Finalsite Explore includes an interactive school map and address-based filtering to help families discover schools more easily. This feature is available in both Explore and Branded Shared Portals and supports zoning logic, distance calculations, and streamlined application or enrollment workflows.
In this Article
- Admin setup: Review your school address & enable zoning
- Map features for families
- Zoning for school groups & districts
- Mobile experience
- Browsing the Explore map directly on a school website
Admin setup: Review your school address & enable zoning
To ensure the map is accurate and enable the zoning feature, follow these steps.
Step 1: Navigate to your Finalsite Explore Content page
Go to Settings > Portal > Finalsite Explore Content.
Step 2: Confirm your school address is correct
The School Address is a required field when setting up your Explore or Branded Shared Portal, so it should already be filled in. However, we recommend you review it to confirm its accuracy, as the School Address field tells the system where to display your school on the Explore map.
Step 3 (optional): Enable address zoning for school groups & districts
For school groups and districts that require zoning, you will need to add your NCES School ID to this field and then check the Require Address Zoning box. This will add the Zoned label to your school in Finalsite Explore whenever it's a match for an address added by the user. Learn more about zoning in the Zoning for school groups & districts section below.
Map features for families
When viewing the Explore map, families can enter their address in the Address search bar on the left side to search for schools in their area. When they start entering their address, the system will give suggested address options for the family to choose from.
Users can also filter by Programs and Grades by using the drop-down menus below the Address search bar. Learn more about these filters in the "Finalsite Explore: Parent Experience" article.
Each school on the map will have a pin that families can hover over to see the school's name, address, and grades. When they click on a pin on the map, a panel will pop up with the school's profile. Users can click the expand arrows in the top right of the panel to make the profile window larger or the X icon to exit the pop-up window.
On the right side of the map, users can increase and decrease the map size by clicking the Toggle fullscreen view icon in the top right and the Zoom in and Zoom out buttons in the bottom right.
The map calculates the distance from your address to each school and will list options on the left side by proximity, with Zoned schools listed first if there are any matches.
Accessing the Finalsite Explore map
Families can access and browse the map whether they’re logged in or out of Finalsite Explore. Families who are not logged in using the direct /explore_schools link will be brought right to the map screen to start browsing. Visitors will be asked to log in/create an account once they click the Apply or Enroll buttons.
Learn more about accessing Finalsite Explore by visiting "Finalsite Explore Access."
Zoning for school groups & districts
Zoned schools are schools that serve specific geographic areas based on a family's home address. If zoning is enabled in Finalsite Explore, families who enter their home address will see which schools they are zoned for, based on NCES data.
- Zoned schools are marked with a Zoned label on the map when a visitor enters their address into the search bar.
- The zone will be marked in blue on the map.
- These schools are calculated automatically when zoning is enabled and the school has a valid NCES ID.
- Families may still view and apply to other schools, but zoned schools help guide them to the most relevant options based on location.
Mobile experience
On mobile, families can toggle between List view and Map view.
List view
The List view shows a list of schools, which will be sorted by distance when an address is entered in the Address bar.
Map view
The Map view shows the Interactive map with all features listed above. When you click on a school on the map, a box will appear at the bottom of the map with the school's profile.
Clearing the address search bar
If you need to reset the map and remove your address from the search bar:
- Manually clear the Address search bar by removing the entered address
- Press Search again
Browse the Explore map directly on a school website
Schools have the option to embed the full Explore experience directly onto their school website. This allows families to interact with the map, filter, and search for schools without leaving your site.
Important Note on Navigation: When a user clicks the Apply or Enroll buttons, the corresponding application page will automatically open in a new browser tab. The user will exit the embedded Explore view and be taken to the full application experience.
Ready to embed Explore? Visit these help articles:
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