WordPress Interactive Map Plugin (CMML) - Free Version Tutorial

WordPress Interactive Map Plugin - Free Version Tutorial

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This article covers only features present in the free version of the WordPress Interactive Map Plugin.

It shows you how to create a directory of locations on your site.

Example

Table of Contents

1. Installation guide
2. List of Features
3. Using the Plugin - Overview
4. Initial Setup
   1. Google API Key
5. Settings
   1. Navigation (Locations URL and Edit Form)
   2. General (Template, Units, Map Behavior, Custom CSS)
   3. Index Page
   4. Location Page
   5. User Dashboard

Installation guide

Here are the steps needed to install the plugin:

1. Download - To manually install the plugin, you must first download it from WordPress.org to your computer.
2. Navigate to the Plugins tab in the WordPress Admin Panel to install the plugin.

3. Activate the plugin. 

TIP: Register for Benefits

If you like, you can register your plugin to receive information about updates and our latest offers. You can complete your registration at any time. 

If you don’t want to register right away, you can select the Skip button.

List of Features

Using the Free Plugin - Overview

TIP: Automatic Index and User Dashboard Pages

The plugin automatically creates:

1. A location index page - All new locations will be shown there.
2. A user dashboard page - Users can manage their locations and add new ones from there.

Admin - Adding and Managing Locations

You can add and manage locations from the back-end. Head to Admin Dashboard → CM Map Locations → Locations.

User Dashboard - Adding and Managing Locations

Every location is "attached" to the user that created it, including the admin!

The user dashboard page lists all locations added by the currently logged-in user. As such, the content changes depending on who accesses it. There's also a handy Add location button.

What Does It Look Like to Add a Location?

All users (including the admin) can add locations from a front-end form.

Initial Setup

A core aspect of the plugin is showing locations on a Google Map. To do so, you require creating and then add a Google Maps API key into the plugin.

Google API Keys - Obtaining the Google API Key

To obtain the Google API key, follow these steps:

1. Head to the Google Developers webpage
2. Log in to your Google account
3. Go to your project or create a new one

4. Head to APIs & Services and then Library

5. Select one of the API from the list. You may have to search for it by using the search bar.

6. This page is important. In it, you can enable the API and find resources about it. Click "Enable"

7. Repeat steps 6 and 7 for all the API keys you need to enable:
   1. JavaScript API
   2. Geolocation API (For some features; requires HTTPS)
   3. Geocoding API
   4. Places API
8. After you have enabled all the API Keys, activate the sidebar menu and click on Credentials. You will find the API key there, ready to be copied and pasted into the plugin's settings.

Billing

Also, if you have still not enabled billing, you can do so by activating the sidebar menu and then selecting Billing. 

Then click Link a billing account and follow the steps.

Adding Key to Plugin

Once you have the key, adding it to the plugin is easy. Head to the Setup tab and copy it to the Google Maps App key field.

In the same setting, you can click Test Configuration to ensure the connection is working.

Settings - Navigation (Locations URL and Edit Form)

• Permalink prefix - The prefix of the index and locations' permalinks.

  For example, "map-locations" will generate permalinks such as: site.com/map-locations/paris-trip.

  By default, it's "map-locations".

• Enable wp-admin edit page for locations - If disabled, when you click the Edit link in the back-end, you will be redirected to the front-end location edit page.

Settings - General (Template, Units, Map Behavior, Custom CSS)

In this tab, you can configure the overall plugin behavior and appearance.

Template

• Page template: Choose the page template of the current theme or set default.

• Other page template file - Enter the other name of the page template if your template is not on the list above.

  This option has priority over the selected page template. Leave blank to reset.

  Advanced!

  Editing templates is an advanced process that may require HTML, CSS and coding skills.

  Make sure to back up all files before saving changes. This article provides examples of changes, but they are illustrative and not meant to be followed literally.

  General Support - Advanced - Creating and Editing Custom Templates

Map

• Default map view - Choose between
  • road map
  • terrain
  • pure satellite without labels
  • hybrid: satellite + labels
• Default Map Zoom - Default value for map zoom. If set to 0, then zoom will be selected automatically. Default is 0.
• Zoom map when using mouse wheel - If enabled, scrolling the mouse when it's over the map will zoom out or zoom in.

Custom CSS

You can enter a custom CSS which will be embedded on every page that contains a maps plugin interface.

Settings - Index Page

You can configure everything related to the index page in this tab.

Pagination, order, search

• Locations per page - Limit the locations visible on each page. The default is 10.

Appearance

• Text on top - Enter what is displayed on the top of the index page, below the page title.

  You can include HTML, images and video.

  Highlighted Example

  

• Information visible on the index page - Show or hide
  • Address
  • Postal code

  • Created date

    Highlighted Example

    

• Location's featured image - Choose between:
  • First gallery image
  • None
• Location's default image - Useful for branding.

Settings - Location Page

You can configure everything related to the location page in this tab. 

Appearance

• Information visible on the index page - Show or hide
  • Address
  • Postal code

  • Created date

    Highlighted Example

    

• Show label below marker - Show text labels with location name below the location marker on the location page map.

Settings - User Dashboard Page

Editor

• Enable rich text editor - Allow or not users to use the WYSIWYG editor when creating the location description. If disabled, a simple textarea will be displayed.

Map default position

• Editor default location's latitude - By default, 0.
• Editor default location's longitude - By default, 0.
• Editor default zoom - Higher number means closer. By default, 5

Appearance

• Show available shortcodes on the edit page - Show or hide.

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