Navigation-Only Map OLD

Overview

Navigation-only maps allow users to navigate to content associated with specific locations on a U.S. or world map. Desktop users can click a location on the map or use the drop-down menu.  In the smallest viewports, the map goes away, leaving only the drop-down menu.  Navigation maps can be used only for navigation; they cannot be used to display numeric or categorical data. They can be inserted as regular content elements or as embeddable widgets. The U.S. map works automatically in both the English and Spanish templates (based on the map language setting).

The illustration below is a static image. To view an interactive navigation-only map, see the examples at the bottom of this page.

The navigation-only map is driven by a JSON or CSV file that contains the geographic locations and their associated navigation links.  See the WCMS instructions for more information on this data file.

The U.S. map works automatically in both the English and Spanish templates (based on the map language setting). For the world map, a Spanish template will be available soon (details to come).

Usage

• Use a navigation-only map to allow users to navigate to CDC.gov pages by location (for example, state profile pages).
• Avoid linking to non-CDC sites and non-HTML files.
• When you have a moderate number of location-specific pages — 15 or fewer — a list module or a simple bulleted list will be easier to manage and will likely provide a better experience for your visitors.
• To display numeric or categorical data, use a data map instead (available for U.S. only). The data map supports navigation links, just like the navigation-only map, but also displays color-coded state-based data.

World Navigation Maps

There are special considerations for world maps:

• Consider usability.  The WCMS / Template team has incorporated functionality to make world maps as usable as possible (such as a “Select a Country” control in all viewports and pan-and-zoom capability in desktop viewports), but you should consider whether a world map is the best navigation aid for your purposes. Try the example world map at the end of this page.
• Become familiar with the country / territory list for world maps and the mapping implications. You can see the list in the template for world URL files [XLS – 7 KB].
• For world maps, the WCMS reads the geographic names from the source file of navigation URLs prepared by the content owner.  (For more information on the source file, see the WCMS instructions.)  This means that content owners have control over the area names.  Note that most territories are separate entities. This breakdown provides optimum flexibility for content owners to control the geographic labels in light of any special geopolitical considerations. (The source file can have multiple locations with the same name and same URL for navigation.)
• A Spanish template will be available soon (details to come).