> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://wpmaps-docs.mapster.me/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://wpmaps-docs.mapster.me/mapster-wp-maps-v2/the-mapmaker/popups.md).

# Popups

Popups are information panels that appear when a user interacts with a feature on your map. The system has two parts that work together:

* **Popup Templates** — reusable design layouts you create once and assign to features. These control the visual structure (colors, layout, which elements appear).
* **Popup Content** — the actual text, images, and settings you enter per feature.

## Enabling a Popup

Select any feature in the Mapmaker. In the right panel, open the **Interactivity** section. Turn on **Popup Enabled** to activate the popup for that feature.

Once enabled, choose how it opens:

* **Open on Click** — the popup appears when the user clicks the feature
* **Open on Hover** — the popup appears when the cursor moves over the feature. You can also enable **Keep popup open when hovering** to prevent it from closing when the cursor moves away.

### Direct Link Instead of Popup

If you'd rather have a click on the feature navigate directly to a URL instead of opening a popup, enable **Link on Marker Click** and enter the destination URL. You can choose whether it opens in the same tab or a new one.

## Setting Popup Content

With the popup enabled, an additional **Popup** section appears in the right panel. This is where you set the content for this specific feature.

### Design

Click **Select Design** to choose a Popup Template. A modal will open showing previews of all your existing templates — click **Use Popup Template** to apply one, or click **Add New** to create a new template (this opens the Popup Templates editor in a new tab).

> **Note:** A popup must have a template selected to display. If no template is selected, the popup won't appear even when enabled.

### Content Fields

* **Header Text** — the popup's title. Appears in whatever position the template designates for a header.
* **Body** — a rich text / HTML editor for the main popup content. Supports full HTML.
* **Button Text** — the label for the popup's call-to-action button.
* **Render Shortcodes** — when enabled, WordPress shortcodes in the body content will be processed server-side and rendered. This may slightly increase load time.

### Media

Switch between **Featured Image** and **Gallery** tabs to add images to the popup. Featured Image is a single image; Gallery is a set of images displayed as a carousel.

### Dynamic Content

You can use feature property values in your popup text using curly brace syntax. This works in the Header, Body, and Button Text fields:

```
This location's category is {category}.
The elevation is {elevation} meters.
```

The property name inside the braces must match a custom property on the feature. Properties are visible and editable on any feature in the classic editor under "Custom Properties".

## Popup Options

In the bottom section of the Popup panel:

* **Open on Load** — the popup opens automatically when the page loads, without the user needing to click. Useful for drawing attention to a featured location.
* **Always Open** — when combined with Open on Load, keeps the popup permanently visible. It cannot be closed by the user.

**Button Click** — controls what happens when the button in the popup is pressed:

* **To Feature Post** — navigates to the feature's WordPress post page
* **To URL** — navigates to a custom URL you specify
* **Open modal** — opens a larger modal overlay with additional content (see below)
* **Open Google Directions** — opens Google Maps directions to the feature's coordinates
* **Do nothing** — the button appears but takes no action (useful for display-only purposes)

For To Feature Post, To URL, and Open Google Directions, you can enable **Open in New Tab**.

### Modal Content

If you choose **Open modal** for the button action, a WYSIWYG editor appears where you can enter the modal's content. This is a good place for additional detail, images, or embedded shortcodes that won't fit neatly in the popup itself.

## Sidebar Display

If you've enabled **Show popups in sidebar** in [Map Settings → Interactivity](/mapster-wp-maps-v2/the-mapmaker/map-settings.md#interactivity), popup content will appear in a sidebar panel beside the map rather than floating over it. All the content and options above work the same way.

## Popup Templates

Popup Templates are created and managed as their own post type in WordPress, under **Maps > Popup Templates** in your admin menu. Each template defines the visual layout — which elements appear, in what order, and how they're styled.

You can create a new template from the Popup Templates list, or jump directly from the **Select Design** modal inside the Mapmaker. The plugin comes with several ready-made templates to get you started.

\[SCREENSHOT: Popup template selection modal showing template previews]

For full details on building and customizing popup templates, see the [Popup Templates documentation](https://github.com/mapstertech/mapster-wp-maps-docs/tree/main/v1/popups/popup-templates/introduction.md).

> **Note:** Popup template creation and editing is currently managed outside the Mapmaker, in the classic WordPress editor. This is being updated — a native template editor inside the Mapmaker is planned for a future release.