How to add Legend to Explorer Story Map

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01-21-2021 01:01 PM
ShaunDillon1
Occasional Contributor

In the new story maps, I have added an Explorer map/block but how do I add a legend in the map?

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OwenGeo
Esri Notable Contributor

@ShaunDillon1 Thanks for the additional detail about how you are using the explorer tour and why a legend would be helpful to your readers. It's helpful to know that you are using a thematic layer in your explorer tour.

While StoryMaps do not currently offer this feature, we understand that there are times where a legend makes sense. We will keep watch for others asking for this feature and evaluate adding a legend toggle for map tours in a future release. You may want to add this to the StoryMaps Ideas board so others can add their support and vote.

Some alternate suggestions I can make in the meantime

  1. Create a simple graphic legend and add that as an image before the tour to explain the access level colors
  2. Create a bulleted list of the categories right before the tour. Use colored text in the list to match the category description colors to the layer colors.

See this story for some fun examples of the above techniques.

I would put forth a request that its also possible to choose which layers are shown in a legend (if this is already possible I haven't figure out how)

You can remove a layer from the legend by changing the layer configuration in the web map. There's a "Hide in legend" option in the classic map viewer and a similar setting in the layer properties in the new map viewer beta.

 

Owen Evans
Lead Product Engineer | StoryMaps

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michael_vetter
Occasional Contributor

If you go to the map options while in the story map, there should be a gear icon. Click the gear icon then you should see map configuration options which includes the legend.

michael_vetter_0-1611264659298.png

 

ShaunDillon1
Occasional Contributor

Thanks for your reply but there arent those options in my Explorer map:

ShaunDillon1_0-1611265873663.png

 

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OwenGeo
Esri Notable Contributor

@ShaunDillon1 -- There isn't currently a legend option in Explorer. Can you please share some details about why you'd like to see that option and how the legend would improve your story so we can understand your need for this a bit more?

Owen Evans
Lead Product Engineer | StoryMaps
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ShaunDillon1
Occasional Contributor

To me, as soon as you have more than one thing in a map, you need to let people know what's what, and to that end a legend is useful. I see this as a general thing/rule and am very surprised how/why it is even a consideration NOT to have legends. I was extremely surprised and disappointed when I first realized how limited the availability of legends are in StoryMaps.

For my current specific example: I work at a Land Trust and want to show the public our conserved lands and I intend to use the Explorer map to do this because it allows users to 'browse' through our lands back and forwards between the map and list of properties. There are different levels of public access to the different lands and we show that by giving the different categories different colours on the map. We can write somewhere on the page that 'This colour = that" but that's really not very intuitive or as visible as a simple Legend.

For now, I have placed an Express map at the top of the page with a legend but it is clunky to say the least that people have to go there to see the legend and then go down the page to see the Explorer map with property descriptions and so forth.

And since we are at it - I would put forth a request that its also possible to choose which layers are shown in a legend (if this is already possible I haven't figure out how), since my legend is showing some background shading I have put on the map to direct attention to our service area but I really don't want that in a legend.

Cheers

Shaun

OwenGeo
Esri Notable Contributor

@ShaunDillon1 Thanks for the additional detail about how you are using the explorer tour and why a legend would be helpful to your readers. It's helpful to know that you are using a thematic layer in your explorer tour.

While StoryMaps do not currently offer this feature, we understand that there are times where a legend makes sense. We will keep watch for others asking for this feature and evaluate adding a legend toggle for map tours in a future release. You may want to add this to the StoryMaps Ideas board so others can add their support and vote.

Some alternate suggestions I can make in the meantime

  1. Create a simple graphic legend and add that as an image before the tour to explain the access level colors
  2. Create a bulleted list of the categories right before the tour. Use colored text in the list to match the category description colors to the layer colors.

See this story for some fun examples of the above techniques.

I would put forth a request that its also possible to choose which layers are shown in a legend (if this is already possible I haven't figure out how)

You can remove a layer from the legend by changing the layer configuration in the web map. There's a "Hide in legend" option in the classic map viewer and a similar setting in the layer properties in the new map viewer beta.

 

Owen Evans
Lead Product Engineer | StoryMaps
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ShaunDillon1
Occasional Contributor

Thanks for your reply Owen. I have posted this as a suggestion in the Ideas Board.

Thanks for the tip on not showing layers in the legend!

Cheers Shaun

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CaseyOrtiz
New Contributor

It has been 2 years since this original post was made. Is there a timeline for when a legend will be added to the Explorer Story Map. 

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GabrielRoxby
New Contributor

Shaun, I support your request for this feature and am also surprised that it isn't an option currently.  When you're showing anyone a custom made map, a legend is critical!