Maps & Visualizationbeginner5 min read

Heat Maps

Heat Map visualizes record density with color-coded hotspots, helping you quickly identify high- and low-concentration areas.

Last updated July 31, 2026

Overview

Heat Map in DotlyMaps visualizes the density of records as a dynamic color gradient, making it easy to identify areas with high or low concentrations of customers, leads, accounts, or field activities. Instead of displaying individual map pins, Heat Maps highlight geographic hotspots, allowing users to quickly recognize patterns, trends, and areas that require attention.

Why it matters

Heat Maps help transform large volumes of location data into meaningful visual insights. By identifying areas with high or low record density, organizations can uncover coverage gaps, optimize resource allocation, improve territory planning, and make informed decisions without manually analysing individual records.

When to use

Use Heat Map when you need to:

  • Identify high-density sales, customer, or service areas.
  • Discover underserved or over-served regions.
  • Support territory planning and resource allocation.
  • Analyse geographic trends across your CRM data.
  • Visualize field activity distribution over a specific region.

Prerequisites

  • An active DotlyMaps organization and workspace.
  • Geocoded records in supported CRM modules.
  • Appropriate permissions to access Heat Map features.
  • Records containing valid geographic location data.

Step-by-step guide

  1. Open your DotlyMaps workspace.
  2. From the map screen, click the Heat Map icon on the floating toolbar to enable the Heat Map layer.
  3. Select the CRM module or apply filters to determine which records contribute to the heat visualization.
  4. Adjust the map zoom level to analyse density across different geographic regions.
  5. Turn the Heat Map layer off whenever you want to return to individual record (pin) view.

Example

An operations manager enables the Heat Map for open service requests to quickly identify cities with the highest ticket volume and allocate additional field technicians where demand is greatest.

Best practices

  • Apply filters before analysing heat density.

  • Use Heat Maps for trend analysis rather than individual record management.

  • Zoom in for local analysis and out for regional insights.

  • Keep your location data accurate for reliable visualizations.

Troubleshooting

Heat Map appears empty

  • Verify that your records contain valid geographic locations and that the selected module has data.

Heat intensity looks inaccurate

  • Adjust the map zoom level or refine the applied filters.

Expected records are missing

  • Confirm that the selected CRM module and filters include the records you want to analyse.

FAQ

Does the Heat Map modify the CRM records?

No. Heat Map is a visualization layer only and does not modify your CRM data.

Can I apply filters to the Heat Map?

Yes. You can filter records by module, status, owner, or other supported criteria to generate more meaningful density visualizations.

Can I switch back to individual map pins?

Yes. Simply disable the Heat Map layer to return to the standard pin-based map view.