VoxDash allows you to visualize survey and analytics data on interactive maps. If your dataset includes a geographic variable—such as country, state, province, district, or region—you can use the Map Wizard to connect your data to a map and create geographic visualizations.

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What Are ISO Geographic Codes?

ISO geographic codes are internationally recognized location identifiers used to represent countries, regions, and administrative areas in a standardized format. Examples include:

• US for the United States
• GB for the United Kingdom
• CA-ON for Ontario, Canada
• JP-13 for Tokyo Prefecture, Japan

Using ISO codes ensures that VoxDash can correctly match your survey data with geographic regions on the map.

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Using ISO Codes with VoxDash Maps

If your survey variable already uses ISO geographic codes, you can quickly connect your data to a map in VoxDash. This feature is especially useful for ecommerce analytics, customer distribution analysis, regional sales tracking, and market research. For more information on how to add a map to your survey read Setting Up Maps for Survey Variables.

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Using Maps Without ISO Codes

If your dataset does not contain ISO geographic codes, you can still use the VoxDash mapping features by preparing the map data manually.

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Exporting Map Regions

1. Open the Data Provider Panel.
2. Navigate to the Map page.
3. Find the map you want to use.
4. Open the Menu.
5. Choose View Region to see detailed regional information.

From this page, you can export an Excel file containing the map regions and identifiers.

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Understanding the Exported Region File

The exported Excel file contains geographic metadata used by VoxDash to identify and match regions. Below is an explanation of each column in the exported file.

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GeoNameId

A unique internal identifier assigned to the geographic region. This value is used internally by geographic databases and mapping systems. Example:

• 6252001 = United States

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Region Name

The readable name of the geographic region. Examples:

• United States
• Ontario
• California
• São Paulo

This is typically the main column users use when reviewing or matching data.

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ISO 3166-1 alpha-2

A two-letter country code defined by the ISO 3166-1 standard. Examples: This is one of the most commonly used geographic formats in ecommerce and analytics systems.

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ISO 3166-1 alpha-3

A three-letter country code defined by the ISO 3166-1 standard. Examples: This format is often used in enterprise systems, APIs, and reporting platforms.

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ISO 3166-1 numeric

A numeric country code assigned by ISO. Examples: Numeric ISO values are useful for systems that require numeric identifiers instead of text codes.

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ISO 3166-2

A subdivision code used for states, provinces, districts, and territories. Examples: This field is especially important when working with regional analytics inside a country.

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UN M.49

A geographic classification code maintained by the United Nations. These codes are used for international statistics and reporting. Examples include:

• 840 = United States
• 124 = Canada

This field may be useful for international reporting and statistical analysis.

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GeoNames ID

A unique identifier from the GeoNames geographic database. GeoNames IDs are commonly used in GIS systems and geographic APIs. This field can help integrate VoxDash geographic data with external geographic platforms.

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Source Provider

Indicates the provider or database source used for the geographic information. This helps identify where the geographic data originated.

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Source Code

The original region code provided by the source database. This value may differ from ISO codes depending on the geographic data provider.

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Admission Category

Defines the administrative classification of the region. Examples may include:

• Country
• State
• Province
• Territory
• District

This field helps distinguish between different geographic hierarchy levels.

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Feature Code

A classification code that identifies the type of geographic feature. Examples:

• Country
• Administrative region
• City
• Island

This field is mainly used for geographic processing and internal mapping logic.

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Latitude

The geographic latitude coordinate of the region. Latitude is used to position the region on maps. Example:

• 40.7128

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Longitude

The geographic longitude coordinate of the region. Longitude works together with latitude for map positioning. Example:

• -74.0060

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Population

The estimated population of the region. This field can be useful for demographic analysis and market segmentation.

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Timezone

The primary timezone associated with the region. Examples:

• America/New_York
• Europe/Berlin
• Asia/Tokyo

This information may help when analyzing time-based data.

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Parent Source Code

The identifier of the parent geographic region. Examples:

• A state may reference its parent country.
• A district may reference its parent province.

This field helps maintain geographic hierarchy relationships.

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Existing Alternate Names

Contains alternative names already associated with the region. Examples:

• USA
• United States of America
• US

This helps VoxDash recognize multiple naming variations.

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Add Alternate Names

A customizable field where users can add additional region aliases or alternate spellings. This is useful when your dataset uses non-standard region names. Examples:

• NYC for New York City
• Cali for California

Adding alternate names improves matching accuracy. Important Notes About Alternate Names Only the “Add Alternate Names” column is editable. When adding alternate names:

• Separate multiple values using the | (pipe) character.
• Alternate names are shared across every map that uses the same geographic region.
• Rows whose GeoName is not linked to a valid geographic region will be rejected with a row-level validation error.

Example: NYC | New York | New York City After updating alternate names:

1. Return to the Maps page.
2. Locate the map you updated.
3. Select View Region.

4. Choose Import Excel.

5. Upload the updated Excel file.

VoxDash will then update the region mappings.

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Preparing Your Data

After exporting the Excel file:

1. Open the file in Excel or SPSS.
2. Add the ISO codes to your survey as map variable.
3. Save the updated file.

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Importing the Updated File into VoxDash

Once your geographic data has been prepared:

1. Import the updated file back into VoxDash.
2. Do the data entry of your file and add map to your survey. More information Here
3. Open the question with map to view the geographical visualization.

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Tips for Better Map Visualization

• Ensure that geographic codes are consistent and properly formatted.
• Avoid duplicate or missing region identifiers.
• Use ISO-standard codes whenever possible for the best compatibility.
• Verify map-region matching before publishing dashboards or reports.

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Summary

The VoxDash Map Wizard makes it easy to create geographic visualizations from survey and analytics data. Using ISO geographic codes provides the fastest and most accurate mapping experience. Even if your dataset does not include ISO codes, you can still prepare and import custom geographic data using exported map templates.