Exploring Data

Once your data is imported, TimeTiles presents it as an interactive map with timeline controls, filters, and shareable URLs.

Map

Events appear as markers on an interactive map powered by MapLibre GL JS. When zoomed out, nearby events are clustered into numbered circles — click a cluster to zoom in.

Click any individual marker to see the full event details: title, date, location, description, and all metadata fields from your data.

Pan, zoom, and rotate the map freely. The URL updates as you move — bookmark it to save your exact view.

Timeline

A histogram at the bottom of the screen shows event density over time. Each bar represents a time period — taller bars mean more events.

Drag the handles to narrow the time range. Only events within the selected range appear on the map. This lets you watch how patterns shift over time — useful for spotting escalation, seasonal trends, or quiet periods.

Filters

Sidebar filters are generated automatically from your data schema:

• Data source — filter by dataset when a catalog contains multiple
• Category fields — fields with a small number of distinct values become checkbox filters
• Date range — restrict to a specific time window
• Search — find events by text across all fields

Combine multiple filters to drill down. All active filters are reflected in the URL.

Sharing

Every view has a unique URL. Filters, map position, time range, and selected datasets are all encoded in the link. When you share it, recipients see exactly what you see.

You can also export all your data as a ZIP archive from Account Settings — includes catalogs, datasets, events, and import history.

Tips

• Use the timeline to tell a story — narrow the range to a specific period and share the URL
• Combine filters — category + time range reveals patterns that aren’t visible in the full dataset
• Bookmark views — the URL captures your exact state, so you can return to it anytime
• Click clusters — zoom into dense areas to see individual events