The Layer Library is your centralized hub for accessing, managing, and exploring all custom data uploaded or created within your mySidewalk organization. Whether you’re preparing a report, building a dashboard, or collaborating with teammates, this is where your work with custom layers begins.
🗂 Accessing the Layer Library
To get started, navigate to the Layers section from the left-hand main menu under Your Team’s Data.
In this view, you can:
Search by name or description using the search bar
Filter layers by tags, geometry type, or sort order
Manage tags: Click the Manage Tags button to create, rename, or remove tags that help organize your layers
View upload history: See recent uploads with timestamps and user info
Upload new layers using the green Upload data button
Each layer entry displays the geometry type (e.g., points, polygons), number of columns, and who uploaded it.
📄 Exploring a Layer
Clicking on a layer opens the Layer Page, where you can review metadata, preview your data on a map, generate visualizations, and export insights directly to reports or dashboards.
There are three main tabs:
Overview
Detailed
Visualizations
✏️ Edit Metadata in the Overview Tab
In the Overview tab, you can:
Click the More menu to edit the layer name or add a description
Manage variable-level metadata (label, units, formats) using the ✏️ icon
Edit and view:
Variables – Measured columns (like population or cases)
Time Elements – Time periods associated with your data
Geographies – The locations associated with each row, where you can select which column to use for labeling
This view helps ensure your data is clean, labeled, and ready for analysis or visualization.
🌍 Preview in Map or Table Views
The Detailed tab provides two ways to explore your data:
Map View: Visualize your data geographically. Click a location on the map to view data values.
Table View: Review your data in tabular format. You can sort, filter columns, and download a CSV directly using the Download button.
📊 Autogenerated Visualizations
In the Visualizations tab, you’ll see Suggested Next Steps — a beta feature that automatically recommends charts based on your data. These can include:
Bar Charts
Trend Charts
Maps
Tables
Callouts
Correlation Plots
You can click any card to preview it, then Send to Report or add it directly to a dashboard. These suggestions are a quick way to jumpstart your analysis and share compelling visuals.
🏷 Managing Tags
Tags help you organize your layer library. Use the Manage Tags button on the Layers library page to create or rename tags and apply them to layers. Tags make it easier to group related datasets and filter quickly, especially when working with many uploads.