Generating Maps: SNG Map Builder
Settings
Go to SNG Map Builder → Settings in your WordPress admin to configure the plugin.
Google API
API Key
Paste your Google Maps JavaScript API key here. This is required before any maps can be generated.
The key is used to render the map in the browser via the Google Maps JavaScript API.
Map Boundary Color
Choose the color for the ZIP code polygon overlays. Click the color swatch to open the color picker, or type a hex value directly.
| Default | #2271b1 (blue) |
| Format | Any valid hex color, e.g. #E53E3E |
Changing the color
Updating the boundary color only applies to maps generated after saving. To apply a new color to existing maps, open each city row and click Edit → Regenerate Map.
Saving settings
Click Save Settings at the bottom of the page. A confirmation message will appear when the settings are saved successfully.
Generating Maps
Go to SNG Map Builder → Local Maps to add cities and generate maps.
Adding a city
- Enter a City Name in the first field — for example,
Austin, TX - Enter the ZIP codes for that city's service area, separated by commas — for example:
- Click Add City & Generate Map
The city is registered immediately and a new row appears in the table. A progress bar will run in the row while the map is being built.
What happens during generation
SNG Map Builder runs two steps automatically:
- Fetches ZIP boundary data from the US Census Bureau TIGER/Web API — free, no extra API costs
- Builds a standalone HTML map file saved to
wp-content/uploads/sng-maps/{city-slug}.html
This typically takes 10–20 seconds depending on the number of ZIP codes.
How many ZIP codes can I add?
There is no hard limit. Each ZIP code requires one API call to the Census TIGER service, so more ZIP codes means a slightly longer generation time. In practice, most service areas with 5–15 ZIP codes generate in under 30 seconds.
Generation progress
While generating, the actions column shows:
- A progress bar filling from left to right
- A status message describing the current step (fetching boundaries, parsing data, saving file)
- An elapsed timer so you can see how long it is taking
On success, the bar turns green and the row updates to show the full set of actions. On failure, the bar turns red and shows an error message — the Generate Map button is restored so you can try again.
Map status badges
| Badge | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Map Ready (green) | Map file has been generated and is available |
| Not Generated (grey) | City was added but no map file exists yet |
| Generating… (grey) | Map generation is currently in progress |