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Digital Scavenger Hunt Maps Explained: GPS Map vs. Custom Floor Map for Organizers

Published: Sep 14, 2026 | Updated: Oct 12, 2026

A clear map that helps participants find their way is a big part of a great digital scavenger hunt. At the same time, many organizers ask: “What if the map doesn’t load on event day?” or “Can we use a map at an indoor venue?”

This guide walks you through Petanco’s two map types, how to choose between them, and the safeguards that keep your map available on event day. It’s written for organizers and the teams who run events on the ground.

What you’ll learn in this article

How Petanco’s two map types (Standard Map (GPS) and Custom Map (Image)) differ, with pros and cons
Which map type fits your event
How Petanco keeps your map showing, including an automatic switch to a backup map
Why participants can keep collecting stamps even when the map isn’t visible
A four-step way to choose your map type, and how to set up a floor map in Petanco

The short answer: pick the map type that fits your event, and you can rely on the map feature

Petanco offers two map types you can choose per campaign: a Standard Map (GPS) for wide areas such as city walks, and a Custom Map (Image) for indoor venues such as trade shows and shopping malls.

The Standard Map (GPS) also comes with a backup map that’s prepared in advance and switches in automatically if the main map can’t be displayed. Check-ins work independently of the map, too. All you need to do is pick the map type that fits your event; there’s nothing extra to configure.

The two map types in Petanco

In Petanco, you choose the map type for each campaign under Options > Map Settings > Map Type. There are two choices.

Type 1: Standard Map (GPS), for wide-area and outdoor events

This type shows each spot on an online map using its GPS coordinates. The map tiles are loaded from an external map service. If your spots are densely packed, turn on Group Nearby Spots to cluster neighboring spots together. Participants can check their current location on the map, and each spot’s detail page offers a “Get directions in Google Maps” button.

Pros: On a city walk or tourism trail, participants can see at a glance where they are and where the next spot is.
Cons: GPS signals are weak indoors, and location accuracy drops inside buildings and underground.

Type 2: Custom Map (Image), for single-venue and indoor events

This type uses an image you upload as the map itself. Your facility floor plan, venue map, or an illustrated map becomes the map. Instead of geographic coordinates, you set each spot’s location by placing a marker on the image. Participants pinch to zoom in on the details.

Pros: Ideal for indoor events where GPS doesn’t work. Floor plans and custom-designed maps that don’t fit on a geographic map can be used as they are.
Cons: It doesn’t show the participant’s GPS location. It’s built for guiding people around a venue relative to the map.

GPS map vs. custom image map at a glance

Aspect	Standard Map (GPS)	Custom Map (Image)
How spots are placed	GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude)	Markers placed on the image
Map source	Map tiles from an external map service	The image you upload
Participant’s current location	Shown	Not shown
Indoors and underground	Weak (GPS accuracy drops)	Works reliably
Multiple floors	One geographic map	Register several maps; participants switch with a selector
Densely packed spots	Group Nearby Spots (clustering)	Pinch to zoom
Best for	City walks, tourism trails, downtown shop crawls	Trade shows, conferences, malls, festivals, campuses

Which map type fits your event

The right choice depends on how participants move through your event.

Aspect	Wide-area route	Single-venue event
Examples	City walks, tourism trails, downtown shop crawls, multi-venue tours	Trade shows, conferences, shopping malls, festivals, campus events
Setting	Outdoors, wide area	Indoors, compact venue
What participants want to know	Where they are and how to reach the next spot	What’s where inside the venue
Recommended map type	Standard Map (GPS)	Custom Map (Image)

How Petanco keeps your map available

Standard Map (GPS): switches to a backup map automatically

The Standard Map (GPS) loads its map data from an external map service. If a participant’s screen detects that the map provider isn’t responding or the map data won’t load, Petanco automatically switches to a backup map from a different provider. Participants don’t have to do anything, and there’s nothing for you to configure.

The backup map is prepared in advance and served by a different provider than the main map. Because the two come from different sources, they’re unlikely to go down at the same time. After the switch, spot locations and map controls work just as before.

Custom Map (Image): no reliance on external map services

A Custom Map (Image) displays the image you uploaded. It doesn’t load map data from an external map service, so it isn’t affected by one.

Check-ins work independently of the map

QR code scans and GPS check-ins are verified separately from the map display. A GPS check-in is judged by the distance between the participant’s device location and the spot, so it doesn’t matter whether the map is showing. Participants can also open spots from the spot list, not just the map, so they can keep going even if the map is hard to see.

What a custom floor map does for your operations

A custom image map is made for single-venue events, and it brings some practical advantages on event day.

No dependence on external map services: A custom map displays the image you uploaded and doesn’t load map data from an outside service, so it isn’t affected by one.
Multiple floors: Register a separate map for each floor (1F, 2F, 3F, and so on) and reorder them by drag and drop. When there are two or more maps, participants switch between them with a selector on the map page.
Reliable indoors and underground: Because it doesn’t depend on GPS signal, it works steadily inside exhibition halls, convention centers, and shopping malls.
Built for detail: Custom map images are kept at up to 2048px on the long edge (other images are compressed to 1280px), so detailed venue maps stay readable. You can upload JPEG, PNG, GIF, or WebP files up to 5MB, and they’re converted to WebP automatically.

How to choose your map type in 4 steps

STEP 1: Identify your event type. Will participants travel around a wide area (wide-area route), or gather at one venue (single-venue event)?
STEP 2: Check whether it’s indoors or outdoors. If most of your spots are indoors or underground, GPS isn’t a good fit.
STEP 3: Pick the map type. Choose “Standard Map (GPS)” for wide-area and outdoor events, and “Custom Map (Image)” for single-venue and indoor events.
STEP 4: Prepare the map. For a custom map, get your floor plan or venue map ready, then place a marker for each spot on it.

What about outdoor events in a compact area, like a street festival or a county fair? GPS works outdoors, so a Standard Map (GPS) with Group Nearby Spots turned on is a solid choice. If you already have an illustrated festival map, you can upload it as a Custom Map (Image) instead. Go with whichever your participants will find easier to read.

How to set up a custom floor map in Petanco

STEP 1: In Options, open Map Settings and turn on “Display Map Page.”
STEP 2: Under “Map Type,” select “Custom Map (Image).”
STEP 3: Click “Add Map,” enter a “Map Name” (for example, 1F or Hall A), and upload the “Map Image.” Repeat for each floor. A landscape image of 2048px or more is recommended.
STEP 4: Open each spot’s edit screen and go to the “Spot Map” tab. Under “Position on Map,” choose a map with “Select Map,” then click the image to place the marker. You can drag the marker to fine-tune its position.

Spots without a marker don’t appear on the map, but participants can still reach them from the spot list. Keep in mind that deleting a map also deletes the markers placed on it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the map stop showing?

The Standard Map (GPS) uses an external map service, so loading can occasionally slow down depending on the provider. If Petanco detects that the provider isn’t responding, it switches to a backup map automatically. Check-ins work independently of the map, so participants can keep collecting stamps whatever the state of the map.

Can I use the map feature at an indoor event where GPS doesn’t work?

Yes. Set the Map Type to “Custom Map (Image)” and upload a floor plan or venue map. That image becomes your map.

Will a custom map still display if an external map service is unstable?

A custom map displays the image you uploaded and doesn’t fetch geographic map tiles from an outside service. It isn’t affected by the stability of those services.

Does it work for venues with multiple floors?

Yes. You can register multiple custom maps, and participants switch floors with the selector on the map page.

Can I use the GPS map and a custom map together?

No. Each campaign uses one or the other. Choose the type that fits your event best.

Which check-in methods work best with a custom map at an indoor venue?

Petanco offers six check-in methods (QR code, GPS, keyword, quiz, puzzle, and NFC), with 23 patterns in total when you include combinations. Indoors, the methods that don’t depend on GPS signal (QR code, NFC, keyword, quiz, and puzzle) are the reliable choice.

Do I need to set anything up for the backup map?

No. The switch to the backup map happens automatically on participants’ screens, so there’s nothing for you to configure.

Summary

Petanco offers two map types: a Standard Map (GPS) for wide areas and outdoor events, and a Custom Map (Image) for single venues and indoor spaces.
Choose based on your event type (wide-area route or single venue) and whether it’s indoors or outdoors.
The Standard Map (GPS) switches to a backup map automatically if the main map provider isn’t responding.
A Custom Map (Image) doesn’t rely on external map services, so it isn’t affected by them.
Check-ins work independently of the map, so participants can keep collecting stamps.

Creating and testing a digital scavenger hunt in Petanco is free, so you can upload your own floor plan and see how it looks before you publish.

→ Create your digital scavenger hunt with Petanco for free

Author: Petanco Staff