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mapbox/mapbox-gl-js

★ 12,266TypeScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 3/5LicenseSetup · moderate

TLDR

A JavaScript library that renders fast, interactive, and customizable maps in web browsers using WebGL for smooth 3D terrain, real-time rotation, and fluid zoom transitions.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((mapbox-gl-js))
    Rendering
      WebGL powered
      Vector tiles
      3D terrain
    Map Styles
      Mapbox Style Spec
      Custom colors and fonts
      Data-driven styling
    Capabilities
      Clustering
      Satellite layers
      Hexbin visualization
    Platform
      Web browser
      Cross-platform styles
      Requires Mapbox account
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Code map

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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Embed an interactive styled map in a web app with custom colors, labels, 3D terrain, and satellite imagery layers

USE CASE 2

Build a data visualization on a map using clustering, hexbin layers, or data-driven color coding based on properties

USE CASE 3

Display location-based data consistently across web and mobile products by sharing the same Mapbox map style

Tech stack

TypeScriptJavaScriptWebGL

Getting it running

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Requires a free Mapbox account and an access token, the map will not render without a valid token.

Mapbox proprietary license, free within usage limits, but requires a Mapbox account and is subject to Mapbox's pricing above the free tier.

In plain English

Mapbox GL JS is a JavaScript library for displaying interactive, customizable maps inside a web browser. It renders maps using WebGL, a technology that uses the device's graphics hardware to produce smooth, high-performance visuals including 3D terrain, real-time rotation, and fluid zoom transitions that would be too slow with standard web rendering. The library uses two key specifications to drive its output. Map styles are defined in the Mapbox Style Specification, a format that describes which colors, fonts, and layers to show. The map data itself comes from vector tiles: small packets of geographic data that the library assembles and draws on the user's device rather than downloading a pre-rendered image from a server. This approach allows the visual style to be changed without fetching new images, and it makes very detailed zooming possible. Mapbox GL JS is the browser component of a larger cross-platform system. The same map styles and data can be used in companion SDKs for Android, iOS, macOS, and React Native mobile apps, meaning a developer can create a single visual style and apply it consistently across web and mobile products. Capabilities shown in the documentation include custom point clusters, hexbin data visualizations, satellite imagery layers, 3D terrain with custom markers, and data-driven styling. Using the library requires a Mapbox account. The license is tied to Mapbox's terms of service rather than a traditional open-source license, so it is not freely usable outside of Mapbox's platform and pricing structure.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Show me how to add mapbox-gl-js to a web page and display a map centered on New York with a dark custom style and a clickable marker
Prompt 2
How do I add a cluster layer to mapbox-gl-js that groups hundreds of location points and expands on click?
Prompt 3
How can I enable 3D terrain in mapbox-gl-js and tilt the camera to show elevation?
Prompt 4
Show me how to color a mapbox-gl-js layer differently based on a numeric data property, for example showing sales density by region
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