on the map. Turn labels off when they get in the way of your own shapes. Like the style, this setting is saved for the project.

## Use the blueprint look

The **Blueprint** switch in the same menu draws **Light** or **Dark** in a quiet, plan-like look: thin lines for streets and borders, few colours. The switch is available for Light and Dark; with the other styles it is greyed out. Like the style, this setting is saved for the project.

## Add your own map style

You can use any MapLibre or Mapbox style (style JSON version 8), for example one designed for your brand.

1. Open the map style menu and choose **Add your own style…**.
2. Enter a **Name**, for example "Winter".
3. Choose how you provide the style:
   - **Style URL**: the web address of the style, for example `https://example.com/style.json`.
   - **Paste style JSON**: the style itself, up to 1 MB.
4. Click **Test the style**. When it works, the dialog says "The style loads."
5. Click **Save and use**.

Your style then appears next to the built-in styles in the menu. Point at it to show a pencil (**Change**) and a trash (**Remove**) icon next to it. A project has one custom style at a time.

> **Note:** If the style needs an access token, the token must be part of the style URL. Everyone on the project can see the style, including its URL.

## Choose the dashboard thumbnail

Each project card on the dashboard shows a small map of the project. By default it shows the area of your entries, or a placeholder picture while the project has none. To pick the area yourself:

1. Open **Entries** and move the map to the view you want.
2. Click the camera button (**Use view as thumbnail**) next to the map style button.

"Thumbnail updated" confirms it; **View** in that message opens the projects list. Owners and editors can change the thumbnail.

## Related

- [Add an entry on the map](https://spatibase.com/docs/content/entries/)
- [Map feature types](https://spatibase.com/docs/model/map-feature-types/)
- [Members and roles](https://spatibase.com/docs/team/members-and-roles/)