• Results ordering and sorting levels

  MetaLocator allows for sorting data in your search results.  By default, search results are ordered by the distance from a user's search.  However, outside the presence of a geographic search term you can control the primary ordering of the results.  When a geographic search is performed results are presented ordered by Distance first.  This assumes the search is not configured to prioritize certain groups of resultsFew readers

• Reverting an Interface to a previous version

  Versions of an Interface are preserved when Saved. Changes made can be reversed. Follow the steps below to rollback changes made to an Interface and return to a previous version. Edit the Interface then press the “Revision History” button. [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/236467886/6cd5a35addc4472293cf693c/image.png?expires=1794511800&signature=fad47e11ad4b0787Few readers

• Live Search

  In some cases, the user should complete all aspects of the search form before presenting results. In other cases, users like to see results reflected immediately as their selections change. In combination with the Initial State (Show nearest) it allows automatic searching based on the visitor's location and a map that is responsive to dragging and zooming. Live Search enables the behavior where search form changes and map movements update the results immediately without requiring the user tFew readers

• Best practices for phone numbers in results

  Phone numbers are a critical call-to-action in your results. They are among the most commonly requested data attributes and should be presented prominently in and in a manner that can be measured by the analytics system. There are two methods of ensuring phone numbers can be tracked: Click to View and Click to Call. Click to View Click to view shows the phone number to the user only after they click a link to reveal the contents of the full phone number. This avoids the un-trackable situatFew readers

• Field Templates

  This article describes a feature available in Enterprise subscription plans. When editing some fields a Template drop-down is available to choose from pre-set templates.  In the Title field these allow you to choose to display the title as a H3, H2 and so forth. [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/28937404Few readers

• Active category filter buttons

  When a user chooses a category as part of their search options, sometimes it is convenient to provide a button where the user can easily remove that filter from the search. Similarly, presenting a button to remove all filters allows the user to quickly return to an unfiltered search without removing each filter individually. The animation below shows the Active Category Filters control in action. These controls have been added to MetaLocator's Interface Builder as available fields in the SearcFew readers

• Printing the Locator

  To allow your users to print their current view of the locator, add the Print field to the search form of the locator.  This will display a link on your locator to print the current view.  The map will be sized to fit the printable area and the font will be set to a sans-serif. [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/752949087/ca55593829cd242a4f4801f3/image.png?expires=179Few readers

• Redirecting users based on search results

  MetaLocator is sometimes used as a tool to route users to certain web-based resources like existing Websites, forms or PDFs based on a geographic search. In these cases, instead of displaying results, MetaLocator can instantly redirect the user to the link present in the first search result's link field as shown below: [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/321234429/0640Few readers

• Card and marker click behavior options

  The Behavior options panel in the Interface Builder allows control over what happens when users click on a results card or a map marker. [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/967799245/2e9f931a7e97f7c9a6b2d6f7/image.png?expires=1794511800&signature=e691f5e712b739713c95c9e71431855826dfbfb8d504e085f86c909278c7a96a&req=fSYgEcB3n4VaFb4f3HP0gNQvMxgd3F4L4gwcIy1ApMs5yiPgdSn16oYKFew readers

• Options for Buy Online

  MetaLocator can display links to your resources, products and services that are available online as part of search results.  These might be retailers that sell your products online, or online classes or other results that don't have a physical address. There are a number of scenarios that MetaLocator supports for buy online, consider which of the following matches your desired outcome and the data you have available: Using this checklist, first identify which statement best fits the informatioFew readers

• Using Google Maps with MetaLocator

  In order to use Google Maps with MetaLocator you must obtain, authorize and restrict API keys and finally configure MetaLocator accordingly. Important: Understand costs associated with Google APIs. Use budget alerts to monitor your spend. Obtain a Google API Key The best place to start is Google's video and instructions here: [https://developers.gooFew readers

• Adding Custom fonts to the Interface Builder

  Fonts from Adobe Fonts and Google Fonts can be added to the Interface Builder for customers in our Pro and higher plans. Custom fonts can be upload to MetaLocator file uploader under tools. [](hFew readers

• Custom map styles & colors

  Colors of map features such as water, earth and ground cover have been historically set by the pre-defined Map Styles available here: [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/765593976/b75cc1c0ef6448f4cd3cdd05/image.png?expires=1794511800&signature=d45af733016a5197e4f70fde24d061703e9cb106ba2e70453460a5abc9b153ef&req=cyYiE8B9lIZZFb4f3HP0gCprYbHnuB%2FpjvgzP5WMg9LG8ALp%2B9GX4Few readers

• Interface Changed Settings Report

  When MetaLocator support reviews an interface, we often look first at changes to the Interface to understand how its been configured. When interfaces are years old, it can be easy to forget which specific changes were made. The Interface Changed Settings report can be found for Legacy and Interface Builder Interfaces under the ellipsis menu as shown below: [](https://downlFew readers

• Custom CSS in MetaLocator

  MetaLocator supports custom CSS for users in our Pro and higher plans. CSS can be provided directly in the CSS setting found under Style & Color as shown below: [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/375311093/4d73281cf30cae0f834ef1bb/image.png?expires=1794511800&signature=7dbbe3e8fea95d85cb348dd174939bf01f25b919340fe54ca19b6b926f8c47e3&req=dyciFch%2FnYhcFb4f3HP0gMeNwP9JFew readers

• Customizing the Search Form

  In the Interface Builder, the first group of options is dedicated to customizing the search form. The search form is a series of controls presented to your users to allow them to search and filter results. The default options may vary based on the template chosen, but most include Location, Category and a submit button. To add fields to the search form, click the Add Field button shown below: [![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/a/5/9/e/a59eb3aed53dd800/5925317a-b8e0-4f29-Few readers

• Creating Numbered Map Markers

  To reinforce the visual association of the Map Marker with the particular corresponding Directory entry, it's sometimes desirable to identify the search results with a number on both the map and the textual result. To do this, there are two steps, first, to update the markers to show a dynamically generated marker label and secondly to show the result number in the results list.  Update your interface under Map Settings as shown here: [![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/websitFew readers

• Distance display and units

  When MetaLocator performs a distance-based search, the system can display that distance as part of the results. Users can also decide what units, such as kilometers or miles are used to display the results. This article discusses relevant options. A distance based search is performed when MetaLocator compares one geographic point location to another. For example, between a user and a store or between a zip code and a dealer. To display distance in the search results, add the Distance field toFew readers

• Branding your Interface with the Interface Builder

  Using the Interface Builder, you can match your interface to your Website's fonts, colors and button styles.  This article explores the most common tasks. Changing Colors Interface elements like links, buttons and icons have style class.  That class has a name like primary, secondary or warning so forth.  You can manage the styles associated with each class under Style & Color. Changing the Primary Color will change any Interface elements styled with the primary style class as showFew readers

• Unified search

  Unified search can automatically suggest search results as a user types. In the below example, it suggests locations and keyword matches for the word "sample". The suggestions are grouped by type, and the ordering is based on the strength of the match between the user's term and the search result. Unified search is available in Enterprise Plans only [](https://downloads.inFew readers

• Custom Containers

  The blue uppercase entries in the results settings represent the start of a system-provided container. For example the "Title" container below contains the Unified Share and Title controls. This allows them to be positioned side-by-side in the results card's native Title position. Custom Containers are available in Enterprise Plans only MetaLocator provides a series of off-the-shelf containers that represent common control placements. These are listed in blue uppercase text as shown below: [!Few readers

• Showing certain fields in the mobile view only

  Sometimes, it's preferable to expose certain fields only in the mobile view. MetaLocator can show and hide certain fields by choosing special options from the Style Menu For example, our mobile views typically collapse to the directory when in a small context as shown below: [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/754722700/9d31545e9211c401bd126e77/image.png?expires=1794Few readers

• Adding Tabs to the results

  MetaLocator supports the display of tabs in the results cards as shown below: Watch this video toFew readers

• Ordering Results by Category Matches

  The Selected Category Matches sort order option allows search results to be ordered based on how closely each result matches the categories selected by the visitor. This option is useful when your interface includes category filters and you want locations with more matching selected categories to appear higher in the results. What It Does When a visitor selects one or more categories in the search form, MetaLocator can calculate how many of those selected categories are assigned to eacFew readers

• The radius dropdown

  The radius (a.k.a. Distance) drop-down allows users to select from a range of pre-set distances within which results should be displayed. To add a radius drop-down to your locator, click as shown to add the field to the search form: [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/484893447/4c3ae47f5fb7942c6f7e2e95/image.png?expires=1794511800&signature=663c00e636a79afe07fbeba50adFew readers

• Toggling between the map and list in mobile view

  In mobile views, sometimes it is easier for users to interact with only the map, or only the list at one time. This allows for a dedicated map or list display, without the sometimes cumbersome interaction between user scroll behavior and the map & list combined on the same screen. One solution is to use the Toggle Map & Directory control as shown below: [](https://downFew readers

• Adding Icons to Results Fields/Buttons

  MetaLocator includes a vast library of hundreds of icons to add interesting elements and draw users attention to fields on your Result Cards.  These Icons can be seen in our demos at https://www.metalocator.com/demos/ and in the Interface templates available: [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/1097019695/58f854e4d8ac5bce238704f3/iFew readers

• Grouping results

  When displaying results, sometimes certain results are related by a common data element. An obvious example might be "State", where you might want all results in a certain state to be displayed under a state-level heading as shown below. [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/360201485/3262dba817a37f33dfa5d137/image.png?expires=1794511800&signature=9aefe646ccca1e5e6011bcFew readers

• Interface Templates

  When you create a new Interface, you start with a template. A template is a collection of Interface Settings which control how the Interface looks and behaves. MetaLocator provides series of templates to all customers. These are available when clicking Interfaces > New as shown below. Click Select to create an Interface in your account based on that template. [![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/3/0/4/2/304226df047cdc00/00ff5aaa-aef7-4bf4-9bc9-b7951d_1ri5sus.pngFew readers

• Adding Adobe Fonts To Your Locator

  Custom fonts from Adobe Fonts can be added to the Interface Builder for customers in our Pro and higher plans. Below is a description of how to install them in the Interface Builder. First select a font from Adobe Fonts by following their guide: https://helpx.adobe.com/fonts/using/add-fonts-website.html [](httpFew readers

• Configuring Keyword Search

  MetaLocator keyword search can be added to the Search Form just as other fields by clicking "Search Form", Add Field, and choosing Keyword as shown below: [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/yn1vvwtq/1219438936/8536e710bc7d47bde2b390b7c4ce/image.png?expires=1794511800&signature=cd19a38dcbc6283cb21532f4fab629562a9772decd9f0a6c6b25a3bd977ec921&req=dSImH819lYhcX%2FMW1HO4zFew readers

• Bind to Domain

  Under Advanced Settings, see the "Bind to Domain" option This setting should contain the lFew readers

• Introduction to the Interface Builder

  The Interface Builder is a new way to create Interfaces in MetaLocator.  This tool is the primary way to create store locators, searchable databases and other applications within MetaLocator. Settings Groups The icons on the left of the editor represent groups of settings. Position your mouse over each icon for a description of the settings contained in that group as shown below.  On wider screens, the name of the group will be displayeFew readers

• Interstitial Search

  Sometimes it's important to segment end users before presenting the locator. A common example is between commercial and consumer audiences. The Interstitial Search container is designed to collect inputs from the visitor which are required before the locator is shown. As shown below, a single category dropdown has been added to the Interstitial container: [![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/Few readers

• Map Zoom and Position Settings

  By default, the MetaLocator automatically positions and zooms the map in order to fit the results. This dynamic positioning ensures that the results are always visible on the map. To edit Map Settings click Interfaces on the main navigation, open the desired interface and click the Map Settings on the left hand navigation. The map location settings are located under the 23 More Map Features button as shown below: [![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/1/f/9/b/1f9bb4a6Few readers

• Interface locking

  If another user is editing an Interface, a lock icon will be shown in the list of Interfaces that indicates who is making those edits, where they are and when those edits began. The lock icon does not prevent you from editing an Interface, it only attempts to show if another user is already working in the Interface. If the user does not save their changes, the interface may be left in a locked state. This is why we show the time the edit began. If you observe that this tooltip reports your colFew readers

• Prioritize Exact Address Matches in Search Results

  When visitors search for a specific street address, they often expect a location at that exact address to appear first—even when other sorting rules would normally place a different location above it. The Prioritize Exact Address Matches setting allows MetaLocator to promote a location that matches the searched address coordinates to the top of the results. This option also works when results are reordered using drive time. When to Use This Setting Enable this setting when your locatoFew readers

• Map Marker Clustering

  Marker clustering allows multiple map markers located close together to be grouped into a single composite marker, making maps easier to read and navigate. [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/232645925/d08511edadd46ae66dd32e9c/image.png?expires=1794511800&signature=2ef95f56c39dbc41fc355ec0cf47a2e07fdb48ab26e075117b67ed6a14022159&req=diMlEM17lINaFb4f3HP0gJaKjoYLntRhFew readers

• Importing and Export interface settings

  MetaLocator allows you to import and export Interface settings to and from a text file. This is helpful for creating backups of your settings and customizations.  Additionally, you can easily import settings created in a different interface. To import an interface file, [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/754704360/e72b17ee2b4e1439df490a5a/image.png?expires=179451180Few readers

• Searching for ranges of values

  When developing a search interface, sometimes allowing the user to select a range of values is appropriate.  This is often presented as a drop-down list as shown below: [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/631128443/c4c2a735d88cdbee548c40f9/image.png?expires=1794511800&signature=d9af34e91028f156ef6dc575606514af7f128f3f0c8582ebf039dd87dbefcb88&req=ciMmF8t2mYVcFb4f3HP0gFFew readers

• Location Autocomplete

  This feature is available to users in Growth and higher accounts. You can use Autocomplete to show a drop-down list of matching locations as your user types to help prompt your user's search. To enable this feature, check the Autocomplete box as shown below [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/441761697/a0ef7acc9f01e5284e08d257/image.png?expires=1794511800&signature=aFew readers

• Expand/collapse areas in the results cards

  Sometimes results cards contain so much information that it can be overwhelming to the end user to display it all in the results card. Hiding information behind a "Show more..." button can be accomplished by moving data to the Details pane, but also using the Collapse Control, discussed in this article. [![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/websiteFew readers

• Adding a marker legend

  The map marker legend displays a visual map "key" to inform your visitors what each map marker icon represents.  An example is shown here: [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/236518152/bcce6a5fc66dac70b090f9df/image.png?expires=1794511800&signature=21f29cfa8eb552bb199b4a8752fd03c1de0b0ae837f12b5ec04c4c0c25e24c4c&req=diMhE8h2nIRdFb4f3HP0gHPmfO8qFHAk7mPmilu3lDwCh12KBF2GFew readers

• Toggle interface Map

  Not all interfaces need to display a map.  If you would like to hide the map, set Layout Settings > Show Map to "No" as shown in this video.Few readers

• Copy your Interface for backup or experimentation

  You might need to copy your MetaLocator Interface for several reasons. Create another Interface for a different webpage with some specific adjustment after you've perfected an existing Interface. Make a backup of your Interface before attempting some configuration experimentation. Preserve a historical copy of your Interface settings. There are 2 ways one can copy settings from one Interface to another. 1) The Duplicate function  This function makes a complete copy of an existingFew readers

• Category images in Search

  This article discusses placing images in the Category Search as shown below: To enable this feFew readers

• Filtering Interface Data

  Interfaces can be configured to display a subset of your data based on a field value, record categories, user groups and more. This allows users to create multiple interfaces, each with its own view on the data. To filter an Interface to only display certain data, open the Interface Builder by clicking Interfaces, then the name of the desired Interface. Click Filter & Sort and find the Field Filter setting as shown below: [![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/8/1/f/Few readers

• Map Marker Icons

  There are several ways to control how the map marker icon appears on your Interface.  This article includes links to details regarding each of the methods. Default Map Marker Icon - You can set a default icon for use on your interface by specifying the Default Map Marker Icon as found under Map settings. Category Icons - You can control the map marker icon based on the category assigned to the record.  The marker is assigned to the category, and is then used for all records that aFew readers

• Controlling the map marker popup

  The map marker popup window appears based on the settings under Behavior. The options available allow you to determine which actions cause the popup to display, if any. In the example below, we are choosing to open the map marker popup window when the user clicks on the Result and when they click on the Marker [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/286157236/69cb36af4Few readers

• Using the AutoFind feature

  MetaLocator has the ability to automatically detect the location of your visitor based on IP address or mobile device location.  This article focuses on the IP-address Auto Find used when a web site visitor uses your Interface. To enable autofind, change the Initial State setting to Show Nearest (IP Address) as shown below. [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/53829717Few readers

• Get Directions

  Get Directions - Google Maps To Directions in the locator navigate to Results > Edit List then Add Field. Select Directions from the dropdown menu and notice Get Directions has been added to the results card: [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/752925603/67c55447909ac8493a836c2a/image.png?expires=1794511800&signature=104fe104ac90679e6595a3334602325fFew readers

• Display a default location

  Display a default location when matching search results for your visitor cannot be found. When a search yields no location(s), MetaLocator default behavior is to display the message "No results found for your search." [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/754537265/70c9400075c0f0788a9d5bce/image.png?expires=1794511800&signature=bf9a3ce80095ac4c8419a258392b726ef049dFew readers

• Using Google fonts with MetaLocator

  Google fonts are a nice aesthetic addition to a locator's styles. Google fonts require a special type of link tag which can be added to your Interface according the following instructions: First add the Google Font link tag to the Header setting found under your Interface Settings > Advanced. [](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/Few readers