Territory & Routingbeginner6 min read

Route Planning

Routing & Planning optimizes multi-stop travel routes to improve field operations, sales visits, and service coordination.

Last updated July 31, 2026

Overview

Routing & Planning in DotlyMaps helps you create optimized travel routes between multiple locations, making field operations, sales visits, and service appointments more efficient. Whether you want to plan routes within a custom geographic area or manually select multiple destinations, DotlyMaps automatically calculates the most efficient route from your starting point to the final destination. Generated routes can also be shared using a convenient link and assigned to specific teams for better coordination and execution.

DotlyMaps supports two methods for route planning:

  • Hand-Drawn Routes, Create routes using records within a custom geographic area.
  • Destination-Based Routes, Generate routes by selecting multiple destinations manually.

Why it matters

Efficient route planning reduces travel time, improves field productivity, and helps teams manage customer visits more effectively. By optimizing travel sequences and allowing routes to be assigned to specific teams, organizations can improve coordination, ensure accountability, and streamline field operations.

When to use

Use Routing & Planning when you need to:

  • Plan daily sales or service visits.
  • Optimize delivery or field service routes.
  • Assign planned routes to specific teams or field representatives.
  • Create travel routes for multiple customer locations.
  • Plan routes within specific geographic regions.
  • Share travel plans with internal teams.

Prerequisites

  • An active DotlyMaps organization and workspace.
  • Valid geocoded records in supported CRM modules.
  • Access to the Routing & Planning feature.
  • Available teams or users for route assignment.
  • A Pro subscription for continued route generation beyond the free usage limit.

Step-by-step guide

  1. Open your DotlyMaps workspace.
  2. Navigate to the Routing & Planning feature.
  3. Choose one of the following route planning methods:

3.1 Hand-Drawn Routes, Use the Drawing Palette to draw a boundary on the map. All records within the selected area will appear in the destination dropdown, allowing you to select locations for route planning.

3.2 Destination-Based Routes, Select a starting point and manually add multiple destinations to create an optimized travel route.

4.      Select the required start point and destinations.

5.      Arrange or review the selected locations.

6.      Click Get Routes to generate the optimized route.

7.      Review the generated route displayed on the map.

8.      Assign the route to the relevant team or users for execution.

9.      Copy and share the generated route link with assigned team members.

 

Example

A field service manager creates a route covering multiple customer visits within a selected area and assigns it to the service team responsible for that region. The team receives the optimized route through a shared link, helping them complete scheduled visits efficiently.

Best practices

  • Verify destination locations before generating routes.

  • Assign routes to the appropriate teams for clear ownership.

  • Group nearby customer visits into a single route.

  • Update routes when schedules or destinations change.

Troubleshooting

Route cannot be generated

  • Verify that valid start and destination locations have been selected.

Some records are missing

  • Ensure the selected records contain valid geographic location data.

  • Team members cannot access the assigned route

  • Confirm that the correct team or users have been assigned.

FAQ

What is the difference between Hand-Drawn Routes and Destination-Based Routes?

Hand-Drawn Routes generate routes using records within a custom-drawn geographic area, while Destination-Based Routes allow users to manually select individual destinations.

Can routes be assigned to specific teams?

Yes. Routes can be assigned to specific teams or users to ensure proper ownership and coordination of field activities.

Can I share generated routes?

Yes. Generated routes can be shared through a convenient link for collaboration and navigation.

Does DotlyMaps optimize the travel order automatically?

Yes. DotlyMaps generates an optimized route sequence based on the selected starting point and destinations.