Simply put, files without geographic data lack reference to location information within its contents. For example, your file might contain health conditions and corresponding counts of those conditions–but, if all of the data was collected from within the same county, that file might not contain any reference to that county name within the file.
Before you get started: Make sure your file meets format requirements. Not sure? Check out this guide.
When uploading non-geographic data to mySidewalk, you have two options:
Assign a mySidewalk geography (preferred)
Upload without assigning a geography (alternative)
Below, we’ll walk you through each method and show you how to choose the right approach for your data.
🟢 Option 1: Assign a mySidewalk Geography (Preferred)
Assigning a geography means your data is tied to a specific place on the map, which enables mapping, geographic filtering, and visual analysis.
This method is ideal if:
Your data pertains to a specific place (e.g., Kansas City, MO)
You want to visualize it on a map
You’re uploading categories like health indicators, budget data, or survey results for a known location
✅ Why this method is preferred:
Assigning a geography gives you access to the full power of mySidewalk, including:
Mapping your data by place
Comparing to community context, including data in the mySidewalk data library
Adding it seamlessly to dashboards and reports
Step 1: Upload your file
Select the Upload data option from the left menu.
Then, drag and drop your file or browse your computer to select it.
Step 2: Confirm whether your data has geographic information
If your file does not contain geographic columns, select:
✅ “No columns are geographic data”
Then confirm:
✅ “Yes, assign a geography”
This tells mySidewalk to associate the entire dataset with one geography.
Step 3: Select a geography and primary field
Choose the place you want to associate with this file—e.g., Kansas City, MO.
Then pick the primary data field (e.g., Health Condition).
This will be used as the main label in charts and maps.
Step 4: Review and confirm the match
You’ll see a map preview confirming that the data was assigned to the correct place.
Step 5: Confirm layer details
Add a layer name and description.
Check that numeric variables and any additional fields are accurate.
Consider updating labels so the label and capitalization is how you'd like them to show up in visualizations. Then you won't have to update labels manually when you build data components.
Click Done to save your data.
Success!
You’ll land on the layer overview page.
From here, send visualizations to a Report or Dashboard, or create a new one.
🟡 Option 2: Upload Without Assigning a Geography
If your data isn’t tied to a specific place or you’d prefer not to assign a location, you can still upload and visualize it.
Use this method if:
Your data doesn’t relate to a single geography (e.g., generic survey results or program categories)
You’re working with custom regions that aren’t supported by mySidewalk
⚠️ Keep in mind:
Data uploaded without a geography won’t appear on maps
You can’t filter or compare it by place
If you’d like to fix this later, you’ll need to re-upload and assign a geography
Step 1: Upload your file
Select the Upload data option from the left menu.
Then, drag and drop your file or browse your computer to select it.
Step 2: Confirm whether your file has geographic information
If your file does not contain geographic columns, select:
✅ “No columns are geographic data”
To continue uploading without assigning a geographic, select:
❌ “No, continue without matching”
Step 3: Set upload method and primary field
Because you chose not to use a geography for your data, mySidewalk needs to know how you want your data to be organized.
Do the rows in your file represent categories (reportable diseases, income brackets, etc.) or locations (buildings, etc)?
For primary data field, choose the column that best represents your data and how you want it to be labelled in visualizations
Step 4: Confirm layer info & save
Give your layer a name and description.
Check that numeric variables and any additional fields are accurate.
Consider updating labels so the label and capitalization is how you'd like them to show up in visualizations. Then you won't have to update labels manually when you build data components.
Click Done to save your data.
Success!
Your data is successfully uploaded. Since it’s not linked to a geography, some map-based functionality will be limited.
Need Help?
If you’re unsure which method to use or need support formatting your data, click the Get formatting help link on the upload page or start a chat with support.
