Spotmap

1. 01Install from the WordPress plugin directory or upload the spotmap folder to /wp-content/plugins/
2. 02Activate the plugin through the Plugins menu
3. 03Go to Settings > Spotmap and add your first feed
4. 04In the block editor, type /spotmap to insert a map into any post or page

Can I show multiple devices on one map?

Yes. Configure multiple feeds and display them on a single map, each with its own color.

Does Spotmap work with the block editor?

Yes. Spotmap includes a full Gutenberg block with live preview. Type /spotmap in the editor and configure all options in the block sidebar.

Can I filter the map to show only recent positions?

Yes. Spotmap supports rich time filtering including relative ranges like “last 12 hours” or “last 3 days”, as well as absolute date ranges.

Can I display photo locations on the map?

Yes. Upload geotagged photos to your WordPress media library. Spotmap reads the GPS EXIF data and shows them on the map under the feed name media .

Can I pin WordPress posts and pages to a map?

Yes. Open any post or page in the block editor and expand the Post Location panel in the sidebar. Enter a latitude and longitude to pin that post to the map. When a Spotmap block is configured to show the posts feed, all location-tagged posts appear as markers. Clicking a marker opens the article, making it easy to build location-based content archives — travel diaries, trip reports, photo essays, and more.

Can I export my tracking data?

Yes. You can convert tracked positions to GPX files directly from the plugin.

Can I add GPX tracks to show a planned route?

Yes. Use the built-in GPX manager to upload and organize GPX files. Tracks, routes, and waypoints are displayed as overlays on the map.

What map styles are available?

Spotmap uses Leaflet and supports any XYZ tile provider. OpenStreetMap is included by default. Optional providers include Mapbox, Thunderforest, LINZ (New Zealand topos), IGN France, UK Ordnance Survey, USGS, OpenSeaMap, and ESRI Ocean layers. You can also add any custom tile URL. Browse available maps at leaflet-providers and OpenStreetMap wiki .

Is Spotmap suitable for shared hosting?

Yes, cpu and memory usage is kept intentially low so that the plugin works well on shared hosting. For future data sources like Zoleo, AIS and Flarm there will be a small web service that fetches points and interacts with your webpage

Which third-party services does the plugin use?

(optional) SPOT LLC — Public API for position data (optional) TimeZoneDB.com — local time calculation for positions. Create an account and add the key in settings. (optional) Mapbox — satellite imagery and map styles. Get an API token . Restrict the token to your domain. (optional) Thunderforest — additional map styles. Sign up . (optional) LINZ — official New Zealand topo maps. Create an API key . (optional) Géoportail France — official IGN France maps. Register . (optional) UK Ordnance Survey — official UK OS maps. Create a free plan and set up a project .

How does Spotmap compare to other GPS tracking plugins?

Spotmap fills a unique niche in the WordPress plugin ecosystem:

vs. Trackserver — Trackserver is the closest alternative and supports a wide range of phone tracking apps (TrackMe, OruxMaps, µLogger, GPSLogger, and others). If your primary use case is recording tracks from a smartphone app, Trackserver covers more protocols. However, Spotmap offers several things Trackserver does not:

• Satellite communicator support — Spotmap works with SPOT and Garmin inReach devices (and Zoleo is planned), which matters for off-grid adventures where your phone has no signal. Trackserver only supports phone-based tracking apps.
• Teltonika device support — direct integration for GPS routers and vehicle trackers.
• Modern editor experience — Spotmap has a full Gutenberg block with live preview and sidebar settings. Trackserver is shortcode-only with 20+ attributes to configure manually.
• Built-in GPX manager — upload and organize GPX files from the dashboard instead of referencing URLs in shortcodes.
• Photo EXIF integration — geotagged images from the media library appear on the map automatically.
• Rich time filtering UI — relative ranges like “last 24 hours” with a visual interface instead of shortcode parameters.
• Interactive data table — click a position to zoom to it on the map.

In short: if you track with a satellite communicator or want a modern block-editor experience with visual filtering and data management, Spotmap is the better fit. If you need protocol support for niche phone tracking apps (TrackMe, µLogger, OwnTracks), check out Trackserver.

I have a question, an idea, or found a bug

Head over to the support forum or open an issue on GitHub .