16 May 2026

How To

Finding what you need: filters and search on the map

Filters & Search

Why filters matter

As your map grows, filters help you focus on the records you need right now.

You might be checking one bed before an open day, reviewing trees for a survey, preparing plant labels, or hiding paths while you edit areas. Filters let you narrow the map without changing your data.

In short
  • Filters control what appears on the map and in the sidebar list
  • Search narrows the current tab further
  • Filters and search work together, so a record must match everything active
  • Selecting an item in the list highlights it on the map, and selecting it on the map opens the matching tab

Where filtering lives

Open the Map page while signed in.

On desktop, filters live in the left sidebar. On mobile, the same controls appear in the Map Items panel.

The sidebar has four tabs:

  • Plants
  • Landmarks
  • Areas
  • Shapes

Each tab includes:

  • A collapsible FILTERS section
  • A search field below the filters
  • A scrollable list of matching records
  • A count such as Showing X plants, Showing X landmarks, Showing X areas, or Showing X shapes

Selecting something in the list highlights it on the map and opens its details panel. Selecting something directly on the map switches to the matching tab automatically.

How filters and search work together

Filters and search use simple “AND” logic.

That means a record must pass all active rules to appear.

For example, if you are on the Plants tab and choose:

  • Plant type: Shrub
  • Area: Walled Garden
  • Search: white, may

You will only see plants that are shrubs, in the Walled Garden, and match both “white” and “may” somewhere in their searchable fields.

Active rules can include:

  • Type or level checkboxes
  • Collections
  • Area hierarchy dropdowns
  • Search text

If no types or levels are ticked, nothing of that kind is shown. Using Hide All clears the type or level checkboxes. Use Show All to bring them back.

Plants tab

Open the Plants tab, then expand FILTERS.

Plant Types

Plant types include defaults such as:

  • Tree
  • Conifer
  • Shrub
  • Perennial
  • Other

They also include any custom plant types you have added.

Tick or untick types to control which markers appear. The colour swatches match the marker colours on your map.

Use Hide All or Show All at the top of the type list to quickly clear or restore the full set.

Collections

If your workspace uses collections, you can filter by them too.

Use the dropdown under Collections or Select Collection.

  • No collections selected means all plants are shown
  • When a collection is selected, only plants in that collection are shown
  • Search can also match collection names

Use Manage collections to edit your collection definitions.

Filter by Area

The Filter by Area section uses cascading dropdowns:

  1. Choose Select Area
  2. Choose Sub-Area, if needed
  3. Choose Micro-Area, if needed

Sub-Area appears after you choose an Area. Micro-Area appears after you choose a Sub-Area.

Use Clear All to remove area filters.

These filters use the Area, Sub-Area, and Micro-Area labels assigned from each plant’s map location.

Plant area filters are separate from landmark area filters. If you switch tabs, set the filter again where needed.

Search plants...

Use Search plants... to narrow the plant list further.

A clear X appears when search text is present.

You can use comma-separated terms for searching. For example:

white, may

This finds plants where both terms match somewhere.

Searchable plant fields include:

  • Name
  • Scientific name
  • Flower colour
  • Flowering season
  • Family, genus, species, subspecies, variety, hybrid, cultivar
  • Collection names
  • Public or Private

Landmarks tab

The Landmarks tab follows the same general pattern.

Expand FILTERS to use:

  • Landmark Types
  • Collections
  • Filter by Area

Landmark Types

Default landmark types include:

  • Place
  • Amenity
  • Building
  • Other

Custom landmark types may also appear.

Use Hide All and Show All to quickly change which landmark types are visible.

Collections

Collections work in the same broad way as plants.

  • No collection selected means all landmarks are shown
  • Choose a collection to display only the landmarks in that collection.

Collection selection may be shared between plant and landmark filtering where configured on the map page.

Filter by Area

Landmarks have their own area filter state.

Use Select Area, then Sub-Area, then Micro-Area where needed. Changing filters on Plants does not automatically apply them to Landmarks.

Search landmarks...

Use Search landmarks... to narrow the landmark list.

It can match details such as:

  • Name
  • Type
  • Area label
  • Collection names
  • Public or Private

Areas tab

The Areas tab is for your Area, Sub-Area, and Micro-Area hierarchy.

Expand FILTERS, then use Area Options.

Area levels

You can show or hide:

  • Area
  • Sub-Area
  • Micro-Area

Each level uses purple styling in the app.

Use the header checkbox to quickly hide or show all levels.

Opacity sliders

Each level has an opacity slider from 10 to 50%.

Use these sliders to make areas stronger or softer on the map.

Lock icons

Each level has a lock icon, and there is also Lock all.

Locked levels cannot be selected by clicking on the map. This is useful when you are surveying plants or landmarks and do not want to accidentally select or edit an area.

Photo Positions

The Photo Positions checkbox toggles photo position indicators for area-related photos on the map. (Visible when you zoom in close to a selected area).

Search areas...

Use Search areas... to narrow the list.

Comma-separated terms use AND logic.

Search can match:

  • Area name
  • Level, such as Sub-Area
  • Shape type, such as Rectangle, Polygon, or Circle
  • Public or Private

The list is sorted hierarchically, with areas first, then sub-areas nested beneath them, then micro-areas.

Good to know
The currently selected area can stay visible even if filters would otherwise hide it. This helps you keep context while editing.

There is no collection filter on the Areas tab.

Shapes tab

The Shapes tab is for Rectangle, Polygon, Circle, and Path shapes.

Paths are shapes. There is no separate Paths tab.

Expand FILTERS, then use Shape Options.

Shape types

You can show or hide:

  • Rectangle
  • Polygon
  • Circle
  • Path

Use the header checkbox to hide or show all shape types.

Opacity sliders

Each shape type has an opacity slider from 10 to 100%.

This controls how strongly that type appears on the map.

Lock icons

Locking a shape type stops those shapes being selected by clicking on the map. This is useful when you want to view shapes without accidentally editing them.

Filter by Area

Shapes can also be filtered by area.

Use:

  1. Select Area
  2. Sub-Area
  3. Micro-Area

This filters shapes by the area polygon they fall inside.

Search shapes...

Use Search shapes... to narrow the shape list.

Comma-separated terms use AND logic.

Search can match:

  • Name
  • Type
  • Assigned area name
  • public or private

Practical workflows

Everything in the Walled Garden

  1. Open Plants
  2. Expand FILTERS
  3. Go to Filter by Area
  4. Choose Walled Garden under Select Area

Repeat on Landmarks if you also want landmark records.

Only trees for a survey

  1. Open Plants
  2. Expand FILTERS
  3. Use Hide All
  4. Tick Tree

May-flowering shrubs

  1. Open Plants
  2. Make sure Shrub is ticked
  3. Search:

may

Or use:

shrub, may

if you want search to carry more of the narrowing.

Public-facing labels

Search:

public

This helps you review public records in the current tab. For more detailed checking, use the spreadsheet as well.

Hide paths temporarily

  1. Open Shapes
  2. Expand FILTERS
  3. Untick Path

Show sub-areas only

  1. Open Areas
  2. Expand FILTERS
  3. Tick Sub-Area
  4. Untick Area and Micro-Area

Map vs sidebar, what updates?

Filters affect both:

  • The sidebar list
  • The map markers or overlays for that entity type

Search does not change your records. It only changes what is shown.

Clearing the search with X restores the list, subject to any remaining filters.

Not the same as Search Location

The map also has Search Location controls (the 4th button on the left of the map).

This is different.

Search Location is for finding an address or place and moving the map there.

Sidebar searches, such as Search plants..., Search landmarks..., Search areas..., and Search shapes..., filter your own records.

Tips and troubleshooting

  • Expand FILTERS first, many options are hidden until you open the panel
  • If the map looks empty, check whether Hide All has been used
  • If collections show no results, the selected collections may not contain records in that tab
  • Changing an Area dropdown resets the Sub-Area and Micro-Area choices beneath it
  • Use the Showing X... count to check whether your filters are too tight
  • On mobile, the filters panel may scroll inside the map panel, scroll within FILTERS if options seem cut off

Closing checklist

  • Correct tab selected, Plants, Landmarks, Areas, or Shapes
  • FILTERS expanded
  • Intended types or levels ticked
  • Collections checked, none selected means all
  • Area dropdowns set correctly, if used
  • Search cleared or intentional
  • Showing X... count looks reasonable

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