Editor Dataset Basics

Learn how to work with data in Editor.

Behind the scenes, the CARTO geospatial database is built on the PostgreSQL platform and supports advanced PostGIS capabilities. When you import data with the CARTO Editor, you are connecting a dataset to a standard database.

Connect Dataset

You can import data from a local file (or public URL), connect to an external dataset, or create an empty dataset.

1. Visit the Data page
2. Click New Dataset
3. Click the type of dataset you want to connect to

Tip: Use the arrow buttons to scroll for more options.

The following connect dataset options are available:

4. For any external services, you must enable these connectors before you can connect to an external dataset
5. For any external data sources, click Connect from the Connect to external data source section of your account options
6. Click CONNECT DATASET
7. Click the icon to toggle between public and private, before connecting your dataset

Your data (or external dataset) is imported and uploaded to your datasets dashboard. If your import fails, see Import Errors for a list of known errors and solutions.

Create an Empty Dataset

Optionally, you can add data manually or programmatically, with the Connect Dataset option.

1. Visit the Data page.
2. Click New Dataset.
3. Click Create empty dataset

A blank dataset containing the default CARTO columns and indexes are created and formatted.

4. Add rows and columns to your dataset with the CARTO sidebar options, or by using the context menu items

Additionally, you can add point, line, and polygon coordinates to your dataset with the Add Feature option, available from the MAP VIEW of the CARTO sidebar.

Locating Geospatial and Mappable Data

Ideally, you will upload your own location-based data to CARTO and create maps. If you do not have any data, or if you need help locating geospatial and mappable data, CARTO recommends external resources including:

• AirData Beta — Open data for international development
• Buenos Aires Data — Buenos Aires Open Data Portal
• Natural Earth Data — Data for borders, coastlines, cities, and collections
• OpenStreetMap — City data, including polygons for neighborhoods and cities
• US Census American Fact Finder — A guide from the Census Bureau for downloading geography datasets
• World Bank — World bank open data about development in countries globally

Syncing Datasets

Depending on your account type, you can sync datasets by connecting to an external Google Drive or Dropbox. You can even connect and sync data with a public URL.

• Create a new dataset and select Google Drive or Dropbox as the external service
• After your external connectors are enabled and connected, the connect dataset options display a list of your files
• Choose which external files you want to import and select the Sync my data options
• Click CONNECT DATASET
• Optionally, you can change these sync dataset options at anytime

Sync Dataset Options

If you have applied sync settings for your dataset, the shortest automatic syncing interval is every one hour. Optionally, you can force a manual synchronization up to every 15 minutes.

• Click Sync now to sync your data in real time.
• Alternatively, click view options to open the Sync Table options and select the sync settings.

Supported Geospatial Data Formats

CARTO supports a large number of data types and file formats. For details about the type of data that you can import, see Supported Geospatial Data Format.

Tip: It is highly recommended that you compress your files before importing them. CARTO supports .ZIP and .GZ (which includes .TAR.GZ and .TGZ) for compressing and archiving files.

If you are importing a non-supported file type, the import will fail. See Import Errors for a list of known error codes and solutions.

Manage Your Datasets

You can manage all of your datasets from your Datasets dashboard and change how the datasets are ordered, edit the privacy settings for your datasets, or delete a dataset.

Changing the Sort Order of your Datasets

The following procedure describes how to change the sort order of your datasets from your datasets dashboard.

1. Click Your datasets from your dashboard drop-down menu
2. Use the datasets toolbar to change how your datasets appear

The following sort options are available from the datasets toolbar:

Your dashboard refreshes, changing the sort order of how your datasets appear.

Dataset Privacy

You can protect your dataset and identify the privacy option as Public, With link, or Private. The dataset privacy options are managed through the dataset metadata.

Note: Dataset privacy is stored separately from Map privacy. This enables you to protect each layer of data within a map.

Edit the Dataset Privacy Settings when Connecting a Dataset

There is a shortcut to set the dataset privacy while connecting a new dataset.

• From the connect dataset options, click the privacy icon to toggle between the public and private option
• Click the privacy icon to change the dataset to public

Note: Datasets are private by default.

Edit the Dataset Privacy Settings from your Dashboard

1. Click Your datasets from your dashboard drop-down menu
2. Select the privacy setting for a dataset

You can click Change privacy from the shortcut options that appear when a dataset is selected, or click the privacy setting directly from a named dataset.

Edit the Dataset Privacy Settings from a Selected Dataset

1. Visit the Data page
2. Click the name of a dataset

The selected dataset opens in the Data View. You can open the privacy options from the Edit menu and from the lock icon.

Dataset Metadata

You can edit the attributes for each dataset and add metadata for your data. This is useful for keeping your datasets organized and discoverable in a search, as your repository of datasets increases.

Editing Metadata for a Dataset

1. Visit the Data page
2. Click the name of a dataset

The selected dataset opens in the Data View.

3. Click Edit metadata

The Dataset metadata options appear.

4. Edit the dataset name, description, source, attributions, license, and tags for the selected dataset. You can also change your dataset privacy settings.

The following dataset metadata options are available:

5. Click SAVE to close and save the dataset metadata attributes

Tip: You can add a description, add tags, or edit the dataset privacy setting directly from your Datasets dashboard. Once an initial dataset description and tag is entered using this shortcut, you must click Edit metadata from the selected dataset if you need to update these attributes again.

Delete Dataset

There are multiple ways to delete a dataset with the CARTO Editor. You can delete a dataset from your dashboard or directly from your Data View.

To Delete a Dataset from your Dashboard

1. Visit the Data page
2. Select a dataset so that it is highlighted.

Tip: You can select multiple datasets to be deleted.

The dataset options appear at the top of the list.

3. Click Delete dataset from the datasets options

A confirmation dialog appears, indicating the number and/or name of the dataset(s) that you are deleting.

4. Click OK, DELETE

The dataset(s) is deleted and removed from your dashboard.

Note: Deleted datasets cannot be recovered and are permanently removed. It is recommended to export your dataset before deleting it if it is important to you.

To Delete a Dataset from your Data View

1. Visit the Data page and select the name of the dataset to view

The page refreshes displaying the Data View for the selected dataset.

2. Select Delete this dataset from the Edit drop-down menu

A confirmation dialog appears, indicating the name of the selected dataset that you are deleting.

3. Click OK, DELETE

The dataset is deleted and the page refreshes, displaying your datasets dashboard.

Viewing Datasets

Once you have connected a dataset, you can view your data with the DATA VIEW or the MAP VIEW. You can toggle between these two views.

Data View

Data View allows you to inspect, filter, and query your data and see the results in a spreadsheet format. The CARTO sidebar enables you to write SQL queries, apply basic filters, merge two uploaded datasets, and add rows and columns.

Map View

Map View allows you to inspect your data as a layer over a basemap. You may apply SQL queries or filters on the view, style the data’s symbology using wizards (or by writing your own CartoCSS), and create infowindows.

In the Map View, you may style and filter your data but this view is not the same as a shareable map. In order to create a shareable map, click VISUALIZE.

Data Visualization

Once a dataset is connected, and you have customized your map, you can visualize how your map will appear when it is published. Visualizations store any filters or styles that you have applied to your map. If you have multiple layers applied to your map, you can also view how layers overlap with one another.

1. Click Your datasets from your dashboard drop-down menu
2. Click the name of a dataset
3. Select VISUALIZE from the Data View or Map View of the selected map
4. Click OK, CREATE MAP

A map is automatically generated based on the name of your dataset.

Note: By default, a map is created and added to your Maps dashboard using the same name as the selected dataset. You can always rename the map with the map metadata options. Once a map is visualized, you can publish it.

Tip: If you need to save a draft of your map while applying changes to a newer version, it is suggested to duplicate your map so that you have a backup copy of it.

Analyzing your Dataset

In some cases, when you connect a dataset and click on the MAP VIEW for the first time, the Analyzing dataset dialog appears. This analytical tool analyzes the data in each column, predicts how to visualize this data, and offers you snapshots of the visualized maps. You can select one of the possible map styles, or ignore the analyzing dataset suggestions.

CARTO built the algorithm for this feature to help you discover insights about your data, and to encourage you to select non-default map types for visualization. When you select an analyzing dataset option, the CartoCSS code is automatically applied and displays the map style instantly.

Supported Data Types

When you upload your data to CARTO, it will automatically assign a data type to your data such as string, number, date, or boolean. It’s important to check that the correct data type is assigned. It is especially important to make sure CARTO knows if a column is a date type so maps that rely on temporal information such as Torque, animate correctly.

The data type is located under the column name. It can be changed by clicking on the date type name under the column name to open a secondary navigation window from which you can select the correct data type.

Edit Dataset Options

The following options are available from the Edit menu of the Data View or Map View of a selected dataset.