Markers are the pins on your map. Ultimate lets you style them globally per map, override them per post or category, add labels/popups/menus, and cluster dense groups for performance and readability.
Configure under Progress Map settings tabs: Marker settings, Clustering, Marker labels, Marker popups, Marker menu, and Markers categories.
Default marker image
Upload or select the default pin for the map.
- PNG / GIF / JPEG — classic image markers; provide retina variants if you enable retina display
- SVG — sharp at any zoom; keep paths simple for performance
Set the anchor point so the tip of the pin sits on the true coordinates (important for tall custom pins).
Marker animation
Optional drop/bounce-style animation when markers appear. Use sparingly on maps with hundreds of pins.
Highlight visited markers
Optionally change the look of markers the visitor has already opened — helpful on exploratory directories.
Per-post and per-category icons
- Per post — upload a marker in the location metabox (Add locations).
- Per category / taxonomy — under Markers categories settings, assign icons to terms so “Hotels” and “Restaurants” look different without editing every post.
Category icons usually override the map default; post-specific icons typically win when set.
Clustering
When many markers share an area, clustering groups them into numbered bubbles that expand as users zoom in.
| Option | Notes |
|---|---|
| Activate clustering | Turn on for busy maps |
| Abbreviate counts | Show 10k-style labels on large clusters |
| Colored vs image styles | Use plugin color styles or custom cluster images |
| Cluster text color | Contrast against your cluster artwork |
| Custom cluster image | Brand the cluster bubbles |
Clustering dramatically improves load feel on large datasets. Pair with sensible Query limits when you have tens of thousands of posts.
Marker labels
Labels draw text beside or on markers (title, custom field, etc.).
- Choose what to label (title, meta, …)
- Style font, color, background
- Override or hide labels for specific markers when needed
Labels add clutter quickly — great for a few dozen points, noisy for thousands unless zoom-restricted.
Marker popups
Popups are lightweight tooltips/info bubbles distinct from full infoboxes.
- Enable popups and choose their content source
- Add text before/after the dynamic content
- Style colors and typography
Use popups for a quick peek; keep rich media and long text in infoboxes.
Marker menu
A small action menu attached to markers (custom links or actions you configure).
- Add menu items and set order
- Choose placement relative to the marker
- Control how the menu opens/closes
- Style the menu chrome
Useful for “Book”, “Call”, or “Details” style actions without opening a large infobox.
Performance tips
- Prefer clustering on dense maps.
- Keep marker image files small.
- Avoid animating every marker on huge datasets.
- Don’t enable labels + popups + heavy infoboxes all at once without testing mobile.
- After changing default icons site-wide, purge caches and hard-refresh.
Next steps
- Infoboxes & carousel
- Markers Filter module for visitor-driven filtering