Welcome to randymajors.org Help resources
Search the FAQs and view the Help Videos, then if you still need help, scroll down to the Contact randymajors.org Support form
Frequently Asked Questions
Map Tools
How do I use the map tools?
Quick Tips for using each map tool can be found directly underneath the map on each page. Use the jump links within the page to go directly to the feature or tool being described. You can also view the help videos. Also, the coverage notes and data sources for the map tools are shown at the bottom of each map tool page.
Map Tools
How can I share a link to a map I am viewing?
To share the map, click the “Share/Save Map” button in the lower left corner of the map. This will save the map, including the layers being viewed, the center point, and the location of the blue dot, and more. Whoever you share the link with will see the same map view that you see. Monthly Contributors can also click the “Save to My Account” button once in the “Share/Save Map” window!
Map Tools
Where can I find the acceptable uses for the map tools?
Please visit our Terms of Use, Disclaimer and Privacy Policy page before making use of the tools and information on this website.
Map Tools
How do I show my current location on the map?
Click the small circle button ( ◉ ) in the upper right corner of each map tool to re-center the map on your current location (location will be most accurate on smartphones containing a GPS with both cellular and wi-fi enabled). There are also many Current Location Tools that go immediately to your current location.
Map Tools
How do I print the map or take a screenshot?
There are a few options for printing:
- Click the “print” button in the upper right corner of the map window on your desktop browser. A clean map view will appear, where you can either print or take a screenshot:
- To print, click the “Print…” button and adjust orientation to landscape for best results.
- To take a screenshot, press Windows logo key+Shift+S to copy the screenshot to your clipboard so it can be pasted into another document. When finished, click the “DONE Printing” button in the upper right corner above the map.
- Use your browser’s print option (right click in the light blue panel above the map and choose “Print…”). Typically, a letter paper size in landscape orientation will work best as it most closely mimics the shape of the map window.
- Another option is to click the Toggle Fullscreen button in the upper right corner (available to Monthly Contributors) and then use the screenshot shortcut: Windows logo key+Shift+S.
mapBuilder – Custom Maps
How can I create a custom map?
There are many types of custom maps you can create by using the mapBuilder form found below most of the map tools. Create maps from custom groupings of US ZIP Codes (5-digit or 3-digit), US counties, and create maps live-linked to Google Sheets or imported from Google My Maps, Google Earth and more. Plus, Monthly Contributors can interactively draw points/lines/shapes. Also, learn more in the Custom Maps section of this website!
mapBuilder – Custom Maps
What is the difference between using mapBuilder on the maps found in the Map Tools menu versus the Custom Map Tools menu?
The map tools found in the Map Tools menu, such as County Lines and ZIP Codes, are feature-specific maps. For example, the County Lines map tool will automatically show the boundaries for counties and when you check the “Show labels” checkbox, it will show county name labels. Likewise, the ZIP Code map tool will show ZIP Code boundary lines and labels will show ZIP Code labels.
The map tools found in the Custom Map Tools menu (Custom Area Maps, Custom Color-Coded Maps and Custom Point and Line Maps) are streamlined starter templates for creating custom maps. Once you build your map, you have the option to overlay it on any map tool by going into the “Set map title & display options” mapBuilder module and choosing your desired map tool in the map tool drop-down menu, then clicking Apply.
mapBuilder – Custom Maps
What if I need more than the number of ZIP Codes I am limited to on my map?
There are different limits for the free version and Monthly Contributor version. There are a couple of different solutions: Try combining 5-digit and 3-digit ZIP Codes, explained here. The benefit is that there are fewer than 1,000 3-digit ZIP Codes in the U.S., so your spreadsheet will be much smaller and your map will load a lot faster. If for some reason that doesn’t work for your situation, you can also try chunking up your map into multiple regional maps.
mapBuilder – Custom Maps
How can I add multiple addresses or latitude longitude points to the map?
To add a spreadsheet of addresses to the map, use mapBuilder’s “Add custom points to the map” module. It is fastest to have latitude longitudes in your spreadsheet, but if you only have addresses, the tool will automatically geocode the addresses using the US Census Bureau’s geocoder, which will convert the addresses into lat longs that can be pasted into your Google Sheet. The Address column must contain U.S. addresses in this format: address, city, state, ZIP Code.
Note the Census Bureau’s geocoder isn’t always accurate, and it takes about 1 second per 10 addresses, and only works with US addresses. So if you have a lot of addresses and/or you need higher accuracy, you may want to use some other address geocoder service (Start by Googling “free online address geocoder”). Then, use mapBuilder’s “Add custom points to the map” module.
Monthly Contributors can also interactively add points to the map in 3 ways while using mapBuilder’s “Draw & Measure on the map” module: 1) add address markers by using the “Search Places” box, 2) add latitude longitude points by using the “Find lat long” box, or 3) click on the map.
mapBuilder – Custom Maps
Is there a list of color names I can use in my Google Sheet for my custom map?
You can use any browser-supported color name or any 6-digit hex color code.
mapBuilder – Custom Maps
Can I draw and measure on the map?
Yes, Monthly Contributors can draw points, lines and shapes on any map, and then save the drawings and finished maps to their My Account dashboard for easy access and retrieval. The saved drawings can then be added to any map you create, and can be combined with any other mapBuilder module (such as custom areas and custom points). Also, length and area are displayed when you draw or edit a line or shape.
mapBuilder – Custom Maps
What is the “hand” tool in the drawing toolbar used for?
The hand tool is the “Stop drawing” tool. Using the hand tool, click on a previously drawn shape in order to see measurements and/or to edit the vertices of the shape.
Monthly Contributors can also use the hand tool with saved drawings while in Selection Tools mode. With your saved drawing on the map, click the “Selection Tools” button and then click on the hand button, then click on the saved drawing shape on the map. The features touching the saved drawing (or touching the radius if one is specified) will then appear in the “Results from map” text box below the map.
mapBuilder – Custom Maps
What is a Saved Drawing vs a Saved Map?
A Saved Drawing can contain many shapes that you draw (points, lines and/or shapes) all of the same color. A Saved Map is the finished map, which can contain many Saved Drawings, as well as other map layers you created with mapBuilder, such as custom areas from ZIP Codes or counties, custom points from a live-linked Google Sheet, and so on.
Saved Maps also remember what other map layers are visible, label settings, your map’s center point, zoom level, base map type (roadmap, satellite, terrain), and so on. Saved Drawings can be re-used and added to many maps. If you edit a Saved Drawing (e.g. change its shape or color), those edits will automatically be reflected in any Saved Maps that the Saved Drawing is part of.
Links to Saved Maps (which may include Saved Drawings) can be shared so they can be viewed by others who do not have an account, such as this example Study Area Map (anyone with the link can view this map).
mapBuilder – Custom Maps
If I share my map with another person, will they be able to edit my drawings?
When you share your map with others, the drawings are view-only for non-contributors. If the other person is a Monthly Contributor, they could save a copy of a drawing to their own account, but only the creator of a drawing can make permanent changes to the original drawing.
mapBuilder – Custom Maps
How do I show a map on my website?
Many companies/people take a screenshot of the map to insert on their website. Be sure to follow the guidelines and preserve the copyright notices at the bottom of the map, and a link back to the map tool on this website.
mapBuilder – Custom Maps
Can I embed the map tool on my website?
A map image, yes. The map tool itself, no. The technology and licensing used by the map tools does not allow for this. As another option, see “How do I show a map on my website?”.
mapBuilder – Custom Maps
Can I export the data from the map?
You can use the Selection Tools button in the lower left corner of the map to select map features (e.g. counties, cities, Township Range, ZIP Codes) and copy/paste the selection into another application. Choose the map tool that pertains to the data you want to select. For example, to copy/paste a list of ZIP Codes you select, use the ZIP Codes map tool; to copy/paste a list of counties you select, use the County Lines map tool, etc.
Note that the geospatial map layers and maps themselves cannot be exported from this website. You can print/screenshot any map (see the “How do I print the map or take a screenshot?” question above). Also, you can use the mapBuilder form below the map tools to import various formats of data into the website, including spreadsheets, KML/KMZ files, GPX files and more.
Map Images
Do you have static map images?
Yes, see the Reference Maps section of this website for static maps by state, including counties, city limits, civil townships, ZIP Codes and Section Township Range.
Sign In / Monthly Contributor
Why can’t I Sign in with Google?
You need to be a Monthly Contributor in order to Sign in with Google.
Sign In / Monthly Contributor
I am a Monthly Contributor. How do I sign in?
Sign In / Monthly Contributor
How do I reset my password?
Use the “Forgot password?” link found on the Sign in page. Be sure to use the e-mail address you used when you originally signed up as a Monthly Contributor.
Sign In / Monthly Contributor
How do I get access to ad-free fullscreen map tools?
Click the ‘JOIN NOW’ button on this page.
Sign In / Monthly Contributor
What benefits do I receive for being a Monthly Contributor?
View the benefits of being a Monthly Contributor.
Sign In / Monthly Contributor
How do I save a map?
To save a map, Monthly Contributors can click the “Share/Save Map” button, then give the map a name and click the “Save to My Account” button. NOTE: Some browsers such as Firefox block pop-ups by default, so you may need to enable popups on randymajors.org for this functionality to work.
Sign In / Monthly Contributor
How do I update the credit card details or billing address for my subscription?
To update your credit card number, expiration or security code/CVC, go to My Account > My Subscriptions and click the “Change or update payment method” button.
To update the ZIP Code associated with your billing address, go to My Account > Billing address and click the “Edit” link.
Sign In / Monthly Contributor
Does this website store my credit card number?
This website does NOT store your credit card number. This is made possible by tokenization, whereby your actual credit card number is stored on the payment gateway, which includes Stripe for credit card processing, Google Pay, or Apple Pay.
Sign In / Monthly Contributor
How do I cancel my Monthly Contributor subscription?
Go to your My Account > My Subscriptions page where you can cancel or modify your subscription.
When you cancel, you will still have access to the ad-free website through the end of your current monthly term. After 90 days of cancelling or after 90 days of failing to complete a monthly contribution payment, any Saved Maps or Saved Drawings will be deleted from your account and cannot be recovered.
Historical U.S. Counties Auto-Checker
How do I use the Historical U.S. Counties Auto-Checker Chrome extension?
Find general information on the Chrome extension here. Then, once installed, follow all of these steps. You can also watch a video walkthrough of the Auto-Checker.
Troubleshooting
Why can’t a person see a map I shared with them?
Use the “Share/Save Map” button in the lower left corner of the map window to share a link to your map. If someone cannot view the entire mapBuilder map you created, check if you’ve exceeded one of the limits of the free version of the map tools.
If you’ve exceeded a limit, see the recommendations listed in the question “What if I need more than the number of ZIP Codes I am limited to on my map?”.
Troubleshooting
Why isn’t my KML file loading?
Only points and lines (routes) can be imported from a KML file. If you have polygons you wish to import, you can try converting them to polylines in your source data before importing.
Also, note that point KML files must contain longitude and latitude coordinates in decimal degrees; geocoded addresses without coordinates are not supported.
Troubleshooting
How do I fix a missing address or wrong pin location?
Follow these steps to submit a missing address or wrong pin location to Google Maps.
Troubleshooting
What do I do if I find a discrepency between your maps and another source?
The sources for each map tool are listed in the “Sources” box below each map tool. If you believe there is an error, try searching online for that source agency’s error submission procedure.
Troubleshooting
What if I still need help?
Use the Contact Support form below to send us your question. We’re happy to help!
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