Upload spreadsheet to a map: New Video

We’ve recently released a 2-minute video demonstrating how to upload your spreadsheet data to a map on ZeeMaps.
The video creates a map of hotels and dining establishments in Austin, Texas. We create a new map, upload the spreadsheet to the map, adjust the column assignments and submit. Within a few minutes we have a map of over 150 locations! It also demonstrates how we can use a “Category” column to get different colored markers.
Check it out and let us know what you think.

Now accepting Excel (.xls, xlsx) files

For bulk uploading of multiple markers on maps, ZeeMaps now accepts Excel files (.xls, .xlsx).
This is in addition to the Comma Separated Values (CSV)  files, Google Spreadsheets, and copy-and-paste, that ZeeMaps already accepts.
To upload your Excel spreadsheet, use the Additions > Add Multiple Markers > Upload Spreadsheet menu item on your map, and follow the instructions.

Changes to Bulk Uploads: Introducing pay-per-use pricing and removing 10,000 markers limit

Due to increased cost from our service providers, we need to start charging for large data uploads (> 500) to ZeeMaps. At the same time, we are removing the restriction of 10,000 entries per map.
Each map will still be eligible for up to 500 entries upload for free.
If your upload has more than 500 entries, you may require credits for the upload to succeed. Credits can be applied to any map in your account. The total number of entries in your map, after an upload, cannot exceed the number of credits you have purchased.
If all the maps in your account are below 500 entries, you do not have to worry about purchasing any credits. This new policy does not affect your maps.
If your upload has more than 500 entries, but contains rows with numerical geographical coordinates (latitude, longitude) for each marker, you do not have to worry. You do not need to purchase any credits.
If your upload has more than 500 entries, and you want to bulk upload entries through CSV, Google Spreadsheet or copy-and-paste, without geographical coordinates, you will need to purchase credits for your uploads to succeed. The number of credits that you purchase must be more than the total number of entries in all your map after the upload.
Individual additions through the Add Marker interface do not require credits, even for large maps.
As an illustration, if you have a map with 1,000 entries and you delete and upload 1,000 entries on the map regularly, you need to purchase credits for only 1,000 entries. You can do any number of delete-and-uploads on that map, as long as the total number of entries after an upload does not exceed 1,000.
To purchase credits, you will need to register and sign-in with ZeeMaps. The Sign-In/Register link can be found at the top right of the ZeeMaps Home page and your map page. Once you have signed-in, then go to your map and click on the Account > Upload Credits menu item to purchase credits.
Credits do not expire. You just have to keep your total map entries below the number of credits that you have purchased, for future large uploads to succeed.
Please let us know if we can assist in any way in your transition to the new policy.

Automatic Marker Categorization from CSV, Spreadsheet data

We now provide automatic marker categorization through copy-and-paste, CSV upload and Google Spreadsheets.
During the confirmation dialog for the upload process, make sure you mark the appropriate data column as the “Category” map field. There are no restrictions to the column name that you can use, as long as you mark it as the “Category” column during the upload process. Similarly, the category names can be your choice like “Restaurants”, “Hotels”, “Gold”, “Silver”, etc. ZeeMaps supports up to 31 categories (more coming soon).
The Categories that you define in your data will be added as a “Map Legend” to your map in the order that they appeared in the data. You can re-order them using the Map->Legend menu item.
The map legend appears below your map in the map editor and is clickable to show and hide markers of certain categories. You can get the legend in your published map using the “legend” option (having a “&legend=1” in the published map URL).

Improved Mapping from Google Spreadsheets

We have removed the limitation on Google Spreadsheet names, and simplified how we access your spreadsheets using the standard OAuth access protocol.
To upload a spreadsheet, use the Additions->Add (Upload) Multiple Markers menu item on your map, and select the Google Spreadsheets option. In the resulting dialog, click on the Fetch My Spreadsheets button to get a list of your current speeadsheets in Google.
You will have to grant ZeeMaps access to your spreadsheets. We ask for permission to access your spreadsheets now, and in the future, in case you want ZeeMaps to periodically update your map as the spreadsheet changes. You can revoke this right, at any time. Note that for the periodic updates to work, you must not change the header row of your spreadsheet.
Once you have selected the spreadsheet to use, ZeeMaps asks you to confirm the column headings to fields on the map. At this time you can also check the option to periodically update the map from the spreadsheet.
After you have confirmed the mappings, your data should get mapped. For small speeadsheets, it should get done in minutes or seconds. For larger spreadsheets (more than thousand or so entries) it can take a an hour or so. You will be notified by email when your data is uploaded. Alternatively, you can check your map in a little while to see how many rows were marked.