How to Import GeoJSON into a Map Animation
GeoJSON is an open standard for encoding geographic shapes — lines, polygons, and points. Uploading a GeoJSON file into Mapimator lets you animate custom flight paths, district boundaries, sales territories, hiking trails, and any other geometry that does not exist in the default dataset. Import happens through the Route and Region tools rather than a dedicated import button, and both require a Pro plan.
4 min read · Updated August 1, 2026
What you'll learn
- Prepare a GeoJSON file for import
- Import a LineString as an animated route
- Import a Polygon as a highlighted region
- Style and animate the imported geometry
Step-by-step guide
- 1
Prepare your GeoJSON file
Create or export a .geojson file from any mapping tool: draw shapes at geojson.io (free), export from QGIS, or download from a public data source. Confirm it is valid GeoJSON containing a LineString (for routes) or a Polygon (for regions).
- 2
Navigate to the relevant area
In the Studio, navigate the map to the geographic area your GeoJSON covers. This makes it easier to see and interact with the imported geometry once it appears.
- 3
Import a LineString as a route
There is no import button in the Quick-Add Toolbar — you add a sticker first, then load your file into it. Click the Route tool in the Quick-Add Toolbar to add a route at the map center. With that route selected, find Travel Mode in the right-hand properties panel and choose the last tab, File (upload icon). A file picker appears — select your .geojson file. Uploading a route file requires a Pro plan; on a free plan you will see an Upgrade to Upload Route button in place of the picker.
- 4
Import a Polygon as a region
Polygons use a separate path. Click the Region tool (globe icon) in the Quick-Add Toolbar, then click Upload Custom GeoJSON at the top of the panel and choose your file. Custom region shapes also require a Pro plan.
- 5
Style the imported layer
Select the new layer on the map to open its properties in the right panel. Routes expose stroke color, line width, and animation settings; regions expose fill color, stroke color, and opacity.
- 6
Animate across slides
The imported geometry behaves exactly like any other sticker — it is anchored to real-world coordinates and stays visible as the camera moves. Use the Layer panel to control per-slide visibility if you want it to appear or disappear at a specific moment.
Interactive walkthrough coming soon
A visual step-by-step guide with annotated screenshots will be available here. In the meantime, follow the written steps above or watch the video tutorials.
Watch video tutorials →Pro tips
- One line per route: if your FeatureCollection contains several LineString features, only the first is imported. Split them into separate files and add one route per file. A single MultiLineString is joined into one continuous path.
- The route importer also accepts .gpx and .kml files, which is often easier if you are exporting from a GPS or trail app. The region importer accepts .json and .geojson only.
- Point features are not importable as pins — place pins directly with the Pin tool in the Quick-Add Toolbar.
- Use geojson.io to draw and preview your shapes visually before importing — it is free and requires no account.
- For complex national or regional boundaries, search for official GeoJSON datasets from government open-data portals (e.g. data.gov, Eurostat).
- Simplify overly detailed polygons (thousands of vertices) to reduce file size — the visual difference is usually imperceptible at map zoom levels.