Collaborate on a Custom Map with Google Sheets

What makes Google Sheets such a collaborator’s paradise? If you’re familiar with the web-based spreadsheet application, you know it enables users to create and edit files online while collaborating with others in real time.

Multiple users can simultaneously view and edit a spreadsheet, making it ideal for group projects, data collection, and analysis. This article will explore these collaborative properties and show how Google Sheets can hold and shape data that you can then use to create a map.

Google Sheets Was Created for Collaboration

What are the features that facilitate collaboration in Google Sheets? Let’s look into them.

Let’s say you’re assigned a group project on national flowers and trees. You might gather the data from Wikipedia (flowers and trees) and format the data for a map.

The following Google Sheets features will help you finish this assignment or similar tasks as painlessly as possible:

  • Tracking edits and revision history
  • Highlighted editor changes
  • Permissions system

Tracking Edits and Revision History

Google Sheets automatically tracks changes made by each user in a shared document. The revision history feature provides a detailed log of all edits, including who made the changes, what changes were made, and when they were made. Users can review and revert to previous versions of the document, ensuring data integrity and accountability.

Highlighted Editor Changes

When multiple users edit a Google Sheet, each user is assigned a unique color and cursor. Changes made by each editor are highlighted in their respective colors, making it easy to identify who’s working on which parts of the spreadsheet in real time.

Permissions System

Google Sheets also offers a robust permissions system that allows document owners to control access and actions within the document. Owners can set permissions to specify who can view, edit, or comment on the document. This system ensures that sensitive data is protected, and that only authorized users can make changes.

With a better understanding of how to use Google Sheets collaboratively, we can move on to how to take your data and turn it into a map.

Map Your Google Sheet Data

View National flowers and trees in a full screen map

Spreadsheets are great tools for storing your data. Some even offer a few features that can help put your data into context (highlighting duplicates, creating pivot tables, etc.). Plus, we’ve just gone over how much Google Sheets excels at all things collaboration.

But when it comes to visualization, most spreadsheets, even Google Sheets, fall short. So, if you or anyone in your group is a visual learner, and your data contains location information like countries, states, or cities, consider moving the data into a custom map.

Here’s how to do it:

  • Open the spreadsheet.
  • Select (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A) and copy (Ctrl+C or Cmd+C) the data.
  • Open a web browser and navigate to batchgeo.com
  • Click on the location data box with the example data in it, then paste (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V) your data.
  • Check you have the proper location data columns by clicking “Set Options”.
  • Click “Map Your Data” and watch as the geocoder turns your data into geographic coordinates.

Once you’ve completed these steps, you can share the link with the rest of the group.

If anyone else wants to edit the data, they have to do so on the shared spreadsheet. However, BatchGeo Pro users can edit the map’s style, marker shape, colors, and more without using the same account.

Share Your Map with More Members

With your group’s data mapped, it’s time to learn how to make edits together. As we mentioned in the previous section, BatchGeo Pro users can edit a map with no need to share usernames or passwords.

To ensure the others can edit, you can right-click the map and select “Edit Map.” In the “Share” section, you can choose between “Public,” “Unlisted,” or “My Subscription Users.”

Image description

  • Public: Anyone can discover your map through search or on our site
  • Unlisted: Only those with the unguessable URL can access your map, which will not be searchable or listed on our site
  • Your Subscription Users (Pro): Up to 10 users can access your map (best for collaboration)

You can also opt to “Password Protect” your map right below the “Share” options. This way, your account will have direct access when logged in, while other users will need to enter a password to see the map.

Continue the collaboration with BatchGeo or BatchGeo Pro!