Restrict routes to a specific area
Create a Restricted Area in Upper to flag stops that fall inside no-go zones, so dispatchers can review them before a route is built or dispatched.
A Restricted Area is a zone you draw on the map to mark territory you'd rather keep out of your routes — a no-go neighborhood, an out-of-service region, or a temporary closure. When a stop falls inside a Restricted Area, Upper flags it so a dispatcher can review it before the route goes out, instead of relying on anyone to remember the rule by heart.
Restricted Areas are one of the two area types in Service Area, alongside Allowed Areas. You can use either on its own or combine them for finer control over where your work happens.
Service Area is available on higher plans and is set up by an account owner or admin. If you don't see it under Settings, check with your workspace owner about your plan and permissions.
How a Restricted Area behaves
When a stop's address falls inside a Restricted Area, Upper marks it as inside a restricted zone. The stop is flagged for review — it is not automatically removed from the route. This lets a dispatcher decide what to do with it: reassign it, drop it, or keep it deliberately.
A Restricted Area flags stops; it does not delete them or block a route from being built. Always review flagged stops before moving a route to Ready for Dispatch.
Create a Restricted Area
Open Service Area
In the left sidebar go to Manage > Settings, then open Service Area under the Coverage group.
Start a new area
Select the + add button above the area list, then choose Create Restricted Area.
Name the area
Enter an Area Name in the modal. A name is required — Upper will prompt you with "Area Name is required" if you leave it blank.
Draw the boundary
Use Search a map area to center the map, then choose Draw area on a map and outline the zone you want to restrict. Switch between Map and Satellite views if it helps you trace the boundary.
Save
Select Save. The new zone appears in the area list with an Area Type of Restricted and a Status of Active.
Combine with an Allowed Area
You can pair the two area types to keep work inside a broad region while carving out specific exclusions:
Create an Allowed Area for your service region
From the + menu, choose Create Allowed Area and draw your overall coverage zone.
Add Restricted Areas for the exclusions
Create one or more Restricted Areas for the pockets inside that region you want to flag.
Review flagged stops as you build routes
Stops inside the Restricted zones are flagged so you can handle them before dispatch.
Manage existing areas
Each row in the area list has an Actions menu (the … menu) where you can change a zone's status or remove it. You can also search the list by name using the Search box above it.
Your workspace may show Technician / Service labels instead of Driver / Delivery (for example "Proof of Service" rather than "Proof of Delivery"). Both label sets refer to the same features.
Related
Optimization parameters
Set Upper's route optimization defaults in User Settings: optimize for distance or time, balance workload across drivers, service time, vehicle type, and road preferences.
Set default service time
Set a default service time in Upper so route ETAs reflect real time spent at each stop. Adjust the per-stop average once in User Settings.