---
title: "Add a new style layer | Guides | Map design"
description: "Learn how to add new style layers to maps."
---

> For AI agents: a documentation index is available at [/llms.txt](https://docs.maptiler.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of all pages are available by appending .md to any URL.

# Add a new style layer

This page describes how to **add a new style layer to a map** in MapTiler Map Designer.

## Adding a new style layer

Go to the **Layers panel** (Alt+L) and click the **“plus”** button next to search. Select the **Layer** option.

![add-layer.png](./17472335038609_8e9a1b2039.webp)

**1\. First, select a source layer from data sources**.

![add-layer-1.png](./17491407635857_582bcd13b4.webp)

Data sources include **MapTiler data** such as MapTiler Planet, Contours, Terrain RGB etc. or **your own datasets**. (More details about data sources can be found [here](https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/data-sources).)

In this example, we chose a house number source layer from MapTiler Planet.

![choose-source-layer.png](./17475279805713_d12de17254.webp)

**2\. Specify the layer’s data content**.

Here you should choose the **geometry** of the layer, and if needed, you can **filter** out only specific values. Some layers can have multiple options of geometries. For example, the transportation layer can be both a LineString or Polygon.

We choose Point for a house number (as this is the only option), and we won’t be filtering any data.

![layer-content.png](./17476070633361_2e4bec05dd.webp)

**3\. Include the layer into your map.**

In this step, you select a parent **block**, **visualization** type, and layer **name**. Visualization options depend on the geometry of the data layer. 

For our house number layer, we used Symbol visualization.

![include-layer.png](./17476070641809_03639ceb0f.webp)

By clicking on Add layer, your new style layer will be added to your map with **default settings and colors**.

![added-layer.png](./17476070644113_93da64a737.webp)

You can easily adapt these. Layer styling is explained in this [article](https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/layer-styling). You can also change the **order** of the layer in the **Verticality** tab.

![style-layer.png](./17476070647441_cc74c05b43.webp)

## Geometry vs visualization

Geometry and visualization menus appear when adding a new style layer or working with already added layers. **Geometry** is related to **data representation,** whereas **visualization** specifies the **styling** options.

Let’s illustrate this on a Bridge layer. Bridge geometry can be either a **Polygon** or **LineString**. If you select Polygon, you will get areas of bridges that you can style. 

![geometry-polygon.png](./17494040316817_9be0147a5c.webp)

Bridge visualization can be a **Polygon, Line, Extrusion or Symbol**. However, don’t mix the Line visualization with LineString geometry. If you select Line visualization, you will still get bridge areas, only with a colored outline.

![visualization-line.png](./17494040319889_4d3186ab79.webp)

If you select LineString geometry, you get bridge lines.

![geometry-linestring.png](./17494040322193_6de9e420e4.webp)

You can visualize the LineString geometry as a **Line, Symbol, or Heatmap**.

![visualization-line-2.png](./17501792724369_ad6b20a760.webp)

The options available for visualization always depend on the geometry type. See the table below.

| **Geometry** | **Visualization** |
| --- | --- |
| Point | Point, Symbol, Heatmap |
| LineString | Line, Symbol, Heatmap |
| Polygon | Polygon, Line, Extrusion, Symbol |
| Mixed | Polygon, Line, Extrusion, Symbol, Heatmap |
| Terrain/hillshade layers | Hillshade |
| Raster/satellite layers | Raster |

More information about the visualization options can be found in [GL Style Specification](https://docs.maptiler.com/gl-style-specification/layers/#type). Geometry types encoded in MBTiles are based on the [MVT spec](https://github.com/mapbox/vector-tile-spec/tree/master/2.1#434-geometry-types).

## Conclusion

In MapTiler Map Designer, adding a new style layer consists of **3 simple steps** after clicking on the **“plus”** **button** in the **Layers panel** (Alt+L):

1.  select a source layer from data sources,
2.  specify the layer’s data content,
3.  include the layer in your map.

After adding, you can select a **geometry** and **visualization** type. Geometry comes from the nature of the original data processed to MBTiles. Visualization types depend on the geometry and allow different options for styling.

## Next steps

Continue to [Layer filters](https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/layer-filters/) to learn how layer filters in MapTiler Map Designer work.

## Useful links

[Data sources](https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/data-sources)  
[Layer styling](https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/layer-styling)  
[Layer filters](https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/layer-filters)  
[Layer type | GL Style Specification](https://docs.maptiler.com/gl-style-specification/layers/#type)  
[Geometry types | MVT spec](https://github.com/mapbox/vector-tile-spec/tree/master/2.1#434-geometry-types)