Import
Check out the many ways to import into Mapster WP Maps.
Geo File Import
Here, you can import using standard geographic file formats, such as GeoJSON, KML, GPX, or zipped Shapefiles.
The version of the importer in the basic plugin can handle about 100 features at a time before having some errors occurring. If you download the Pro version you'll be able to import as many features as you like, and style them conditionally as well.
When importing, we'll scan your feature and show you some details so you can see if things look right. We'll alert you to any potential issues in your data, and we have even built in a small reprojection tool to help you out if your geo file isn't meant for web maps.
The features will be created in the corresponding post types, and then you can go edit them. If you need to add properties during Import, or edit large numbers of features afterwards with Mass Editing, that is also available in Mapster Pro!
Reprojection Walkthrough
To use the reprojection tool, you'll first need to find out what projection your original file is in. You can go to https://epsg.io/ once you have an idea. When you have a specific projection page on EPSG.io, you need to get the Proj.4 projection string.
For example, if my projection is "NAD83 / UTM zone 12N", then my EPSG page is https://epsg.io/26912. If I scroll to the bottom of this page, there is an "Export" section, where one of the options on the left is "PROJ.4". If I click on that, I get the string +proj=utm +zone=12 +ellps=GRS80 +towgs84=0,0,0,0,0,0,0 +units=m +no_defs . This is what I should enter into the "Proj.4 string" input in the Mapster WP Maps Importer.
A new file will be downloaded to your computer once you hit the Try Reprojecting button. You can verify if this is now the right projection by going to geoJSON.io and dragging your file. If everything looks right, you're in business!
Pro Geo File Import [Pro]
With Mapster Pro, you can import any number of features at a time. This is done through a batch mechanism of 50 at a time.
Go to Maps > Settings and click on the Data Importer button. In addition to the default functionalities (validating your file, basic reprojection, assigning a category), much more is now included.
All the properties on your data file will be retained, in each feature under "Custom Properties" after import. These can later be used in advanced Category Filters or Popups.
There is a complex system for assigning feature properties to different variables in Mapster, such as title, category, and any styling used in the plugin. It gets very complex very fast so please refer to the video above to understand how it works!
WP GL JS Maps Import
If you are still using our old plugin WP Mapbox GL JS, first of all, thanks for upgrading because that thing is old! Here, you can download an export file from that plugin and use it to add all your features into this one.
Static CSV [Pro]
Here, upload a single static CSV file containing points, lines, and/or polygons. It must be in the correct format. You can find an example here.
You can go very deep with customization on this. Press the "See All Mapster Property Fields" for a CSV download that will give you more information on the particular fields you can add to make your import come out just the way you want it.
Live CSV [Pro]
The Live CSV uses the same format as the Static CSV, but it must come from an online source that provides a CSV that can be parsed and read remotely. Google Sheets is a good place for this but you could use any remote server that's open to being downloaded and read.
After you've verified a spreadsheet, you'll be presented with options to specify how often the spreadsheet should be fetched again. These are set from the Cron options in your Wordpress installation.
If you want to add a new cron interval, I recommend the WP Crontol plugin. With this you can add a new interval and then it will appear in the options section in the Live CSV section.
Any new locations will be added, and any that have already been added will be updated with their values (this is done using the spreadsheet_id value, so make sure you don't change that!).
Removed rows will not be deleted — you should do this manually in Mapster.
Migration [Pro]
Migrating content can be tricky when moving from a local or development Wordpress site to your production environment. However, this is pretty simple when it comes to Mapster WP Maps if you do things in the right order. Our posts are saved in a very consistent Wordpress format, so we're actually able to use the built-in Wordpress Exporter tool for almost every aspect of the migration.
Here are the steps that should ensure a successful migration.
Make sure Mapster WP Maps (free or Pro) is installed onto your new site.
If using Pro, use the Migration tool (Settings > Importer > Migration) to migrate all your settings by downloading from your old site and uploading to your new site.
Head to Tools > Export, and use the Wordpress Importer/Exporter tool. You'll see a screen something like the one above.
Download individual XML Export Files and upload them in the following order. This ensures that proper categories and pre-requisites are created before they are referenced in other posts.
Popup Templates
Polygons, Lines, and/or Locations
Maps
Double-check to make sure your maps, geographies, categories, and images are all uploaded successfully.
That should do it! We hope this makes it nice and simple for you to migrate things over whenever you need to.
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