User Handbook

1. The Interactive Map

Map Navigation

• Zoom: Use the mouse wheel or +/- buttons. On touch devices: pinch gesture.
• Pan: Click and drag with the mouse. On touch devices: swipe with one finger.
• My Location: Click "My Location" to jump to your current position (requires location permission).

Map Types

Choose between different map views:

• OSM: OpenStreetMap vector map from our own map server (© OpenStreetMap contributors, © OpenMapTiles)
• Topo: Topographic map with contour lines and hillshade (our own map server, © OpenStreetMap contributors, © OpenMapTiles, © ESA Copernicus)
• Minimal: Light, subtle vector map (our own map server, © OpenStreetMap contributors, © OpenMapTiles)
• Satellit: Aerial and satellite imagery

POI Markers

Places are displayed as round markers:

• Markers with image: Show the main image of the place
• Red numbered circles: Multiple places grouped – click to zoom in
• Click on a marker to open a popup with details
• Multiple places at the same point are displayed side by side from zoom level 14

Right-Click Menu

Right-click on the map to copy coordinates or create a new place.

The map on your phone

On small screens the map takes up most of the space. Search, filters and the results list are not shown permanently there but are tucked behind a button:

• Tap “Search & filter” (with the number of places found) to open search, category filters and the list of places in a window. Tapping a result closes the window and flies to the place.
• In portrait the button appears at the bottom centre above “My location”; in landscape at the top right below the layer switcher. On tablets in landscape and on a computer, search and filters stay next to the map as usual.

2. Customize Design

Light/Dark Mode

Click the sun/moon icon to switch between light and dark design.

Change Language

Choose your language via the flag icons. Available: German, English, Swedish, French, Spanish, Hungarian, Polish, Dutch, Italian, Danish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Finnish, Romanian, Russian, Greek, Turkish, Ukrainian, Icelandic, Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Slovenian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian.

On smaller screens the language selector is a menu: tap the flag with the arrow and pick the desired language from the list.

3. Discover Places

List View

Under "All Places" you will find all registered places and routes as a clear card gallery.

• Preview image
• Category badge (e.g. Nature, Restaurant, Sight)
• Name and short description
• Attributes like "Dogs allowed", "Accessible", etc.

Detail View

Click "Details" to see the full description, all images and GPX tracks.

4. Search and Filter

Text Search

Enter a search term to find places by name or description.

Category Filter

Filter by categories:

Attribute Filter

Enable advanced filters for specific requirements:

• Dogs allowed: Dog-friendly places
• Barrier-free: Wheelchair accessible
• Parking: Parking available
• Free entry: No entrance fee
• Playground: Playground nearby available

5. User Account

Registration

To create places yourself, you need a user account. Click "Register".

• Username (3-50 characters)
• Valid email address
• Secure password (min. 12 characters)

After registration, you will receive a confirmation email.

Login

Log in with your email address or username and password.

Forgot Password?

Click "Forgot Password?" and enter your email address.

6. Create New Place

Step by Step

1. Choose Position: Click "+ New Place" or right-click on the map.
2. Enter Basic Data: Enter name, description and category.
3. Set Coordinates: Drag the marker to the exact position.
4. Set Attributes: Enable applicable attributes (Dogs allowed, Accessible, etc.).
5. Upload Images: Upload up to 10 images. The first image will be used as the main image.
6. Save: Click "Save". The place will be published after moderation.

7. GPX Tracks and Routes

What are GPX Tracks?

GPX is a standard for GPS data. Hiking routes or bike tours can be uploaded as GPX files.

Upload GPX

When creating a place, you can upload GPX files. The route will be displayed on the map.

View GPX

Routes are automatically displayed on the map. You can also download the route.

8. Draw map layers

With certain plans you can draw your own map layers directly on the map — points, lines (e.g. routes and trails) and areas (e.g. zones). The result is saved as your own layer and shown on the map. This function is completely separate from the geo-layers uploaded by the operator.

How to start

There are two ways to the drawing page:

1. On the map: click the “✏️ Draw map layer” button in the sidebar.
2. In the dashboard: open the “My map layers” tile and click “Draw map layer” there.

Drawing tools

Pick a tool at the top, then click on the map to place the points:

• Point: single markers (e.g. stations).
• Line: a path with several points (e.g. a route). Double-click to finish.
• Area: a region (polygon). Click the corners one by one, double-click to close.

“Undo” removes the last drawn object, “Clear all” removes the whole drawing. You can collect several objects in one layer before saving.

Use the switcher in the top right (OSM / Topo / Minimal / Satellite) to choose the background map while drawing.

Name, category and colors

• Layer name: the name is also shown as a label on the map.
• Category: free text — type your own category (e.g. “fishing spots”), suggestions are offered.
• Line and fill color as well as opacity and line width: changes are shown immediately in the preview on the map.

Visibility

Each drawn layer is either private or public:

• Private: only you see the layer on the map — your own workspace.
• Public: the layer is visible to all visitors of the map. Whether you may publish publicly depends on your plan; if it is not included, the layer stays private.

Saving

After “Save layer” you return to the map and your drawn layer appears as a colored overlay with its label.

Manage, edit, download

Under “My map layers” (in the dashboard) you manage your drawn layers:

• Edit: change name, category, visibility and colors — and edit the geometry itself (move vertices, draw more, delete).
• Download: export the layer as a GeoJSON file.
• Delete: remove a whole drawn layer again.

Downloading and exporting

You can download your drawn layers as a file — individually or several together:

• Single layer: “Download” on a layer (in the list or the edit window) gives you exactly that layer as a GeoJSON file.
• Multiple layers: “Download multiple” at the top of the “My map layers” page packs several layers into a single file — either all layers together or only the layers of one geometry type (point, line or area layers only).

When selecting by type, a layer is only included if all of its objects have that type. Mixed layers appear only under “All layers”.

The bulk download offers two formats:

• GeoJSON: the complete, lossless map format — can be read directly into GIS software (e.g. QGIS).
• CSV: a table with one row per object (columns: layer, type, geometry as WKT and your properties) — handy for spreadsheet programs such as Excel.

9. Images and Copyright

Image Rights for Uploads

When uploading images, you must confirm that you have the necessary rights. Only use your own photos or images for which you have a usage license.

• Only upload images that you have created yourself or for which you have an explicit usage license.
• You guarantee that you have all necessary rights to the uploaded content.

Report Images

If you discover an image that may be copyrighted or violates our terms of service, you can report it using the "Report" button. We carefully review every report.

Consequences of Violations

In case of copyright violations, the affected images will be removed immediately. Repeated violations may result in account suspension.

10. Member Area

In the dashboard, you manage your places, friends and shared content.

My Areas

As a member, you can create places in three different categories:

My Friends

Under "My Friends" you can see all people with whom you share places or who have shared places with you.

• Invite friends via email and select places to share
• Share more places with existing friends using the "Share More" button
• Set permissions: "View" or "Edit"

11. Sharing, Recommending and Referrals

Share interesting places with friends and family through various channels.

The recommend button

In the detail view of a place you will find the "Recommend" button. Click it to see the available sharing options.

Sharing options

• Email: Opens your email program with a pre-filled link to the place.
• WhatsApp: Share the place directly via WhatsApp.
• Telegram: Send the link via Telegram.
• Signal: Share via the secure Signal messenger.
• Threema: Send the link via Threema.
• Facebook: Share the place on Facebook.
• X (Twitter): Post the place on X.
• Copy link: Copies the direct link to your clipboard for manual pasting.

Share places with friends

Besides external sharing, you can also share places directly with other members of the platform. Go to the member area and use the friends feature.

12. Reporting Content

If you encounter problematic content, you can report it to our moderation team. We take all reports seriously and review them carefully.

Reporting Images

In the detail view of a location, you can report individual images:

1. Open the detail view of a location
2. Click the flag icon below the image
3. Select a reason for the report from the dropdown menu
4. Optional: Provide additional details about the report
5. Click "Submit Report"

Reasons for Image Reports

• Copyright violation: The image was used without permission from the copyright holder
• Inappropriate content: The image contains offensive, violent, or illegal content
• Spam or advertising: The image contains unwanted advertising or spam
• Other: Other violations of the terms of service

Reporting Locations

You can also report entire locations if they are problematic:

1. Open the detail view of the location
2. Click "Report Abuse" (flag icon)
3. Select a reason for the report
4. Describe the issue (optional)
5. Submit the report

Reasons for Location Reports

• Spam or advertising: The location serves only advertising purposes
• Inappropriate content: Offensive or illegal content
• Incorrect information: The information about the location is false or misleading
• Copyright violation: The content violates copyrights
• Other: Other violations

Processing of Reports

Our moderation team reviews all incoming reports. Depending on the severity of the violation, the following measures are taken:

• Marking as "Under Review" during processing
• Warning to the creator for minor violations
• Removal of content for confirmed violations
• Account suspension for severe or repeated violations

For Moderators: Report Management

Moderators and administrators can manage all reports in the admin area:

• Image Reports: View and process all reported images under "Moderation > Image Reports"
• Location Reports: Manage all reported locations under "Moderation > Location Reports"
• Change Status: Mark reports as "Under Review", "Resolved", or "Rejected"
• Add Notes: Internal moderator notes for documentation
• Remove Content: Directly delete images or locations for confirmed violations
• Edit Content: Reported content can be edited directly to fix issues

Email Notification

When a report has been processed, the reporter receives an email notification about the status (Resolved or Rejected).

Archive

Resolved and rejected reports can be moved to the archive:

• Archive: Move all completed reports to the archive with one click
• Export: Download the archive as CSV file for documentation and reporting
• Delete: Remove archived reports individually or completely

13. Enquiries (questions, suggestions, criticism)

Questions, suggestions, criticism and bug reports all arrive in one place. Every enquiry gets a number, a history and an owner — so nothing gets lost and nobody works on the same thing twice.

How to reach us

There are three ways — all end up in the same system:

• Feedback button: Bottom right on every page (when you are signed in). Choose what it is about — suggestion, criticism, bug or question — and write. The page you are on is sent along automatically; that helps us reproduce a bug.
• Contact form: Via the “Contact” menu item — no account needed. You receive a confirmation with your enquiry number.
• Email: Write directly to support@geo-image.eu. Your mail is recorded as an enquiry automatically.

How you receive our reply

The reply arrives by email. Simply reply to it — your answer is attached to the same enquiry automatically, there is nothing to watch out for. If you are signed in you can also see the whole history under “My account → My enquiries” and reply there directly.

For moderators: handling enquiries

You find all enquiries under “Moderation → Enquiries”. The usual flow:

1. Open the enquiry and read it. The sender, the category and the history so far are at the top.
2. Click “Take it” — so colleagues can see that you are on it.
3. Reply. Above the reply box you can see which address the mail goes to. After sending, the status changes to “Waiting for customer”.
4. Once everything is settled, set the status to “Done”. If the customer replies later after all, the enquiry reopens automatically — so nothing gets lost.

The four states

• New: Has arrived, nobody has taken it on yet.
• In progress: Somebody is working on it.
• Waiting for customer: We have replied and are waiting for an answer. When it arrives, the status goes back to “In progress” by itself.
• Done: Settled.

Working as a team

Two filters at the top of the list prevent work being done twice or not at all:

• My enquiries: Everything you are responsible for.
• Unassigned: Everything nobody has taken on yet. By the end of the day this should be empty.

14. Moderators

Access Moderator Area

Moderators can access the moderation area via the shield icon in the menu.

Moderator Dashboard

The moderator dashboard shows an overview of pending tasks and quick actions.

Pending Approvals

Moderators can review new POIs and approve or reject them:

• Access via Moderation > Pending Approvals in the menu
• Review the POI name, description, category and images
• Click "Approve" to publish the POI
• Click "Reject" and provide a reason to reject the POI
• The creator will be notified by email about the decision

Moderation

In the moderation area you can review, lock or delete locations. All actions are logged in the audit log.

Location Management

View and manage all locations on the platform. Edit details or remove inappropriate entries.

Process Reports

Moderators can review and process reported content:

• Image Reports: View and process all reported images under "Moderation > Image Reports"
• Location Reports: Manage all reported locations under "Moderation > Location Reports"
• Change Status: Mark reports as "Under Review", "Resolved", or "Rejected"
• Add Notes: Internal moderator notes for documentation
• Remove Content: Directly delete images or locations for confirmed violations
• Edit Content: Reported content can be edited directly to fix issues

Validating images

If the administrator has switched on image review, new images at public places are checked by moderators — under “Moderation → Images”:

• Three folders: “To validate”, “Validated” and “Rejected”. Each reviewed image shows who validated or rejected it, and when.
• Three actions per image: Validate · Reject (with a reason; the image stays stored and can be restored) · Delete (final, also removes the file). A bulk action handles many images at once.
• Two operating modes via admin switches: post-moderation (the image is visible immediately and checked afterwards) or pre-approval (the image stays invisible until it is validated).
• Only images at public places are reviewed — private and shared places are exempt. Images uploaded by moderators or admins themselves count as validated immediately.

Audit Log

All moderation actions are logged in the audit log. Here you can track which moderator performed which action and when.

Geo Layers (Map Overlays)

Geo layers are geographic data overlays displayed on the map as areas, lines or points. They can be used to visualise nature reserves, hiking areas, boundaries and more.

Viewing Geo Layers on the Map

Active geo layers are displayed automatically on the map. You can recognise them by the coloured areas, lines or points overlaid on the base map.

• The map legend lists all visible layers with their name and colour.
• Some layers display labels directly on the map, e.g. the name of a nature reserve.

Managing Geo Layers (Moderators/Admins)

Uploading a Layer

In the admin area under "Geo Layers" you can upload new layers:

1. Click "Upload Layer"
2. Select a GeoJSON file (.geojson, .json) or a Shapefile (.zip containing .shp, .shx, .dbf)
3. Enter a name and choose a category
4. Set the visibility (public or internal)
5. Click "Upload" – the file will be processed automatically

Supported File Formats

• GeoJSON (.geojson, .json): Standard format for geographic data
• Shapefile (.zip): Packaged as a ZIP file containing .shp, .shx and .dbf

Maximum file size: 50 MB

Categories

Layers can be assigned to the following categories:

Customising Appearance

You can individually customise the appearance of each layer:

• Fill colour: Colour and transparency for areas
• Stroke colour: Colour and transparency of outlines
• Stroke width: Thickness of outlines (0.5 to 10 pixels)

Labels

Layers can be annotated with text labels displayed directly on the map:

• Enable labels: Turn labelling on or off
• Text field: Choose which property is displayed as the label (e.g. name, type or the layer name)
• Position: Centre, Top, Bottom, Left or Right relative to the feature
• Font: Configure font family, size, colour and bold
• Background: Optionally show a background colour behind the text
• Border: Optionally show a border around the label

Status and Visibility

• Active/Inactive: Inactive layers are not shown on the map
• Public/Internal: Internal layers are only visible to moderators
• In legend: Controls whether the layer appears in the map legend
• Order (Z-Index): Determines the stacking order of multiple layers

15. Administrators

Access Admin Area

As an administrator, you can access the admin area through the menu. There you have access to all management functions.

Admin Dashboard

The dashboard shows an overview with statistics and quick access to important functions:

User Management

In user management, you can view all registered users, change roles or block users.

Invite Users

Invite new users via email. The invited user receives a link to create their account:

Settings

In settings, you can configure various system options:

Delete Geo-Layers

Only administrators can delete layers. Deleting a layer permanently removes all associated features.

Backups and Monitoring

The platform is backed up and monitored automatically. For administrators:

• Daily backup: the database (including user accounts) and all uploaded files are backed up automatically every night — kept for 14 days, with an additional off-site copy.
• Automatic verification: every backup is checked for readability immediately. If a backup fails, the administrator is notified by email right away.
• Restore drills: restoring from backup is tested at regular intervals so the emergency procedure is proven.

Outage monitoring

The map, website and database services are checked automatically every five minutes. In case of an outage — and upon recovery — the administrator receives an email. A status dashboard shows availability over time.

Designing the homepage (block builder)

Under Admin → “Homepage” you compose your public homepage from ready-made blocks. As long as no blocks exist, visitors see the standard homepage. Alternatively you can enable “Map as homepage” in the settings — visitors then land directly on the map.

Available blocks

• Hero — large cover image with heading, subtitle and optional buttons; the colour overlay automatically uses your instance colour.
• Text + image — the all-purpose block: heading, text and optionally an image on the left or right; can be used any number of times.
• Map teaser — embedded map with your map settings (centre, zoom).
• Popular places — shows 3 or 6 places of your instance, optionally with a custom heading.
• Video — shows the video maintained under “Homepage video” (click-to-play, GDPR-compliant).
• Statistics — key figures band (places, users, languages).
• Closing banner — coloured band with your own text and buttons at the end of the page.

How to proceed

1. Select a block type and click “Add block”.
2. Click “Edit” on the block and enter the texts — via the language tabs you maintain all twenty-eight languages; “Translate automatically” fills empty languages from the currently active language.
3. For hero and text + image, optionally upload an image (JPG, PNG or WebP, 5 MB max).
4. Save — the block appears on the homepage immediately.
5. Change the order with the arrows; blocks can be hidden at any time (they are kept) or deleted.

16. Your own instance & plans

What is an instance?

An instance is your own map presence on the geo-image.eu platform: your own (sub)domain, your own logo and colours, your own homepage (see chapter 13, “Designing the homepage”), your own places and map layers, plus your own user management. You do not need a server — the platform handles hosting and updates: EU-hosted, GDPR-compliant, without US services.

The three types of offering

• Account on the main platform — free for private users; extended plans (e.g. Private Plus, SME, authorities & associations) can be booked directly.
• Your own instance — your own presence with plan categories for SMEs, regions & municipalities, clubs & associations, tourism & destinations, education & research, and museums, culture & nature parks; enterprise solutions on request.
• White label — the platform on your own server with full data sovereignty: one-off licence and setup fee plus a monthly support subscription (updates, support); on request.

You will always find the current prices on the pricing page (“Pricing” in the menu). All prices are net plus the statutory VAT of your country.

How to order an instance

1. Choose the suitable instance plan on the pricing page — you will be taken to the order form.
2. Enter your contact details; you select your country from a list — it determines the VAT rate of your invoice.
3. Confirm the plan and billing (monthly or yearly) and state your wishes: subdomain or own domain, own homepage, additional languages.
4. Check the summary, confirm privacy policy and withdrawal notice, and submit.

After ordering

• The operator sets up your instance personally and gets in touch with you (credentials, domain, branding).
• You receive the invoice as a PDF by email — payment is by bank transfer with 14 days payment term; no credit card required.
• As administrator of your instance you then manage users, places, design and homepage yourself (chapter 13).

Languages

Twenty-eight languages are available right away (German, English, Swedish, French, Spanish, Hungarian, Polish, Dutch, Italian, Danish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Finnish, Romanian, Russian, Greek, Turkish, Ukrainian, Icelandic, Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Slovenian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian). When placing your order you simply tick which of them your map should offer – as many as you wish. For a clearly arranged map we recommend no more than seven languages; you determine the order in the language menu yourself later on.

Invoice currency

Prices can be shown and invoiced in euros, US dollars, Swedish kronor, Swiss francs, British pounds or Hungarian forint. The chosen currency determines the invoice currency; amounts are not converted automatically but maintained separately per currency. If no price is set for a currency, the euro price applies.

The app with your branding

When a user installs the app via your instance's address, it automatically adopts your branding: your name, your colour and — if set — your own icon appear on the home screen instead of geo-image.eu's. This turns your instance into an app with your own identity, entirely without an app store.

17. Installing the app

geo-image.eu can be installed like an app — straight from your browser, without an app store. On smartphone, tablet and computer. Afterwards you open the map via its own icon in full screen, and maps and places you've already visited work even without an internet connection.

Benefits of the app

• Its own icon on your home screen — one tap and the map is there.
• Full screen without the browser bar, like a real app.
• Works offline: maps and places you've already visited work without internet.
• Always up to date — no store updates needed.

How to install the app

• Android (Chrome): Open the browser menu and choose “Install app” or “Add to Home Screen” — or tap the install hint that appears by itself.
• iPhone/iPad (Safari): Tap “Share” at the bottom, then “Add to Home Screen”.
• Computer (Chrome/Edge): Click the install icon in the address bar or choose “Install” in the menu — geo-image.eu then opens as its own window.

18. Contact and Support

If you have questions, problems or suggestions, the following contact options are available:

Index