A detailed Cartian map of terrain and place, sourced from open data
For newsrooms

Cited, reproducible maps your readers can trust

Every layer traces to a licensed source. Every view is reproducible. Cartian is the DOI-for-a-map, built for reporting that has to stand behind every figure.

Open the mapRequest early access
Available today

The reporting map, shipped and free to open

These are live the moment you open Cartian - no waitlist, no setup.

  • Interactive map

    Available now

    A fast, beautiful, pannable map of the real world on any device - desk or field.

  • Open-data layers

    Available now

    Turn on curated, editorially-clean layers: terrain, imagery, boundaries, nature, and more.

  • Intelligent search

    Available now

    Ask in plain language and the map moves, surfaces the right layers, and answers for you.

  • Provenance on every layer

    Available now

    The Cartouche shows each layer's source, provider, and license - traceable, not taken on faith.

  • Share the exact view

    Available now

    Send a link to precisely what you are looking at - it opens right where you left it.

  • Reproducible views

    Available now

    The same layers and framing render the same map - the groundwork for a citable record.

Provenance

Every layer wears its source

Credibility is a chain of custody. The Cartouche is where the map shows its work.

The Cartouche

Trace every figure back to its origin

Available now

When you publish a Cartian map, each layer names the dataset it came from, the provider that maintains it, and the license it ships under. An editor, a fact-checker, or a skeptical reader can follow the trail - so a map in your story is evidence, not decoration.

  • Source, provider, and license visible per layer
  • Editorially-clean open data - no non-commercial or credit-metered traps
  • The same provenance surface a fact-checker would ask for
A layered Cartian map with terrain and boundary data drawn from cited open sources
Reproducibility

A permanent, citable record of the map you published

Citable Snapshots

Pin the exact map behind a story

Early access

A citable Snapshot freezes the precise layers, versions, and view into a stable, content-addressed record resolved by a short Map Code. The map behind your reporting stays fixed even as the underlying data updates - so a correction, a follow-up, or an archive points at exactly what ran. This is the North Star, and it is rolling out in early access.

  • A short Map Code that resolves to the exact published map
  • Layers and versions pinned - the record does not drift
  • Built for archives, corrections, and citations
Request early access
A Cartian map view being pinned as a permanent, reproducible record
How it works

From open map to cited graphic

Four steps - the first three are live today; the last two ship in early access.

  1. Build the map

    Available now

    Open Cartian, turn on the layers your story needs, and frame the view. Free, no login to explore.

  2. Check the sources

    Available now

    Open the Cartouche to confirm each layer's provider and license before you publish.

  3. Share the view

    Available now

    Send a link to the exact map - editors and readers land on precisely what you framed.

  4. Cite and embed

    Early access

    Freeze a citable Snapshot with a Map Code and drop a live embed into your story - both in early access.

In the story

A living map inside your article

Story embed

Bring the map to the reader, not a flat screenshot

In development

A live, pannable Cartian map embedded in your article or CMS lets readers explore the evidence themselves - with the Cartouche and the Map Code burned in for credit and reproducibility. The embed is in development; today you can share a link that opens the exact view.

  • A pannable map in the article, not a static image
  • Provenance and the Map Code travel with the embed
  • Available now: share a link to any exact view
Request early access
A Cartian interactive map sized to sit inside a news article layout
See it for yourself

What a Cartian map looks like

The reporting surface itself, framed on a delta a desk might cover - every layer sourced.

Example map
The Mississippi River deltaSourced layers and a reproducible view - the groundwork for a citable record.
Questions

Common questions

  • What can a newsroom use Cartian for right now?

    Today you can open the interactive map for free, turn on curated open-data layers, use the intelligent search that moves the map and surfaces the right data, share a link to the exact view, and see every layer's source in the Cartouche. The citable Snapshot export and the story embed are rolling out in early access.

  • How does Cartian show the source of map data?

    Every layer carries visible provenance in the Cartouche: the dataset it came from, the provider, and the license. So when you publish a map, a reader (or a fact-checker, or an editor) can trace each layer back to its origin instead of taking the figure on faith.

  • Can I reproduce the exact map I published later?

    Reproducibility is the point. The citable Snapshot pins the exact layers, versions, and view into a stable record addressed by a short Map Code, so the map behind a story stays fixed even as underlying data updates. Snapshot exports and the Map Code are in early access - join the program and we will onboard your desk.

  • Can I embed an interactive Cartian map in a story?

    A story embed - a live, pannable map inside your article or CMS - is in development. Today you can share a link to any view, which opens the map exactly where you left it. If embedding is on your roadmap, request early access and we will prioritize your outlet.

  • Where does the underlying map data come from, and is it licensed for publication?

    Cartian is built on curated open data that permits commercial and editorial use, and each layer names its provider and license in the Cartouche. We deliberately exclude non-commercial and credit-metered sources, so the maps you publish do not carry hidden licensing traps.

  • Is Cartian free for journalists?

    Opening and exploring the interactive map is free. The newsroom-specific capabilities - citable Snapshots, the Map Code, and the story embed - are in early access; joining the program is free while we onboard partner newsrooms in small groups with hands-on setup.

  • How is this different from a static map export or a chart tool?

    A static export is a picture with no traceable sources; a chart tool renders numbers, not a living map. Cartian gives you an explorable map where every layer is sourced and every view is reproducible - so the map is both a compelling graphic and a citable, verifiable record.

More audiences

Cartian for every kind of work

The same living, citable map - built for the classroom, the museum floor, and the maps you publish.

Publish maps your readers can verify

Open the live map now, or request early access to citable Snapshots, the Map Code, and the story embed.

Open the mapRequest early access

The interactive map and per-layer provenance are free today. Citable exports and the story embed are in early access.