# Creating a point map Follow the steps below to add points to the Marker Points Layer of the map. Note that the three ways of adding points (via coordinates, postcodes, or Unique Property Reference Numbers – UPRNs) are mutually exclusive; you can only use one at once. ## Adding points on a map using Longitude / Latitude or Eastings / Northings If your data has a list of Longitude / Latitude or Eastings / Northings, then you’re able to plot these on a map by simply dragging and dropping the relevant columns in your data into the Points: X and Points: Y fields of the visual.

A screenshot of points: X and points: Y data fields in Power BI with no data added. — A screenshot of points: X and points: Y data fields in Power BI.

{% hint style="info" %} ### Displaying longitude / latitude data on a map * The visual can display up to 30 000 individual points on the map. * To see any errors, turn on the 'Show more detailed messaging' toggle under *Format visual* > *Map Settings* in the Visualizations pane. * If the fields won’t populate with your data, make sure that on Table View the data type for your longitude / latitude data is set to *Decimal number* and **NOT** *Text*. * The visual determines whether the coordinates received are latitude/longitude or easting/northing based on the range of the numbers – it does not receive any additional coordinate system information, so it cannot recognise coordinates in other reference systems such as UTM. {% endhint %}

A screenshot of the Longitude type field set to Decimal number in Power BI.

## Adding points on a map using UPRNs or Postcodes If your data has a list of postcodes or UPRNs, then you’re able to plot these on a map by simply dragging and dropping the relevant column in your data into the *Points: Postcodes or UPRNs* field of the visual.

A screenshot of the 'Points: Postcodes or UPRNs' data field in Power BI, allowing users to plot Postcodes or UPRNs on their map. — The 'Points: Postcodes or UPRNs' data field in Power BI.

{% hint style="info" %} ### Displaying point data on a map * Postcodes are plotted according to their corresponding centroid. * The visual can display up to 30 000 individual points on the map. * Please note, if points appear on the same location, Points: pop-ups will have to be populated with a data attribute that splits out the points (see ['Adding clickable point pop-ups' on the Styling points on the map page](/more-than-maps/advanced-applications/os-ngd-data-in-dashboards/os-power-bi-map-visual/os-power-bi-map-visual-getting-started-guide/adding-data-to-the-map/styling-points-on-the-map.md#adding-clickable-point-pop-ups)). {% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %} ### Good to know * In order to retrieve locations for postcodes or UPRNs, the values you add to this field will be sent out of the visual to our geocoding service * The values are checked first to make sure they fit the format of a UK postcode or UPRN. Any data mistakenly added to this field that doesn't match the format won't be sent out of the visual * Once retrieved the locations are cached in the report and won't be re-requested by that copy of the visual {% endhint %} ## Missing UPRN or postcode points If you have incorrect or out-of-date postcodes and UPRNs in your data, they won’t geocode as points on the map. Clicking on the notification panel (the bell icon in the bottom left of the Power BI UI) will let you know which UPRNs or postcodes failed to geocode and are incorrect.

A screenshot of the notification panel in Power BI showing a series of incorrect postcodes that failed to geocode

More detailed information, such as how many postcodes / UPRNs the visual attempted to geocode and how many succeeded, can be found by clicking on the notification panel after turning on the 'Show more detailed messaging' toggle found under *Format visual* > *Map Settings* in the Visualizations pane.

Map Settings menu in the Visualizations pane showing the 'Show more detailed messaging' toggle turned on.

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