Every Mapvera map has a search box above its list of places. A visitor types a word or two and the list narrows to the matching places as they type — tap a result to open its card and, where directions are available, route to it.
What a search looks in
A search matches against far more than just the visible name. For each place, Mapvera builds a hidden search text from:
| Matched on | Example |
|---|---|
| The place's name | Typing info finds "Information Desk" |
| Its categories | A café tagged Food is found by searching food |
| Its description | A stall whose description mentions "vegan" is found by vegan |
Built-in word synonyms
Visitors rarely type the exact word you used. Mapvera ships with a synonym list so common everyday words find the right place anyway — you don't set these up, they just work:
| A visitor types… | …and also finds places matching |
|---|---|
| loo, bathroom, restroom, WC, dunny | toilet |
| drinks, cocktails, beer, wine, pub | bar |
| eat, lunch, dinner, hungry, restaurant | food |
| entry, gate, exit, arrivals | entrance |
| music, band, gig, act | stage |
| first aid, medic, nurse, injured, sick | first aid / medical |
| car, carpark, park | parking |
| taxi, uber, drop off, pickup | rideshare |
| cash, money | ATM |
| tickets, box office | box office |
Matching also ignores capitals, punctuation and curly quotes, so Toilets, toilet and toilet's all behave the same.
Typing more than one word
Every word you type must match. Searching food stall shows only places whose text contains both words (or their synonyms) — a handy way to narrow a long list.
The exact-name shortcut
If what a visitor has typed matches exactly one place's name, that place opens straight away — no need to tap the result. It's the same as picking it from the list.
Settings that shape search
In the editor, under Settings → Directory (search / list panel), a few options change how search feels:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Search field | Shows or hides the search box entirely. Off = visitors browse the list without searching. |
| Minimum keyword length | How many characters someone must type before the list starts filtering. 1 filters from the first letter; a higher number waits until they've typed more. |
| Sort list A → Z | Results (and the full list) come back alphabetically. Off = your own landmark order is kept. |
| Highlight map on category | When a category is chosen, the map dims and that category's places are spotlighted. |