Map Cloning

Clone your maps or public maps created by other users. Cloning creates an independent copy that you can modify without affecting the original.

Why Clone a Map?#

• Create backups before making major edits
• Replicate structure for similar projects (e.g., city guides for different cities)
• Experiment with different configurations without affecting the original
• Start from someone else's public map and customize it for your needs

How to Clone a Map#

Cloning From Your Dashboard#

1. Go to your dashboard
2. Find the map you want to clone
3. Click the three-dot menu (...) on the map card
4. Select "Clone Map"
5. Wait for the cloning process to complete
6. You'll be redirected to your new cloned map

Cloning a Public Map#

1. Browse the Explore page or open any public map
2. Click the Clone button (if available)
3. The map is copied to your account
4. You can now edit it freely

Note: Only public maps can be cloned by other users. You can only clone your own private maps.

Anonymous Cloning#

Logged-out visitors can also clone eligible public maps.

When you clone while logged out:

• Mapiry creates a new anonymous editable map
• Edit access is stored in your browser
• You can keep editing from that browser without being forced to log in first

This is useful when you want to fork a public map quickly before deciding whether to create an account.

What Gets Cloned#

When you clone a map, the following are copied:

Map Metadata:

• Title (same as the original — no suffix added)
• Description
• Country and city
• Slug (with "-clone-" and random ID appended)
• Map boundaries (southwest/northeast coordinates)
• Center point coordinates
• Zoom level
• Map style (streets/satellite/light/dark)
• Clone attribution — a "Forked from [Original Map]" badge linking to the original

Locations:

• Location names
• Descriptions
• Latitude/longitude coordinates
• Category assignments (if categories exist)
• Hidden status
• Images
• Order

Categories:

• Category names
• Category colors

Privacy:

• Clones default to private regardless of the original map's visibility
• You must manually make the clone public if desired

Cloning controls:

• Public maps can disable cloning entirely
• If cloning is disabled, non-owners will not be able to clone that map

What's NOT Cloned#

These are never copied to clones:

• Views, likes, and engagement metrics (start at zero)
• Share links and embed codes (new ones are generated)
• Access tokens
• Analytics data
• Map ownership (you become the owner)

After Cloning#

Your clone appears in your dashboard immediately. You'll typically want to:

1. Rename it - Give it a proper name for your use case
2. Update the description - Modify for the new context
3. Edit locations - Add, remove, or modify locations as needed
4. Change privacy settings - Make public if desired
5. Update the slug - Change from the auto-generated "-clone-" slug

Clone Badge#

Cloned maps display a "Forked from [Original Map]" badge in the title panel, with a link to the original map. This helps give credit to the original creator.

• The badge is visible to all viewers
• It links directly to the original map
• Pro users can dismiss the badge by clicking the X button on it
• Once dismissed, the badge cannot be restored

Best Practices#

Clone Before Major Changes#

About to do bulk operations or major edits?

• Clone first as a backup
• Experiment on the clone
• Keep original untouched until you're happy with changes
• Delete the clone or the original once satisfied

Descriptive Naming#

Cloned maps keep the original title. Rename them to suit your purpose:

• "Seattle Restaurants 2026"
• "Austin Guide - Summer Edition"
• "Backup - Before Redesign (Jan 2026)"

Regular Backups#

For important maps:

• Clone before major edits
• Keep dated backups: "My Map - Backup 2026-01-17"
• Delete old backups after confirming changes work

Respecting Public Map Creators#

When cloning someone else's public map:

• Give credit if you share your clone publicly
• Make significant changes - don't just republish as-is
• Use as inspiration rather than copying exactly

Permissions & Limits#

Who Can Clone#

• Your own maps: You can clone any of your own maps (public or private)
• Public maps: Anyone can clone public maps
• Private maps: Only the owner can clone private maps

Subscription Limits#

Free Plan:

• Maximum 10 maps total (including clones)
• Cloning counts toward your map limit

Pro Plan:

• Unlimited maps
• Unlimited cloning

What's NOT Available#

Mapiry cloning does NOT support:

• Clone customization options - No UI to choose what to clone (everything is cloned)
• Selective location cloning - Can't filter which locations to clone
• Batch cloning - Can't create multiple clones at once
• Map families - No grouping of related maps
• Sync across clones - Clones are independent (no master/linked maps)
• Template export/import - No JSON/YAML template files
• Version control - No automatic versioning or restore
• Template variables - No placeholder customization
• Cross-account cloning - No team sharing features

Mapiry does include a built-in template library now. If you want a reusable starting structure rather than a full copy of a specific map, use Map Templates.

Troubleshooting#

Clone button not showing#

• Make sure you're logged in
• Verify the map is public (or that you're the owner)
• Try refreshing the page

Clone failed#

• Check your internet connection
• Verify you haven't exceeded your map limit (Free: 10 maps max)
• Try again in a few moments
• Contact support if the issue persists

Clone is missing locations#

• Refresh the cloned map once to confirm all copied data has loaded
• If the source map allowed cloning and the issue persists, try cloning again
• Contact support if a clone repeatedly arrives incomplete

Can't find my clone#

• Check your dashboard (look for maps with the "Forked from" badge)
• Use the search function
• Sort by "Recently Created"
• Verify the clone actually completed

What's Next?#

• Creating Maps - Learn how to create maps from scratch
• Map Templates - Start from a built-in template instead of an existing map
• Bulk Operations - Import multiple locations at once
• Map Discovery - Browse public maps to clone