Creating your first map

Begin your journey with CARTO Builder, our dedicated tool for crafting and sharing interactive web maps using your geospatial data.

This guide introduces you to the core of CARTO Builder. From styling your layers to adding widgets and sharing an interactive map with other users; it's the ideal resource for both newcomers and those revisiting the foundational aspects of Builder.

Create a map

The Maps section enables you to create and manage maps built with CARTO Builder in the CARTO Workspace.

From your Maps page, click Create your first map. This will open the CARTO's map-making tool, Builder.

Add your Data Source

1. Start by clicking on "Add Source from..." button. In CARTO Data Warehouse, navigate to demo_data > demo_tables and select “fires_worldwide” dataset.

Add a source from CARTO Data Warehouse

Style the Layer

Once your data source is selected, CARTO Builder will automatically generate the default layer.

2. It's a good practice to rename this layer for clarify. Let's call it "Fires".

3. Navigate to the Layer Style settings. Here, under the "Fill Color" option, you'll find "More Options". In this section, you can select "Frp" column to style the layer based on the fire radiative power. Remember to select a color palette that makes sense for your data.

Style the layer based on fire radiative power

4. For better visibility, specially at lower zoom levels, adjust the "Radius" to 1.5.

Setting the radius of your layer

Add Widgets

Widgets elevate the user experience by facilitating data exploration. Users can derive insights by interactive with interconnected filters that not only relate to each other but also adapt based on the map's viewport.

5. Configure a Formula Widget to calculate and display the total number of recorded fires.

Configuring a Formula Widget

6. Set up a Category Widget to compare the total number of fires that started at night versus those during the day.

Adding a Category Widget

7. Create a Histogram Widget based on the "bright_ti4" column to showcase the range and frequency of observed bright temperatures. Ensure you adjust the "Custom min. value" to 290 to filter out outliers.

Creating a Histogram Widget

Enable Interactions

8. Enable Interactions on your layer. We will choose the "Click" option so that Interactions are displayed when users "click" over specific features within the map. Here you can also decide what specific information will be displayed in the pop-up as well as the labelling and formatting.

Enabling feature interactions

Setting Up the Legend

9. Adjust the legend to clarify the color indicator of your layer, such as "Fire Radiative Power (FRP)" for better understanding.

10. Under the "Layer Control", activate the "Layer Selector". Also, ensure the legend is set to display when the map is loaded by enabling the "Open the legend when loading the map" option.

Setting up the legend properties

Choosing the right Basemap

11. With CARTO Builder, you have a wide range of choices when it comes to basemaps. For our current data, the CARTO Dark Matter provides an apt background, highlighting the fires.

Changing Basemap to CARTO Dark matter

Provide a Map Description

Map descriptions are essential for providing context and enhancing user experience.

12. To edit the Map Description, click the "i" button at the top right corner. This will open an editable template. Our description field supports Markdown, allowing you to format text, insert links, images, and bullet lists for clearer, more engaging descriptions. For a preview, toggle to View mode by clicking the "eye" icon.

Adding a Map Description for context

Ready to share?

13. Before sharing, give your map a meaningful title. How about "Fires across the globe"?

Give a title to your map

14. Once named, the "Share" button becomes active. Dive into the "Sharing options" and pick the "Public map". This way, your map becomes accessible to anyone equipped with the link.

Share your map publicly

And voilà! Copy the map link, and you're ready to share.