Draw a route manually from contact locations
Switch your contacts to map view in Upper, draw a polygon around any cluster of pins, and turn that selection into a route — ideal for zone-based planning.
The contacts map view in Upper lets you draw a shape around any group of contact pins and turn that selection into a route. When a route is easier to picture as an area on a map than as a list of checkboxes — a neighborhood, a delivery zone, a dense cluster — drawing the boundary is the fastest way to build it.
When to use this
Some routes are easier to think about visually. If you need to send a driver to "this part of town," or split one busy area into two routes, drawing on the map beats selecting contacts one row at a time. Every pin inside the shape you draw is selected automatically; pins outside it are left out.
Your workspace may show "Technician" and "Service" labels instead of "Driver" and "Delivery." These terms are configurable, so what you see on screen can differ from the labels used here.
Before you start
- Address validation — Contacts with an address that could not be located may not appear on the map, so they cannot be picked up by a polygon. If you have imported recently, validate addresses first.
- Filter first if needed — The polygon only selects pins that are currently showing on the map. Applying a filter before you switch to map view keeps the wrong contacts out of your selection.
Draw a polygon and create a route
Open your contacts
Go to Manage > Contacts and stay on the My Contacts tab.
Switch to map view
Use the map/list toggle in the top-right corner to switch from the table to the map. Contacts appear as numbered pins, with nearby pins grouped into clusters.
Start the polygon tool
Select the polygon drawing control in the top-left corner of the map.
Place the shape
Click on the map to drop each corner point of your shape. Keep clicking to add as many points as you need — the shape can be a triangle, a rectangle, or any irregular outline.
Close the shape
Click back on the first point you placed to close the polygon. Every contact pin inside the boundary is selected, and the selected pins bounce to confirm they are included.
Create the route
With the contacts selected, open the + menu in the bulk actions toolbar and choose:
- Create New Route — start a brand-new route from the selected contacts.
- Add To Existing Route — add the selected contacts as stops to a route you already have.
If you choose Create New Route and no depot or start address is set for your workspace yet, Upper asks you to set a depot address before the route is built.
How the polygon selection works
- Click to drop each point; the boundary connects the points in order.
- The shape can be any size or form.
- Every contact pin inside the boundary is selected; pins outside it are excluded.
- A Clear Polygon button appears in the top-right of the map — use it to remove the shape and start over.
Apply your filters before switching to map view. Because the polygon only selects pins that are visible on the map, filtering first lets you draw a broad shape without picking up the wrong contacts.
Common ways to use it
| Goal | How |
|---|---|
| Neighborhood route | Draw a shape around the neighborhood and create a route. |
| Zone-based routing | Draw around the territory assigned to one driver. |
| Cluster selection | Encircle a dense group of nearby contacts. |
| Recovery route | Filter to the contacts you missed, then draw around them. |
Troubleshooting
Related
Delete contacts
Delete contacts in Upper one at a time from the row Action menu, or several at once by selecting rows. Export a backup first if you may need the data later.
Edit contact information
Edit any saved Upper contact from the Action menu — update the address, name, phone, email, time windows, notes, and custom fields, then save with Done.