Sharing Maps just got a lot more powerful

Now, when you share a link to any live map tool on randymajors.org, the recipient will be taken to exactly the same view you were seeing when you shared it.  The link you share will remember:

• the map tool you were using (County Lines on Google Maps, ZIP Codes on Google Maps, Historical U.S. Counties on Google Maps, Section Township Range on Google Maps, etc.)
• the zoom level of the map
• the center point of the map
• the location of the blue map marker (determined by the spot you had last clicked on the map)
• the other layers you had made visible using the checkboxes in the lower left of the map (e.g. “Show US city limits”)
• whether you had labels turned on in the lower left (e.g. “Show county labels”)

So, how do you share the link to the live map?

Easy.  You can either:

• Use the “Share Map” button on the left side of the map, then right click the link that appears and choose “Copy link address”.  (Then paste it in an email, website, etc.) It looks like this: 

Share Map button on randymajors.org map tools (click to be taken to the live map)

• OR, simply copy/paste the URL shown in your browser window’s address bar.  It looks like this: 

Now, using the above example, when the recipient of your shared link clicks the link, they’ll be taken to the County Lines on Google Maps tool, zoomed in on south-central Florida, see city limits, and have a blue marker visible just above Sanibel.

This helps ensure the recipient of your shared link sees the same map you were viewing.  But not just that — rather than being a static image, it will be a live map that they can further explore.

(Note, ad blockers may interfere with this functionality, so if you have any issues with sharing, you might try disabling ad blockers and refresh the page.)

Happy sharing!