FAQ - Edumaps

My login does not work. What should I do?

The respective error message will help you here.

Error: “User not found”
1. You entered the wrong username or email.
2. The user account has not been created yet with this username or with the email provided.
3. Check whether you are using the correct server. Edumaps is currently running on the following servers: Main server www.edumaps.de, Lower Saxony server with nds.edumaps.de, Hesse server with he.edumaps.de, as well as North Rhine-Westphalia with nrw.edumaps.de. Each server has a separate user database.
4. As the case may be, your admin might have changed your email address or deleted your user account. Please contact your admin directly.
Error: “Incorrect password”
1. Check if the password was entered incorrectly. Show the entered password by clicking on the eye icon.
2. If you forgot your password, go to the Forgot Password page and have a password recovery link emailed to you.
3. If you have a teacher or student account, please have your admin reset the password.
Error: “A user with your email already exists”
1. This error message only appears when using single sign-ons, such as Edupool, Vidis, IServ, or Moin.
2. First possibility: You may have previously created an account on Edumaps, either directly registered or made a course booking using your email address. Thus, an account with your email address already exists, and the single sign-on does not work directly.
3. Second possibility: A single sign-on was used in the past and a user account was created with the transferred email. Our server checks whether the submitted identifier is already in use and which email was assigned to it. If the identifier was changed and the same email was still transferred, the single sign-on does not work.
4. Solution: In both cases, you need to generate a new password on the Forgot Password page. Then log in using this password. Afterwards, go to the Single Sign-On Management page and activate “Edupool”.
For admin/teachers/students: I put the wrong email when setting up my account.
1. You can correct your email address. For this you log in directly with your username (not with your email).
2. Then open the My Account page and click on “Change email”.
3. Enter the corrected email and click “Save”.
4. Open the confirmation email in your inbox (at your mail service provider) and click the confirmation link.

Note:
If you have a student or teacher account, your admin (school admin) can use the List of Accounts page to set a new email and a new password for your account.

How do I report a technical problem (bug)?

We need the following information from you, so that we can check and fix the problem:

Link to affected page or map.
What single steps are necessary to create the problem?
What is the error message?
Which browser do you use on which device?
Optional: A screenshot that shows the problem. Ideally, create a short screen recording. You can upload the screen recording video directly to one of your maps and then send it to us.

If there is a problem with an account, we need a login and password or at least the email address.

Why can I not open the map?

There can be several reasons for this. The error message is your best guide.

Error: “This map can only be accessed with the correct link.”
The link is incorrect. Check whether the link is complete and correct.
Error: “Only members of the school may access this map.”
The user must belong to the same school as the map creator.
Error: “You do not have access to this map or the map has been deleted.”
Either the link is incorrect or the map has already been deleted.
Error: “Password not correct”
The map is password protected, and you have entered the wrong password.
Error: “Access is only for logged-in users”
You need to log in to access the map.
Error: “Map does not exist”
The map does not exist or has been deleted.

Also make sure that the maps and the users are located on the same server. For example, www.edumaps.de is a different server than he.edumaps.de and consequently has a completely different database and different maps.

I cannot confirm my account because the email does not arrive?

You can change your email anytime in the My Account page. If your account belongs to a school (you can see this in the My Account page), the admin can also change your email at any time.

Why have I not received the registration email or the email inviting a user to our school?

This may well be due to your email service. The email from our mail server may be blocked by your mail server as spam, before it reaches your inbox.

Please test an alternative email address from a different mail provider and see if the email arrives there. If so, the problem is your email server. Then contact your admin so our domain gets whitelisted.

Please also always check your spam folder to see if our email ended up there by mistake.

I can no longer log in using single-sign-on. How can I log in to my account now?

If the single-sign-on (IServ, Edupool, Sesam, Schulportal, …) no longer works, then you can use forgot password (with the email stored with your single-sign-on) to generate a password for your account. With your email and this password you can then log in as usual via the Edumaps login page. A single-sign-on is no longer required.

If you have not provided an email address for your account, please contact your school administrator. The admin can change the email address and password for your account.

Do you need to log in to view a map?

It depends on the settings chosen by the map creator for the map link. In the map sharing dialog, you can set:

Read map
Edit map
Access for registered users only

If "Access for registered users only" is not checked, then the map can be accessed anonymously. Only the link to the map is required for this.

How do I share a map with my students?

To share a map, click on the blue share button at the top right . A link will then be displayed to you. You can distribute this link to all your students (or only to selected students).

If you want to distribute the map to a specific class (which you created under Create Classes), click on "Share Map" in view mode and choose "Share with Class" from the dropdown. In the dialog that opens, select the corresponding class from the dropdown. Each student will then receive a notification on Edumaps that a map has been shared with them. Each student will also find the map again on the Received Maps page.

As a reminder: If you select “My School (Read)” under sharing in the map settings, then all students at your school will see this shared map on the “Maps of My School” page and can access it.

How can I share a map with different rights: editing for my colleagues, reading for my students?

The easiest way to do this is if all users are registered with Edumaps. Then you can create classes/groups and in the sharing dropdown simply select “Share with class”. For one group with editing rights, for the other group with reading rights.

If you only want to share your map via link, this is also possible:
(1) Open the map sharing dialog and select “Edit map”. Optionally, you can enable "Access only for registered users". Copy the link and distribute it to your colleagues.
(2) To give students read-only access to your map, reopen the map sharing dialog and select “Read map”. Copy the link and distribute it to your students.

For more information on access rights:

How can I share a map with teachers to edit via a link with login, while allowing students to view the map without login?

Share the map with your teachers as follows:

(1) Open the map sharing dialog and select "Edit Map". Enable "Access for registered users only". Copy the link and distribute it to your colleagues.

(2) To give students read-only access to your map, open the map sharing dialog again and select "Read Map". Do not click the "Access for registered users only" checkbox. Copy the link and distribute it to your students.

More information on access permissions:

How do I share a map with a large group of teachers for editing?

If you want to distribute your map to a variety of teachers/colleagues, you have two options:

1. Via map link:
Click on the button to share the map . Set "Edit" and optionally "Access for registered users only". Copy the link. You can distribute this link to your colleagues using the communication method you prefer (such as email or chat).
If you want to share the same map with students or other people who should have read-only access, open the map sharing dialog again and select "Read" and optionally "Access for registered users only".

2. Via class sharing:
Create a group of all teachers (on the Manage Classes page). Then go to your map, click on the button to share the map and select "Share with class" in the dropdown. Select the group of teachers, then choose "Edit map" as the access right and confirm. All teachers will now find the shared map on the Received Maps page. Additionally, all teachers will receive a notification.

Tip: It would be time-consuming if every teacher created their own group of teachers. You can save a lot of time here by using the admin account. With the admin account, you can create a group of teachers (under Manage Classes). This group can then be adopted by all other teachers under Predefined Classes. Changes to the group can then be centrally managed by the admin, keeping the group up to date.

How do I share a map to a large group of teachers (but not students)?

If you want to distribute your map to a large number of teachers/colleagues but not to students, first create a group of teachers under Manage Classes.

Then go to your map and click on the “Share map” button and select “Share to Group” in the dropdown. In the dialog that opens, select the appropriate group from the dropdown. Each teacher will then receive a notification on Edumaps that a map has been shared to him.

Each teacher will also find the map on the Received Maps page.

Tip: You can create a group of teachers with the admin account (under Manage Classes). This group can then be adopted by all other teachers under Prepared Classes. The admin can make changes to the group centrally.

How do I share a map with one group of teachers for reading and a second group of teachers for editing?

If you want to share your map only via a link, you can click on the blue "Share Map" button and choose "Link to Map" to retrieve two different links. Either "Read Map" or "Edit Map" - Enable the checkbox "Access for registered users only" to require a login. Otherwise, no login is needed to read or edit the map.

If you want to share the map directly with user groups instead of via a link, proceed as follows:

First, create two groups of teachers on the Manage Classes page.
Then go to your map and click the "Share Map" button and select "Share with class" from the dropdown. In the dialog that opens, select the first group of teachers from the dropdown. Additionally, select "Edit Map". Confirm by clicking the OK button. Each teacher will then receive a notification on Edumaps that a map has been shared with them.
Click "Share Map" and "Share with class" again. Now select the second group of teachers from the dropdown. Additionally, select "Read Map". Confirm by clicking the OK button. This second group of teachers will receive a notification about the shared map, but these users only have read access.

It should be noted that every teacher can find the map on the Received Maps page (first group with editing rights, second group with reading rights).

How can multiple teachers work on multiple maps that can be found centrally?

If you want many maps to be edited by several teachers and to be found centrally, there are two ways to set this up:

Option 1:
You use the page My Folders, create a folder that contains your maps, and share the folder to all teachers. You can share the folder with editing rights so that the other teachers can also add maps.

Option 2:
You can share maps to appear on the Received Maps page of each teacher. To do this, proceed as follows:

First create a group of teachers under Manage Classes.
Then go to your map and click the Share Map button top right and select “Share to Group” in the dropdown.
Select your teacher group in the dropdown and confirm.
Now all teachers can find this map under Received Maps.
Furthermore, all teachers will receive a notification about the new map the next time they visit Edumaps.

Tip: You can create a group of teachers with the admin account (under Manage Classes). This group can then be adopted by all other teachers under Preset Classes. The admin can then make changes to the group centrally.

How can my students find the link to a shared map again?

When a student is logged in, they can view all previously visited maps in the menu under “My Material” → “Visited Maps”.

If the students are anonymous on Edumaps, visited maps cannot be found again.

If you have created a map and set its sharing to “My School (Read)”, the map will be displayed to all students under “Maps of My School”.

Tip: If you work with multiple maps that you distribute, you can create a map where you centrally collect these maps. This (parent) map can then be distributed to your students.

If all students have an account, you can share a map with the students by selecting “Share with class” in the map-sharing dropdown. The shared map will then appear in all students' “Received Maps” folder and they will receive a notification.

What rights does the user have when editing without login?

If the user is not logged in and visits the map, he is automatically logged in as "anonymous". As "anonymous" he can on the map:

- create new boxes (including material uploads)
- Edit boxes
- Anonymous cannot delete boxes
- Anonymous cannot change map data or column data, these are protected.

If the user is already logged in with an account and visits the map, he has full access to the map including changing/deleting columns and boxes. These changes also appear in the map history.

The map owner can track all changes in the map history and restore the previous state of changed boxes.

How to delete your own map?

Open your map. Switch to editing mode by clicking on the red icon ) in the upper-right. Then open the map menu by clicking on the icon with the three dots at the top right ( ) and select “Delete Map” from the dropdown.

What input options are available?

In the box editor, many types of inputs are possible. See details under Tutorial: Inputs and formatting in the box editor.

What shortcuts are available in Edumaps? List of all keyboard shortcuts.

You can find all keyboard shortcuts in the map: Tutorial: Keyboard Shortcuts

Is there an easier way to navigate/scroll on the map?

Yes. Hold down the SPACE key and drag with the mouse, or drag while holding the middle mouse button. Alternatively, hold down CTRL and ALT and move the mouse. This way you get a simple scrolling behavior like on a tablet/smartphone.

Can I upload multiple files to a box at once?

Yes, this is possible. To do this, select several files on your computer and drag and drop them into the box. Then these files are uploaded one by one.

Why is the set font displayed correctly on PC/MAC, but not on some smartphones (Android/iPhone) and tablets (iPad)?

We currently use fonts in the map editor that are standard on both Windows and Mac operating systems. Depending on the version, for example, only three fonts are available with Android (selectable with “Standard”, “Courier New” and “Times New Roman”). The other fonts are not rendered on Android.

If a font is missing on the mobile device, the device uses an existing font such as “Times New Roman”.

Tip: The "Raleway" font is available on all devices because we load it separately for our website.

How can I copy a map?

You can copy a map by clicking the three dots in the top right corner () and choosing “ Copy Map”.

Copying a map creates a duplicate map that is only available to you. You can edit it as you like, the original remains unchanged.

Why is the “Copy map” option missing from the map menu?

When you open a map while logged in, you have the map menu at the top right with the “Copy map” option, regardless of whether you have read or edit rights.

If this option is missing, you are probably not logged in (anonymous visitor) or the map owner has disabled map copying in the map settings.

How can I backup my map?

In edit mode you find the “Export map” in the map menu. This allows you to save the map as a JSON file and restore it in the future (via “Import Edumaps (json)”).

An alternative way is to create a backup of the map by making a copy of the map (“Copy Map”"). In this case, a corresponding note should also be entered in the map title (e.g. “Backup” or “Copy”).

How can I copy a column from another map?

Click on the three dots next to the “Add Column” button and select “Copy column from map”. Then navigate to the map where the column is located. You will now see a red plus icon on the columns, select the column you want to copy. You will then be automatically redirected back to your map. There you will find the copied column with all the boxes.

How can I start the audio recorder? An error message about the MediaRecorder is displayed in the browser.

With older versions of Safari, the MediaRecorder, which is necessary for recording microphone/audio in the browser, is disabled by default.

MAC: To activate the MediaRecorder in Safari on the MAC, you can proceed as follows:

1. Open Safari → Settings → Advanced.
2. Activate the option at the bottom “Show Developer menu in menu bar”.
3. Then go to Safari → Developer → Experimental Features and activate the “MediaRecorder” (tick checkbox).

iPhone/iPad: Activate the MediaRecorder in Safari on iPhone/iPad as follows:

1. Open Settings → Safari → Adanvanced → Experimental Features
2. Activate “MediaRecorder”.

What does “Export to Moodle” mean?

With the function “Export to Moodle” you can export your map directly as a Moodle course.

An mbz file will be created which you can import directly into Moodle.

I have created a map on my iPad but cannot find it under “My Maps”?

In this case, you are not logged in to one of the devices or you are logged in with a different account. After logging in, the same maps are always displayed for each account.

Is there a folder structure for organizing custom maps? How can I collect maps in a folder?

You can collect as many maps as you like on the page My Folders. Just create a folder and add maps to it. Or you can visit a map, then click the map menu and choose “Bookmark (in Folder)”. So you can collect and organize any maps in folders.

By the way, an alternative to folders is to use tags. Each map can be saved with tags. Then on the page My Maps you can click on a tag and only maps containing that keyword will be displayed.

Can I embed a map as an iframe in an external website? Can I use iframes?

The use of iframes is not permitted on Edumaps, as there are several reasons (especially security) against it:

1. Security Risks: If web pages can be embedded, the pages containing the iFrame can run their own code. For example, it is possible to overlay input fields with other input fields (invisibly) and to access data or to set malicious links (so-called Clickjacking).

2. Usability: Most users use smartphones and tablets (currently around 60 % of global users), that is, small screens are often used. If the map is embedded, the iFrame takes up space. In addition, double scrolling (main page and also in the iFrame) is necessary.

3.Navigation: With an embedded iFrame, the “back” button of the browser cannot be used, because users cannot navigate back in iFrames. Instead, it navigates back from the embedding page.

4. Accessibility: Screen readers (used by visually impaired visitors) do not work with iFrames.

Solution: Simply use a link to your map. If necessary, generate a preview image to give your visitors an idea of the map.

If you would like to present your map on a monitor alongside other external content, you can place two browser windows next to each other. Alternatively, you can also put the external content on your map.

Can I crop a photo I took directly from the photo function of the box editor?

We do not offer a cutting function for photos. Alternatively you can:

Take a photo with your smartphone.
Crop the photo on your smartphone.
Upload the photo to your box.

How can I share a map as a QR code?

If you want the link to a map as a QR code, click on the blue “Share Map” button at the top right and select “Link to Map” from the dropdown. Then, a share link dialog will open, which also displays the QR code. Clicking on the QR code will open it as a larger image.

How can I copy the QR code as a graphic when sharing the map?

Right click on the QR code, then select “Copy image”. You can then paste the QR code into a Word document or similar.

Can I use a GIF animation as a map background?

Yes, that is possible. Simply click “Own picture” in the map editor and upload the GIF graphic. This is then displayed as an animated background.

How can I put a GIF animation inside a box that plays immediately?

First of all, it should be mentioned that Edumaps always generates still thumbnails of uploaded media. A thumbnail saves loading time because some GIFs require a lot of memory. In addition, many maps appear restless when several GIFs are playing at the same time.

However, if you want to see a GIF animation right in your box without having to click on a thumbnail, proceed as follows:

Upload the GIF file to your box. UPLOAD1 appears.
Put a hash character # directly after the entry UPLOAD1, i.e. UPLOAD1#.
Save the box.
Reload the entire page in the browser and you will see the GIF start playing in the box immediately.

Note: You can also include links to external GIF files in the box content. These GIF files will also play instantly. Make sure that the link ends with .gif.

How can I generate a thumbnail for a link?

To create a preview image for a link, insert the link in the editor on its own line. Make sure there is no text on the previous line. A preview image is then automatically generated, which can take up to a minute. If you want a title under the preview image, write it directly on the next line after the link.

Is it possible to change the preview image generated for a link and replace it with a custom image?

To set a custom preview image, you can take a screenshot of the webpage and upload it into the box. Then, instead of a description, place the link directly below UPLOAD1. Also, put an exclamation mark in front of it (so !LINK1). This will link to the external webpage instead of the image. You can also add a title. Overall, it would look like this:

UPLOAD1
!LINK1
My Title

How can I put checkboxes in the box content?

To do this, you can set the symbols ▢ and 🗹 directly at the beginning of the respective line and thus create a list of checkboxes. Copy the symbols directly from here ▢ 🗹 or use the emoji dropdown directly in the editor.

Checkboxes can also be set with Markdown syntax ([] and [x]). In edit mode, you can then click on the checkboxes to check or uncheck them. The state of the checkboxes is saved in the box content.

How can I reduce the size of my video? Maximum file size is exceeded.

First of all: Large files make the server slow (especially processing/converting videos) and put a strain on the available bandwidth. At Edumaps we want all our users to enjoy an extremely fast website, therefore we must limit the upload size in the interest of all.

Many videos are not optimally converted. That means they are way too big for their size.

In order to downsize the video, it must be properly converted, for example to the "480p" image format (image size 852px × 480px). You may have video compression software directly on your PC/Mac computer for this purpose.

If you do not have any software or do not want to install anything, you can use an online video compression service. For example: Freeconvert.com.

The free HandBrake is available for PC and MAC. Just install, start the program and then drag and drop the video file. Then select the template “General” → “Very Fast 480p30” from the “Preset” dropdown. Then click on the green "Start Encode" button, wait for the conversion (a few minutes) and your new reduced video file is ready.

For Android you can use any video converting app.

For iPhone and iPad you can use an app like The Video Converter.

Can you import Padlets to Edumaps?

Yes, this is possible with just a few clicks. Instructions can be found on the Padlet import page.

Why are ratings and comments not taken over when importing from Padlet?

This data is not directly accessible via the Padlet API. Padlet only exports the columns and boxes, but not the other data.

Why is the background not imported when importing a Padlet?

The background is not passed by the Padlet API and therefore cannot be transferred. Please manually upload the background image into the imported map.

Why are all boxes arranged in one column when importing from Padlet?

Your padlet must have sections, these correspond to columns in Edumaps. If no sections are created, the export data does not include where which box is assigned to. Therefore, all boxes are placed in one column during the import.

Why are not all files transferred when importing a Padlet?

After you import a Padlet, it may happen that not all files are transferred from the Padlet server to Edumaps. This can have the following reasons:

The file format is not accepted by our server (e.g. ZIP files). See Allowed file formats.
The file is larger than 250 MB.
The file no longer exists on the Padlet server.

If such an error occurs, you can edit the box and upload the file manually.

If a video file is larger than 250 MB, convert the video to a smaller format, see instruction here.

Why does the message “Invalid API key” appear when importing Padlets?

This indicates that on the “Import Padlet” page, an incorrect value has been entered in the input field “Your Padlet Developer Key” at the bottom. You can find the developer key at Padlet.com on the “Padlet-Developer” page. With the developer key you can import all pinboards that have been created directly by you. However, it does not apply to pinboards of other users.

If you are not using a developer key, please make sure that no value is entered in the input field “Your Padlet developer key”. You also need to add the user “Edumaps” as an admin for each individual Padlet pinboard.

How can I import all Padlets from all teachers at once?

For data protection reasons, each user must perform the import for their own content. Technically, the Padlet import is done individually, as often a large amount of data is transferred with just one Padlet.

How can I place a description at the heading (as basic information for the map)?

In the map settings under Extras you will find the option "Text under map title". Enter the additional text there that should appear below the heading.

How can I sort the maps in my map list? Can I create directories?

First it should be mentioned that maps are sorted chronologically, which means that the newest maps are at the top of the list.

To quickly find the desired map on “My Maps”, you can use the small search box. It shows you the filtered maps when you enter the search term. All titles and tags of your maps are considered for the search.

It is also very helpful to assign tags (keywords) to each map. Then, in the map list, you can use the dropdown "Tags" (to the right of the search field) to display only maps of a chosen tag.

Another alternative is to create a central map on which you store the links to your maps and thus determine the order yourself.

You can also create folders and collect your maps there. To create a sorting here, assign the map titles alphabetically or numbered accordingly.

How do I turn off ads on YouTube videos?

On the Youtube support page you find the paragraph:

“Ads appear on brand safe sites: YouTube works diligently so that our advertisers' brands appear on sites that reflect our respective core values. Our systems closely evaluate websites and their content against various factors when finding out whether to turn on In-stream ads on YouTube embeds. These factors include a strict set of guidelines on content like adult imagery, violence, inappropriate and hateful language, and sites that promote infringement.”

There is therefore no way to switch off the advertisements in front of the videos (or above the videos) when YouTube is directly integrated. Youtube decides for itself whether to display an ad, provided the video owner has enabled ads.

So the recommendation for Edumaps: Upload your videos directly to Edumaps. This is ad-free and data protection compliant.

If the videos are from third parties, please check the copyright. If corresponding rights of use have been released, you can upload the video to Edumaps.

Basically it is recommend to use the Chrome extension Adblock Plus (or Adblock for Youtube), which suppresses all advertisements.

Websites that play YouTube videos via proxies and thus bypass advertising (such as www.video.link) are not recommended, Firstly, because these websites are very likely to be switched off and secondly, the IP and other browser data go directly to the operators of these websites, which violates privacy.

Can it be displayed directly in the box who has registered via comment?

If you want to see the names of users directly on the map, the rating function is available to you. To do this, simply activate “Allow ratings” in the box and tell the students to rate the box as “Understood”. Then, in edit mode, click on the number of votes, and you will be shown which students have registered.

Alternatively, you can share the map with editing rights, and the students can enter their names in each box.

How can I delete my account?

You can do this directly in the My Account page, there under “Delete account”. If you are a customer, you will be informed also cancel the debit agreement with Paypal/Stripe before deletion.

Can you recover a deleted account?

A deleted account is irretrievably deleted. We adhere to the strict German data protection. Therefore, the deletion page also says “Deleting is final and cannot be undone!” and at the bottom of the page: “Confirm the final deletion of the account”.

I cannot log in because I forgot my password.

You can reset your password here and change it here after logging in.

Where do I get an admin account (school admin)?

For school licenses, you have received the login to the admin account by email.
If you have a district license, your media center will have the login information for your school. Please then contact the responsible media center.
For state licenses, your school likely received an email with all login details. For example, in the state of Lower Saxony, emails from the Ministry of Culture were sent to schools in February 2022.

Can a second person log in as an admin with their own email address?

No, this is not possible. Each school has one admin account with one email address. Each account is assigned an exact email. If you want a second person to have access to the admin account, then you can pass on the admin login data to this trusted person. However, this is your own responsibility.

How many admin accounts can a school have? Are two admin accounts possible? How can the admin role or admin rights be assigned to several people?

Each school can only have one admin account. An exact email is assigned to this admin account. Two school admins can technically not be provided. If you want several people to have admin rights, you must pass on the admin login to this trustworthy person (at your own responsibility). Furthermore, several users can use an admin account at the same time.

Does the admin only have to create the teacher accounts or also all student accounts?

All accounts (student accounts and teacher accounts) are created centrally via the admin account. Teachers cannot create student accounts. Teachers can put together their own classes or groups from all the students at the school.

I have entered an incorrect email in the admin account, how can I change it?

If you entered an incorrect email address in the admin account, you can change it as follows:

Login with your admin account.
View the My Account page.
There click on “Change email”.
Specify a new email and save.
Open the confirmation mail in your inbox (at your mail service provider) and click on the confirmation link. Be sure to also check the spam folder to see if the email ended up there.

If you wish, you can also assign a new password under “My Account”.

How can I create student accounts? Can teachers create student accounts?

You need an admin account to create student accounts. See also Tutorials for Admin.

All accounts are managed via the respective admin account (school account). Each school manages its own teacher and student accounts. Only admin accounts can create teachers and students, teachers cannot do this, otherwise multiple accounts would be created for the same student.

You received the credentials for the admin account by email when you purchased the school license.

Is there a way to automate the assignment of students to classes? How can I assign student accounts to classes more quickly?

Student accounts are created using an admin account. The admin account has access to the Create Accounts page. When creating student accounts, you can enter a name and email as well as a class information.

On the Create accounts page you find the button “Create via list of names/emails”. If you click on it, you will see an option to create class names directly as classes/groups in Edumaps or add users to existing classes with the same name.

Note: Student name and class information will be displayed in the List of Accounts page and in Manage classes. You can also use the search there to quickly filter by class information. If you have entered a search term (the class name), a button “Add all students to the class” will appear, use this button.

Alternative: Class information by students
Each student can enter their class in the “Notes” field when initializing their account. You will then see this stored information on the Manage classes page, where you can quickly find the class using a search. For example, if you enter “7A” in the search field, only the students who have entered “7A” will be displayed. Now you can simply click on the green ticks below each other to add the students to your new group.

How can I, as an admin, set multiple passwords when creating student accounts?

It has proven effective for the school admin to set only a start password for student accounts when creating accounts. Upon the first login, a message appears prompting the student to set up the account, during which the student can set their personal password.

If a unique password is desired for each new account, simply activate the “Individual Passwords” option.

How can I, as an admin, reset each student’s password to a random password?

As an administrator, you can reset your students’ passwords as follows and provide new login credentials:

1. Reset passwords:

Sign in with your admin account.
Navigate to the “List of all accounts” page.
Find the relevant student account and click the pencil icon to edit the account details.
Set a new password and save the changes.

2. Create login passes:

After resetting the password, the option to create a login pass appears.
Click “Print” to generate the login pass with the new login credentials.
The login pass contains all necessary login data as well as a QR code that logs the student in directly.

Please note that resetting passwords and creating login passes must be performed individually for each student. A bulk operation is not currently available. For more information, see the Admin Tutorial.

I have two accounts (duplicate account), how can I merge both accounts?

If you have teacher or student accounts, the school admin can merge the two accounts. To do this, the school admin opens the page Merge Accounts. There you will find instructions on how to merge the accounts.

If these are basic accounts, direct merging is not possible. However, you can transfer your data from the old account to the new account. To do this, follow these steps:

Log in to your old account and note down all the links to your maps that you want to transfer.
Then log out.
After that, log in with the new account.
Open all map links in your browser.
Click on the icon with the three dots in the upper right corner of each map and select “ Copy Map” from the dropdown.
This will copy the respective map to your new account. All uploads will also be automatically copied to your new storage space.

Done. All your maps and their contents are now available in your new account.

Optional:

If you wish to delete your old account, for example, to use your email for the new account, log in with your old account and delete it via the My Account page.
Afterwards, you can use your email address for your new account. Simply select Change Email in the My Account page.

I have two accounts at a school and an institution, how can I centrally use both accounts?

First of all, it should be mentioned that two accounts usually have different roles and access rights, use different single sign-ons, and often cover different scenarios. Therefore, we recommend using both accounts separately and not merging them.

To still be able to work with both accounts, you can simply use a shared folder. Create a folder, click on the share button, and share the folder with the second account with editing rights. Now both accounts can access all maps in this folder.

How can I create an IServ single-sign-on?

This is possible with an admin account. After logging in, go to your My Account page. There you will find a button “Create single-sign-on to IServ” at the bottom. Click this one (direct link here). Then enter all the SSO data that you have created on your IServ instance in the mask. Here is a Guide to IServ for Edumaps.

Your single-sign-on link (to be set within IServ) should look like this: https://www.edumaps.de/sso/iserv?id=USERNAME where USERNAME is to be replaced with the username of your admin account.

Why am I logged in with a different account on the laptop than on the smartphone/tablet (single-sign-on)?

The problem can actually only be that you are logged into one device with a different account than the second device. In the profile you can see your two different usernames. So you have to log in to the single sign-on provider (like IServ or Sesam) with the other login and then use the single sign-on link to Edumaps.

How do I get a data processing agreement (AVV) with Edumaps?

Like other providers, we also have an automated process for the AVV. Please use this AVV page for this. The individual steps are described there. You must log in with your admin account to access the AVV page and make the necessary entries.

Why do I see formatting symbols like asterisks in the box editor (source text)?

In Edumaps, only a few characters necessary for formatting are used. This is the case, for example, for italics (*italic*). Those who work more intensively with Edumaps will set quotes with > and link words enclosed in brackets that contain the specified link. A short overview of the formats - there are only a few - can be found in this small graphic.

If you're not yet familiar with the formatting, please use the editor bar, which handles all the formatting for you.

Advanced users can find a list of additional formatting at: Inputs and Formatting in Box Editor.

Why is a full-featured WYSIWYG editor not used in Edumaps?

We do not use a third-party WYSIWYG editor (“What you see is what you get”). Instead we have developed our own editor, which is light-weight and cleaner. Below are the technical reasons behind this decision:

A WYSIWYG editor would require at least an additional 300 KB to be loaded. Some editors even require up to 3 MB. This would extend loading times and make the lightning-fast Edumaps significantly slower.
Edumaps works with an editor text field that works in all browsers and requires no additional memory.
Many WYSIWYG editors do not function correctly on mobile devices and are not cross-browser compatible.
All known WYSIWYG editors generate unclean HTML code in the background (so-called “Code Bloat”).
HTML code can be susceptible to hacking attempts (script injections).
We use a Markdown-like syntax that is clean and lean, and also works in other Markdown editors.
External Markdown content can be directly inserted into our editor. This allows for simple transfers from other systems.

Further background information on the disadvantages of WYSIWYG can be found in this article: “My pain building a WYSIWYG editor with contenteditable”

Is there a way as an admin to see if and when the users are active?

This is not implemented for data protection reasons. To see if your students have been working with a map, you can name the first box “Presence Box” (and enable the rating option). Each student can then rate this box with “Understood”. This way you have a list of all students who have been active on your map.

How can we manage teacher and student accounts and delete their data?

Your school has an admin account for this purpose. You have received the login credentials from us directly by email. With the admin account, you can create new users (students/teachers), delete old user accounts including their data, and change email addresses and passwords of existing users.

How can I delete several student accounts at once (multiple deletion possible)?

You can quickly delete several users one after the other with an admin account, the page “Multiple Deletion of Accounts” is available for this purpose.

Why does deleting user accounts during mass deletion take so long?

When an account is deleted, the following are taken into consideration: All stored user data (name, email, etc.), all created maps including all columns and boxes and all contents, all uploads including audio and webcam recordings, all bookings, reservations, and certificates of participation, all likes and ratings of boxes, all posted comments, all entries to visited maps, all folders as well as saved maps and folders, all shortlinks, all single sign-on links. All uploads in other maps are anonymized. In addition, boxes that the user posted on maps of other users are anonymized.

This entire process takes time, and therefore deletion is only possible individually with time intervals.

How can I hide certain columns from my class and only show them only at a certain time?

In the column settings you will find the option “Show column from”. There you select the date and optionally the time from which the column should be displayed. Before that, the column is not visible. You can define this setting for each column individually.

How can I hide the content of a box for a better overview?

The box content can be hidden for each box. To do this, edit the box and click on “Collapse Box”.

How can I change my username or the number in the username?

User names like “edu.1234” cannot be changed, but real names can be entered directly in the My Account page.

Can I protect my map with a password?

Yes, you can assign a password in the map settings in the “Extras” tab. All visitors to your map must enter this password in order to access the map. Only you as the map owner do not have to enter a password and can access it at any time without a password.

If you would like to prevent access to your map after a certain period of time, simply assign a new password.

Alternatively, you can click “Regenerate map link” in the “Tools” tab of the map settings. If you regenerate the link to the map, the old map link will be invalid and all users who are already using this link will lose access to your map.

Why can my students not read the comments of others?

Comment access must be set to “All Users” for each box. Then all students can see the comments of each other.

To enable comments, edit the box and click “Allow Comments”.
A dropdown appears. Change the visibility of comments from “Only me” to “All users”.
Save the box.

My teachers cannot read the comments of other teachers?

Comments can be activated for each box. Make sure “All Users” is selected in the dropdown.

1. Selection “Only me”: Only the map creator can read the comments.
2. “All Users” selection: All users with map access can read the comments.

Note: There is no distinction between teachers and students.

How can I add a new box at the top of the column?

To insert a box at the top, click directly in the area between the column title and the first box. If you hover over the area by mouse, “Add box here” will appear.

The error message “Error composing block page” appears on the iPad of the student?

If a student opens a map and gets the error message “Error composing block page” it is probably due to the parental controls of the device. Therefore, disable parental controls as this feature may block some keywords that are on the map you are viewing. To turn off parental controls, you need to go to the settings menu of your device and select Safari. Then select the Parental Control option. From there, you can set up different types of restrictions for your device. You can select "Allow all websites" and then click the "Always allow" button. In this way, you can easily access any website you want. Alternatively, you can also use Google Chrome as the browser instead of Safari, then this problem does not occur.

Note about the affected map: If there are more than 10 buttons/links with the same words on the map, this can lead to the iPad error. Simply change the text of the buttons/links.

How can I make the comments on a box completely public?

If you change the comment access from “Only me” to “All users”, this means that anyone who opens the map with the link can also view the comments. Additionally, any visitor can also comment.

How can links to external websites be opened in the same window?

To open links in the same tab, go to the map settings and open map extras. There, activate the option “Open links in same Tab”.

Why are HTML files not displayed or rendered?

HTML files are like containers in which you can store Javascript in addition to HTML markup. With Javascript, any user can execute malicious code (i.e. viruses and trojans) and harm your computer or easily spy on your data.

We take your security very seriously, this is why HTML files uploaded to Edumaps will not be rendered, but only offered for download directly to the computer.

We have a license, but as a teacher I only have a limited basic account. How do I get a teacher account?

In order for your account to be assigned to the school and upgraded to a teacher account, the admin account (school admin) must invite your existing account, on the Invite User page. The admin account has been handed over to your school or institution, please contact this person.

After a successful invitation, you will have more storage space available, you can create your own groups/classes, create an unlimited number of maps and share your own maps within your school. You will also be assigned to the school if you have not already, which you can see in your My Account page.

Is there a way to book more storage (as a teacher with a school license or state license)?

Check the Upload Manager or your My Account page to see how much disk space you currently have available. Depending on the license, all teachers have 1 GB, 5 GB or 10 GB at their disposal. If you need more storage, please contact your media center. The superadmin can increase your storage in the user management. If you are not assigned to any media center, please contact us.

How do I get more storage space with a basic account?

To get more storage space, you need a Premium Account. If you are a teacher at a school, your school or the responsible media center may already have a license from Edumaps.

How can I assign an existing account as teacher to my school?

To do this, follow these steps:

Log in with your admin account.
On the page List of Accounts you find a blue button “Invite user”. Click the button which takes you to the Invite Account page.
Enter the email address of the user and choose whether he should become a “teacher” or “student” at your school. Important: The email must already be registered at Edumaps.
The user then receives an email with an access link.
If the user clicks the link in the email (he must be logged in to Edumaps), his account will be assigned to your school (including more storage and the specified user role).

How can I invite a user to my school if he does not have an account?

A direct invitation is not possible. Instead, just create a teacher (or student) account for them:

Log in with your admin account.
Go to “Create Accounts” in the top right menu.
On the Create Accounts page, click the button “Create via list of names/emails”.
Enter the email address of the user there, optionally with his name. Choose whether you want him to become a “teacher” or “student” at your school. Also set a password.
Click on the “Create user” button.
An account is created with the specified email address, being part of your school. The user can now log in.

What happens to the user content when an existing license expires?

When a license (of a school, media center or country) expires, the corresponding accounts will be set to “Free”. The consequences:

Each account will be reduced to 10 MB of storage. If a user has used more storage, this additional data will be deleted after 3 months.
However, the maps of the users are fully preserved, regardless of how many maps have been created.
The user structure (school/teacher/student accounts) is retained, if required. Otherwise the accounts will be deleted in accordance with data protection regulations.

Additional note: Every user can export their maps at any time and then import them again later. However, it is important to note that uploaded files are only imported if they are still available in the user storage.

If users require more than 10 MB of storage, they can get more storage when their school, the media center, the federate state acquire a license, or if they privately acquire a license.

How does the map import via JSON work? What happens to the files inside the boxes when I import a JSON file?

There are different ways how the files linked in the boxes are handled.

Export and then import on same server:

If you own the linked files, the links remain unchanged.
If the linked files are owned by the map provider, a copy of the files will be created. Otherwise the file would be missing for you if the map provider deleted them from his storage.

Export and then import to external server:

The linked files are always copied so that they are available on the external server. Ensure that the files are not deleted from the origin server until after the import is complete.

How does creating a copy of a map work?

When copying a map, the entire map is duplicated with all content and transferred to your account. The original map is retained.

Note that if the map is opened with read-only rights, only the visible paths and boxes will be copied. If the map is opened with editing rights, all paths and boxes will be copied.

Note on the files present in the map:

If you copy your own map and you own the linked files, the links will remain the same.
If the linked files are owned by the original map creator, a copy of the files will be created. Otherwise the files would be missing for you if the map provider deleted them from his storage.

How can I transfer a map from one account to another account?

Note down the link to the map of the first account. Then log in with the second account and open the map of the first account. Use the map menu at the top right and select “Copy Map”. This will copy the map to your second account. All linked files from the original map are also copied to the second account.

It is not possible to change the map owner directly.

Before copying, check in the map settings of the original map that the option “Disable map copying” is not activated, otherwise the menu item “Copy map” will not appear for the second account.

Note: Interactive content such as poll results or student submissions is not transferred when copying. The copy starts with the content of the map without user data.

How do I prevent my map from being copied? How can I block a map from being copied?

If you do not want your map to be copied, go to the map settings. There, in the map extras, you will find the option “Disable map copying”.

Can you create geographic maps and set markers on them in Edumaps?

Interactive maps are not integrated as a tool in Edumaps, as each mapping tool relies on external services such as Google Maps (maps.googleapis.com), which can lead to data protection issues. You can create interactive maps and world maps with free tools like My Maps or ScribbleMaps and link them from Edumaps. However, it is your responsibility to ensure compliance with data protection regulations.

A better data-privacy-compliant Alternative:

Take a screenshot of the map on Google Maps.
Then open your Edumaps map in edit mode (or create a new map).
Click on the blue “Image” button at the top right.
Select your screenshot and it will automatically upload.
Then enlarge the image by dragging the icon to the right.
Position your map image freely on your map.

Here is an example of a map with text fields, arrows and other graphics: Culinary Journey Map.

You can:

place any images/photos freely on the map (scalable, rotatable).
position any text fields freely on the map (rotatable, different colors).
position any arrows freely on the map (scalable, rotatable, different colors).
place several geographic maps next to each other or stack them on top of each other in different sizes.
There are no limits to creativity.
No external tool is required to render the geographic map (such as Google Maps or OpenStreetMap).
This ensures full data protection.

Where can I find the Edumaps logo as graphic?

You can find logos of Edumaps in various versions in the following (for example, for advertising, press, and public relations):

The font used for the letters under the logo is “Raleway” (SIL Open Font License).

My students have registered at www.edumaps.de, but cannot log in to nds.edumaps.de?

These are two different websites, which you can recognize by www.edumaps.de and nds.edumaps.de. This means that there are two different, separate data systems. Therefore, a login from one server cannot be used on the other server.

If your students are not yet able to log in to nds.edumaps.de (Edumaps Niedersachsen Server), you have to give them corresponding student accounts. Student accounts can be created using an admin account, which should be available to your school management.

How can I edit the title, permissions and background of my map later on?

To change the data of a map later, proceed as follows:

Open your map in edit mode (click the red pencil icon in the top right corner).
Then click on the map title or the small orange pencil icon next to the title. Or click the map menu in the top right corner and choose “Map Settings”.
Now the map editor opens.
In the map editor you can change the title, change access rights, choose a different background or upload your own background.

Why is the latex stretching outside the box?

If you put dollar signs $$ to insert latex, this will be rendered as a block and there are no automatic line breaks. To embed latex, choose inline latex with $ x^2 $ instead, line breaks are set automatically.

How can I share just a single box with a student for editing, while other boxes are not displayed?

First, go into edit mode, then:

Click on the three dots on the box and choose “Link to Box” from the dropdown.
A sharing dialog will appear, where you can choose “Read” or “Edit” as access rights.
Optionally, you can enable the checkbox “Hide other boxes”.
Copy the link and distribute it to the respective student.

When the student accesses the link to the box, they will only see this one box. All other boxes will not be displayed.

Alternative: You can also use the “Share Column Group” function in the map-sharing dialog to distribute single boxes with different writing and reading permissions. To do this, place each box in its own column and then distribute the columns accordingly. See this FAQ entry.

Tip: For group work, you can assign one box to each student, and as a teacher, see all your students' edits (incoming materials/solutions) in real time, accumulated in your own map.

How can I distribute a single column to my students without showing other columns?

To share a single column there are two ways:

1. Share via “Share Column Group”
To share one or more columns, you can use the “Share Column Group” feature.

Click on the blue map share button and select “Share Column Group”.
In the dialog, select the appropriate column (read rights or write rights).
Click on “Continue”. Now you can give the link a title. You can also choose whether the visitor has to log in to access the map.
Click on “Generate Link”. Now you can copy the link and share it to the respective student.

2. Share via „Direct Link“
Each column can be shared with a direct link.

First go into edit mode.
Choose the map access that suits you, i.e. whether a login is required or not.
Then open the menu dropdown for the corresponding column and select “Link to column”.
A share dialog appears. There, activate the “Hide other columns” checkbox.
Now you can copy the link and share it to the respective student.

If the student now opens the link to the column, he will only see this column. All other columns are not displayed.

Tip: For group work, you can assign a column to each group and, as a teacher, see all edits of your students in real time in your own map.

How can I create permissions for individual columns and assign a column to each group?

You can generate a link for an individual column and then share just that one column with your students. See FAQ entry above.

How can I share several specific columns via link and hide other columns?

You can share multiple columns by opening the map share dialog and selecting “Share Column Group” from the dropdown. Then you can choose the columns you want to share with your students. Here you can individually set which column should be enabled for reading or writing. Then click on the “Continue” button. In the next dialog you can give the new link a title and specify whether the visitor must be logged in to access the map. Then click “Generate Link” and the generated link will be displayed.

All links created can be edited afterwards and the column access can be changed. To do this, simply click on “Share Column Group” and then click on “Share-Link Overview” at the bottom of the dialog.

Which teacher and student data do I need in which format in order to create accounts for them?

Please have a look at the Tutorials for Admin Account first, where most things are explained.

Basically: You can only create teacher and student accounts with the admin account. This is done on the Create Accounts page. Which data you need is directly shown on this page. You can create accounts anonymously (“Create without names/emails”) or with a name or email (“Create via list of names/emails”). or by using a CSV list (“Create via CSV file”).

Please note that the logins for created accounts for Edumaps and Matheretter can be used at the same time.

How to change an incorrect email address?

If you entered an incorrect email with the registration, you can (while logged in) change it again. To do this, go to the page Change email and enter your correct email address.

If the email is incorrect when creating a teacher or student account, the school administrator (admin account) can find the user in the List of Accounts and change the email directly there. To do this, proceed as follows:

Login with admin account.
Go to page List of Accounts.
Find the user via search and click the pencil icon to edit.
Enter and save the new email address.

If required, you can also assign a real name and a new password when editing the user.

How can I put only a single image on the map (without a visible box)?

To do this, open your map in editing mode and click on the “Image” button at the top right. Select an image from your computer. The image then appears freely movable on your map.

Alternative: You can use a transparent box that only contains the image. The following steps are necessary:

Create a new box and upload your image or photo there.
Then edit the color of the box by clicking on the color box with the pen icon . Select Fill .
Then click again on the color field with the pen icon . Now you will see a slider for the box color transparency.
Set full transparency by moving the slider all the way to the left.
Save the box. Now only the picture in the box is visible. All backgrounds are transparent.

How are classes put together and assigned to teachers?

Each teacher can create their own classes or groups on the Manage Classes page. Classes created by teachers are not created “school-wide” and centrally, but are created by each teacher for their own account. You can also create any groups instead of classes (e.g. math remedial course).

It saves time if you use the admin account and create classes, because these will be available for all teachers on the page Prepared Classes.

The maps can then be shared to the students in the specified classes/groups (“Share map to class”). Each student in the selected group will then receive a notification on Edumaps.

Classes or groups are created once and are available to the user in Edumaps and also in Matheretter.

My students cannot open the map, it either shows a login prompt or an error. What should be done?

Check whether the map link was created correctly. For access without login, “Access only for registered users” should not be checked. Otherwise, a login is necessary.

I can not edit the map, what can be the reason?

Please check the following:

Did you click the red edit button on the top right of the map and are you in edit mode?
Are you logged in with the correct account (which also has access to the map)?
Compare the account in the My Account page with the name shown as the map creator (below the map title).
If you want to edit the map of someone else, is the map set with edit access?
Make sure that the columns and boxes are not set to “protected”. You can recognize this by the lock icon. Other users cannot add boxes to protected columns. Only the map owner can do this.
It may be due to your browser. Use a different device and see if it works.

Why is no link preview (thumbnail) created for my link?

If no link preview is generated, this can have several reasons:

The website does not exist.
The website does not exist anymore.
The link was entered incorrectly.
The link points to a website that can only be accessed with a login or password.
When opening the external link, the server responds with an unknown response code.
The link leads to a PDF that starts a download dialog instead of displaying the PDF in the browser.
The link is too long or contains too many parameters.

In some cases, generating the preview may take several minutes if many preview images are generated currently. Reload the page twice so that the updated preview image loads into the browser.

Can you prevent or hide the cookie warning in the link previews (thumbnails)?

Unfortunately, each page has different cookie warnings, so this cannot be implemented technically.

How can I collapse all boxes resp. cards?

To do this, open the map menu (three dots at the top right ) and click “Hide Contents”. Then all contents of the boxes are hidden. You can unhide all content at once by opening the map menu (three dots in the top right corner) afterwards and click “Show Contents”.

How can I upload foreign file formats such as GoodNotes, Scratch or Worksheet Crafter?

Direct uploading and embedding of third-party formats is not permitted for security reasons. Only file formats that can be displayed in the browser without executing code are permitted (for example MP3, MP4, PDF). For security reasons, we pack every third-party format as a ZIP file. This ZIP file can then be downloaded while logged in, whereby a clear warning message with a virus warning appears.

By the way, you can upload a variety of common formats, see map Tutorial: File Formats for Uploads.

How can my map visitors download the provided ZIP files?

For security reasons, downloading ZIP files is only allowed if the user is logged in. However, it is sufficient if the user visits the map and is logged in as “anonymous”.

Alternatively, you can create a student account and share this login with all your visitors. Ideally, each of your visitors has an account with Edumaps and can download the file directly.

Welche Gefahren können ZIP-Dateien aufweisen?

ZIP files can theoretically contain all kinds of files containing viruses, trojans or other malware. Therefore, we warn every user against downloading such files. We also show who uploaded the ZIP file so that the uploader is known and takes responsibility.

It is not clear from a ZIP file what content it contains. The contents would have to be unpacked and then checked with a current virus scanner. But even a virus scanner cannot ensure that the ZIP file does not contain an executable file that could potentially harm the computer. The contents of ZIP files can therefore be very dangerous. In addition to viruses, ZIP bombs are also possible, which bring the computer of a user to a standstill.

Potential dangers of ZIP files at a glance:

Execution of malicious code
Inclusion of malware
ZIP bomb attacks
File overwrite and file injection
Exfiltration of sensitive data
Zip Slip vulnerabilities

Can I upload GeoGebra files (GGB)?

Because GGB files can contain executable code, the files are packaged as a ZIP file for security reasons. When downloading, a warning message appears for the user.

Recommendation: Upload your GGB file to geogebra.org and share the link to the web application. You can set the visibility to “Shared with Link” so only the recipient can open it.

I have uploaded a video file that I also need on another map? Do I need to upload the video again?

You do not need to upload the video file again. All your uploads can be reused. Please proceed as follows:

Go to the Upload Manager and find your file.
Right-click on the upload and select “Copy link address”.
Open your map and edit the corresponding box content by clicking on the orange pencil.
Paste the copied link into the editor.
The video will now also appear in this box.

Tip: If you are working in the same map, right-click on the upload within the original box, then select “Copy link address” and insert the link into the new box.

How can I reuse images I have already uploaded (visible in Uploads), for example as a background or in new boxes?

The easiest way is directly in the box editor: Click the upload button and select “My uploads” from the dropdown. There you will see all the files you have already uploaded. Click a file and it will be inserted into the box without having to be uploaded again.

Alternatively, go to the “Uploads” page and click the link icon for the corresponding image. Copy the displayed link. Then switch to your map and edit the content of a box. In the box editor, simply paste the copied link and the image will appear.

Map backgrounds cannot be reused and must be uploaded separately for each map. When copying a map, the background graphic is copied as well.

Tip: If you are working within the same map, open the image in the original box, right-click the image, then select “Copy link address” and paste the link into the new box.

How are usernames for student and teacher accounts structured?

Usernames for student and teacher accounts are automatically generated. The username of the admin account (school) is used and a consecutive number is appended. For an admin account with example name rw4455, a student would be rw4455.12 and a teacher rw4455.t3. The t is an indicator for teacher account.

The message “This website is restricted and therefore cannot be opened.” appears on the iPad/iPhone?

Unfortunately, this Apple error message is misleading. Here is a parental control from Apple behind it. Please change your iPad/iPhone settings and allow the Edumaps domain. In the Settings section, select Screen Time → Restrictions → Content restrictions → Web content → Always allow.

The error message “Map does not exist” appears. What is the reason?

If you are sure that the map exists and has not been deleted, then the link was accessed incorrectly. Please use only the links generated on Edumaps and make sure that the link remains unchanged. Also, do not use any short link providers or any other service that changes the link. Compare the link you see in the browser with the original link shown in the map share dialog.

Why does it show that the column has been deleted?

The column deleted message appears on a map when a column on the active map is deleted by another user. Go into edit mode, click on the three dots at the top right and select “Map History”. You can see who deleted the column in the change history.

How to format a text field?

You can add a text field to your map in format “stickerwall” in edit mode by clicking on the “Text field” button at the top right. A new empty text field will appear on the map. There you have the following formatting options:

„Change color of text field“ - Click on it and the color of the text field will change.
„Move text field“ - Hold down the mouse and move the text field.
„Delete text field“ - Click on it and the text field will be removed.
„Rotate“ - Hold down the mouse and rotate the text field.

For more information see the maps: Tutorial: Arrows and Tutorial: Text Fields

How do I share my map with my school?

With an admin account or a teacher account, you can assign any map to your school, so that it appears under “Maps of my school” for all teachers and students of your school. In the map settings, select the option “My School (Read)” under sharing. Then save the map, so it appears on the "Maps of my school" page. This way, you can share any map with your school.

Do students need their own account to view maps?

In principle, a map can be accessed if you share the link with read permissions to your students. If access is to be possible without registration, make sure that "Access only for registered users" is not checked. If the map settings under sharing have “My school (read)” enabled, this requires a login. More information is provided in this map: Tutorial: Distributing maps with access rights.

How do I know if a map is public or private?

Essentially, there are no public maps on Edumaps. Maps can only be accessed with the correct link. Additionally, it can be set whether a login is required to view the map. Further information is provided by this map: Tutorial: Distributing maps with access rights.

What is the upload limit?

The upload limit depends on the map owner. Depending on the account, the upload limit for the respective map is:

10 MB/file with plan “Free” (each registered user)
100 MB/file with plan „Minimal“ (customers)
500 MB/file with plan “Premium” (customers)

⚠️ An upload limit of 10 MB/file always applies to anonymous users (not loggedin), regardless of the map owner. If your students want to upload larger files, they must log in.

The following applies to school and state licenses:

50 MB/file for students
250 MB/file for teachers

If you use a different Edumaps server, there might be different limits.

Example 1: If the map owner is a teacher, all students and teachers who are logged in and visit his map can upload files up to 250 MB in size.

Example 2: If the map owner has booked the “Premium” plan, an upload limit of 500 MB per file applies to his map.

My storage is full. How can I get more storage?

Every user can add storage space to Edumaps. Simply navigate to the order page and place the order accordingly.

If all teachers in your school need more memory, you can purchase a school license.

My students are anonymous on my map. How can we increase the upload limit of 10 MB?

For anonymous users, there is always an upload limit of 10 MB/file, regardless of the map owner. The main reasons for this limitation are:

Security: Bots can exploit the upload feature to overload the server (Denial-of-Service attacks).
Prevent abuse: Limiting the file size can help minimize the upload of illegal content, as such content is often hidden in large files.
Better user management: The limit allows only trusted, registered users to upload larger files, which enables better control and management of user activities.

In order for your students to upload larger files, simply create a larger number of user accounts (without names/emails), as a school admin on the Create Accounts page. Then print the logins as login passes and give each student such a pass. This way, the student can scan the QR code on the login pass and is immediately logged in to Edumaps.

If the school admin account is not available to you, please contact your responsible media center.

My plan allows uploads of up to 100 MB per file. Why do my students get the message that their file is too large (max. 10 MB)?

In this case, the students are not logged in, but as “anonymous users” on your map. Anonymous users always have a limit of 10 MB per upload. Student accounts have an upload limit of 100 MB per file. So your students would have to log in to upload larger files.

Hint: As a school admin, you can quickly create and distribute accounts for your students. Use the page Create Accounts for this purpose. There, select “Create without Names/Emails”, set a number, and click on “Create Users”.

How can I upload very large files into a box?

If the file is larger than 500 MB (upload limit at Edumaps), you can zip the file directly on your computer and then upload the generated ZIP file. If it is a matter of very large files, you can also use an online storage service and post the link to the file in the box.

I cannot upload videos into the boxes?

If an error message appears, it will tell you what the problem with the video could be. Basically, videos can be uploaded. Simply drag and drop the video file onto the open editor or use the “File” button at the bottom to upload the video file.

Why can the uploaded video not be played?

In rare cases, the uploaded video may have a codec that the converter does not understand, but still generates a supposed MP4 video (H264). In this case, the video cannot be played in the browser. Please convert the video with video software or use a free video converter online, for example: Freeconvert.com or Convertfiles.com and then upload it again to Edumaps.

How can I hide an entire column from my students and only use it myself?

If you want to use an entire column for yourself, including boxes within the column, and you do not want your students to see its contents, you can select the “Column appears on” option and choose a date far in the future. This way the column stays hidden from your students.

Also note:

All boxes in the column are visible to all teachers in edit mode.
All boxes in the column are hidden from all students (edit mode and map view).
Any student who adds a box to the column in edit mode will always see that box as the box owner.

How can I completely hide my box from other users?

You can completely hide a box in the map view by clicking on “Change visibility” in the box settings and then enabling “Hide box”. In edit mode, you will see the box, but the entire box is hidden in the map view.

How can I rotate an image after I uploaded it?

You can rotate the image directly in your Upload Manager. Find the image and use the rotate button , located just above the picture to the right.

Why does the rotated image appear incorrectly oriented for some visitors?

Each browser stores loaded images in its cache, so it does not have to load them again during the next visit. Edumaps also generally outputs all images as cacheable. Rotating an image is a special case. Here, our server outputs the image uncached for 24 hours (after the time of rotation). Afterwards, it is cached again.

Please note that if the image has been loaded into the browser cache, the browser has saved it. Subsequently, sending the uncached image from our server cannot overwrite the previously cached image. This means your browser will continue to load the previous image and not the rotated one. The only solution is a hard reload with Ctrl F5.

Are read-only maps copyable by the user with content so that the user can modify this copy?

Yes, all content is copied into a new map. All uploads are also copied. The user then has an independent, completely new map for their use. Note: A map is read-only if you have distributed it with read permissions only.

Is it possible to adjust the column width?

The column width is set to 300 pixels so that mobile devices can correctly display the column and the boxes it contains. If a larger column width were allowed, the content on mobile devices would be out of the visible area. Note: More than 60 % of users use mobile devices nowadays.

However, if you want to change the default column width in your map, you can do this in the map editor in the “Extras” tab under “Fixed column width”. There you can set a value of 300 pixels to 700 pixels for the column width.

How can you display only teachers in the list of all accounts?

To see only teacher accounts, simply enter “teacher” in the search field on the “list of all accounts” page. Only teachers will then be displayed.

How can you copy a box and its contents from another map?

To copy boxes from other maps, follow these steps:

Open your map in edit mode.
Click on the three dots next to the “New Box” button (below the last box in the column).
Now click on “Copy box from map” in the dropdown menu.
Then navigate to the desired map.
To copy a box, simply click on the red icon at the top right of the respective box.

Can the maps be switched to other languages like English or French?

Generally, the Edumaps interface loads in the language of the browser. However, if the user wants to choose a different language for the Edumaps interface, they can click on “DE”, “EN”, “FR”, or “IT” in the main menu at the top right. Currently, the available languages are German, English, French, and Italian.

For additional languages, you can use tools like Google Translator, which is available in browsers like Chrome. Right-click on the page and select "Translate to".

How can you cancel the fixed box height with scrollbars in timeline and sticker wall?

Mentioned in advance: If boxes with a lot of content are displayed at full height (in the timeline or sticker wall), it may be that the boxes with the content exceed the screen and the overview is lost. This is particularly the case with smartphones and tablets. Therefore, there is a maximum height so that each box is still within the visible screen area.

If you still want a full box height, you can click on the “Extras” tab in the map settings and activate “Always full box height”. This means that no maximum height is set for the respective box.

Why are text fields limited to 800 characters?

Text fields are intended to hold short hints or notes and position them on the map. If you have very long texts, please use a box instead of a text field. You can freely position any box on a sticker wall. You can also customize the design of a box so that it looks like a text field. To do this, set a color for the box and then click (“Fill box with color”), you also want to hide the box title.

How to move a box on the corkboard?

In the box menu, click on the three dots and select “ Move” from the dropdown. Now you can move the box anywhere on the map.

How to move the boxes more easily on a large pinboard?

If you have a very large pinboard and want to drag a box from the first to the last column, for example, it is helpful to zoom out with the browser view. This works with the zoom settings of the browser. In most browsers it can be done with the shortcut Ctrl + and Ctrl -. After zooming out, you can move the box to the desired position more quickly.

Tip: It is also very helpful to hide the contents of the boxes before you move your box, so that only the box titles are visible. This is possible via the shortcut M (or via the map menu “Hide contents”).

How to protect boxes from editing by other users?

If you use a map in collaboration with your students and there is a risk that the map will be vandalized, you can ask your students to create each new box with the “Protect Box” option. This way, only you as the map owner and the box creator himself (i. e. the student) can change and delete the box.

How can a teacher be transferred to another school?

It is possible to move a teacher from one school to another school (on Edumaps). To do this, log in with the admin account of the school to which the teacher should go. Then go to “List of all accounts” and click on the “Invite user” button. You will be directed to the page Invite User. Enter the email of the teacher there. S/he will then receive an invitation by email.

How can I change the role of a student to a teacher or vice versa?

To do this, log in with the admin account and go to the page List of Accounts. Find the user and click on the edit icon . In the dialog that opens there is a dropdown where you can select the role “Student” or “Teacher”.

How can I insert a new column between already created columns?

To do this, click three dots of the column next to which the new column is to be inserted, and select “ New Column ⮞” in the dropdown. The newly created column will appear to the right of this column.

Is there a way to completely hide the box content (without a dropdown button)?

If you want to hide the box content so that only the box title is displayed, open the box settings and select “Change visibility”. Now click on “Hide box content” and save the box. Switch to the map view. Now you can see that the box content is no longer displayed.

Note: Box contents are automatically hidden if there is no content in the box (i.e., no text and no upload).

How can you delete the likes (hearts) of a box?

To delete the likes on a box, proceed as follows:

Click on the three dots near the box and select “ Edit” in the dropdown.
In the box settings, deactivate the option “Allow likes (hearts)”.
Save the box. – Saving without likes activated will remove the likes completely.
Then go back to the box settings and activate the likes again. Now you will see “0” hearts for the box.

How can you delete the ratings (drop-down) for a box?

To remove all ratings from a box, go to the box settings. There you deactivate the option “Allow Ratings (Dropdown)” and save the box. This will remove all ratings. Then go back to the box settings and activate the ratings again.

How big are the webcam recordings that I can make on Edumaps?

You can find the size of the webcam recording you have made directly in the Upload Manager. On average, a one-minute webcam recording is about 5 MB in size.

How to keep the top menu bar visible?

The menu bar is only hidden in map view mode. Simply click on the small arrow at the top and the menu will appear. The menu bar at the top is always displayed in edit mode.

How can I change the font size of a map?

The font size can be changed via the map editor in the “Extras” tab using the “Font size in boxes” and “Font size in column titles” settings. Alternatively, you can change the font family for the entire map in the map editor.

If you need a larger view, you can zoom in. To do this, use the zoom icon at the top right of the map view. If you want to make a sentence in a box larger, you can set a heading. To do this, simply put # at the beginning of the line.

The enlargement of the font size of words is possible by enclosing the word or words as follows: <big>My large text</big>. The larger font size can be used in map titles, column titles, box titles, and box contents.

How must the CSV file be structured when creating accounts?

All information can be found on the page Create Accounts. Click on the “Create via CSV file” button and all the details will be displayed.

If I re-import a CSV file to create accounts, will existing accounts be overwritten?

During the CSV import, the server checks whether the name and email address already exist in the Edumaps user database. The name takes priority in this check (names must be unique). After uploading the CSV file, you receive a review report listing all changes in detail. No accounts are overwritten, existing accounts are updated in a targeted way.

If, for example, the email for “Max Muster” has changed, a corresponding notice appears. The same applies to a changed class, which is then updated.

Existing classes are kept during the CSV import. Classes from the CSV file that do not exist yet are created as new classes. You can delete classes that are no longer needed at any time under Manage classes.

Tip: If only the class names change at the turn of the school year, no CSV import is needed. Use the “School year change” function on the Rename classes page instead. All class names are automatically raised by one grade level (“7A” becomes “8A”). See also the tutorial at Update accounts (e.g. school year change)

Should the terms name/email be in the first line of the CSV file when creating accounts?

The terms “Name, Email” should not be in the first line. The entry for the first user is expected immediately. For example “Max Muster,maxmuster@school.com”.

Can you leave the initial password blank when creating accounts?

A start password must be specified with at least 8 characters, otherwise no accounts will be created. Note: After the first login, the teacher accounts will be asked to initialize their account and set a new password. Each user can also change their password at any time in their My Account page.

Can you see who added which box or column?

Yes, each map has a so-called “history” where you can see which user made what changes. The map history is only available to the map owner.

You can open the map history in edit mode by clicking on the three dots in the top right corner and select “History of Map”. In the map history you can then see in detail who made which changes (box created, box edited, column created, column edited, box content edited, text fields/arrows added, …).

There you also have the option of inspecting the revisions for each box and restoring previous content.

As a teacher, can I set up accounts for my students?

The creation of new accounts is only possible centrally via the admin account (school admin). This prevents the creation of double accounts and other data conflicts. If you do not know the login for the admin account, please contact the institution responsible for you (e.g. responsible media center or Ministry of Education).

Can you activate comments and likes for all boxes at once? Can all boxes on a map have certain options activated?

It is not possible to activate the comments and likes for all boxes at once inside a map. This setting must be made in each box separately. However, you can create a box when creating the map (activated comments and likes) and then duplicate the box via the box menu (three dots at the top right of the box). This way the settings for each new box are the same as for the template.

How can I conduct a survey with evaluation (feedback tool)?

To do this, you can post the content of the survey in a box. Then activate “Allow Ratings” in the box settings and select “Voting” in the dropdown. Now there are three options A, B and C to choose from. In edit mode, you can see a summary of who voted for which option. If you need more than three choices, use a second box (or more boxes) and add additional choices.

Can I receive an email notification for activities on a map?

If a change has been made to your map by a third party, you will always see a notification directly on Edumaps, recognizable by the yellow number at the top right of the website. If you would also like to receive an email for activities or changes, click on the three dots at the top right in the map view and select “Follow map”.

Is there a search function within the map to quickly find boxes?

Yes, you can click on the search icon at the top and choose “Box Search” from the dropdown. Type your search term, and only the boxes containing that term will be displayed to you.

Tip: You can also search all boxes across all your maps at once. Go to the “My Maps” page and use the search bar "Search in x Maps" there.

Can I hide and show a box with a single click?

This is not possible with just one click. However, you can select the "Collapse Box" option in the box settings and then activate "Completely". This allows the box content to be shown or hidden with a single click.

How do I assign my students scheduled assignments?

You can create one box per student or group of students. You can enter the deadline as text in the box title so that it is immediately visible.

Is there a live chat within the map?

There is no map-wide live chat. However, you can enable comments for a central box, making them visible to everyone, and use the comment function as a chat for discussions. Alternatively, you can create a team text where a chat is integrated.

How can I conduct a forum discussion?

There is no map-wide forum discussion. However, you can enable comments in a central box for everyone to see and then use the comment feature there for discussions. Alternatively, you can create a team text. There, a chat is integrated.

How can you protect only the column title, but not the boxes, so that other users cannot edit the column settings?

Open the column settings and click on “Protect Column”. There, activate the option “Column Titles Only”. Only the column title will be locked, but boxes can still be added and edited within the column. With this scenario, you can provide your students with a fixed structure (as with working on a Kanban board).

Where can I find the privacy policy of Edumaps and a directory of processing activities?

You can find the information under: Privacy and Processing agreement according to Art. 28 GDPR. You can print out the pages directly as a PDF document using your browser. You can enter your school name in the AVV. You must log in with your admin account to access the AVV page and make the necessary entries.

How can you delete ratings/votes and likes (hearts) from a box?

You can delete existing ratings/votes for a box by deactivating the ratings and then saving the box. If you now activate the ratings again, there will be no more ratings.

You can delete existing likes (hearts) for a box by deactivating the likes and then saving the box. If you now activate the likes again, there are no more likes.

IServ gives the error “Auth Error: The provider authorization_endpoint could not be fetched.”?

This error occurs when the settings on your IServ server have been made incorrectly. Please check all entered links for typographical errors. Upper and lower case must be correct and unchanged in the link. If you cannot solve the problem yourself, please contact your responsible media center or your IServ support.

How can multiple teachers read comments of a student at the same time?

If you have set the comment settings to “Only me” (i.e. not for everyone), only you with your teacher account can read these comments. The following workaround is possible so that several teachers can view the comments:

1. Your teacher account is used by several teachers to login. Or:
2. You set the visibility to “All users”, but only share the single box to the student (“Link to box”).

Can a registered or anonymous user download content from a box, even if only read access is granted for the map?

Once a user or visitor has access to your map via the link you shared, they can view and also download the materials uploaded there. This applies regardless of whether read or edit access has been set.

However, you have the option to activate the "No Download Buttons" feature in the map extras, which will hide all download buttons.

Can I restore deleted content or changed content in maps and boxes?

Each map has a so-called map history, which records and lists all changes to your map in detail. You can open the map history in edit mode. Select the three dots at the top right and in the dropdown click on “History of Map”.

In addition, there is a revision history for each box. That means all changes to the box are tracked and you can restore old versions of the box with just one click. You can open the change history of a box (revisions) in edit mode. Click on the three dots next to the box and select “Revision” from the dropdown. Then you come to a page that shows the different versions of the box over time. These are displayed in a timeline.

Can a deleted map be restored?

Yes, if it was deleted within the last 30 days, you can find the map in the trash. You can restore the map there.

What is Content-Security-Policy (CSP)? What other security mechanisms are there?

“Content-Security-Policy” is a security concept to prevent hacker attacks on a website. CSP regulates which resources can be loaded from which sources. If a hacker wants to inject an external script, it will not be executed because the loading of links to external websites is always blocked. The user is protected at all times. Edumaps is fully CSP compliant, see also security report.

In addition, the following security mechanisms are active on Edumaps:

Strict-Transport-Security: Let the browser use only HTTPS.
X-Frame-Options: Tells the browser that setting iframes that include the website is not allowed. This protects users from attacks such as clickjacking.
X-Content-Type-Options: Prevents a browser from determining the type of a resource on its own and forces it to stick to the type declared by the server. This prevents attacks that would convert non-executable resources into executable resources.
Referrer-Policy: Controls what information gets transferred from one website to another website. With Edumaps, the data may only be exchanged on the same website. This avoids security risks and data protection risks.
Permission-Policy: Controls which features and APIs of the browser can be used.

How can I integrate a medium from Edupool into my map?

To embed an educational medium from Edupool into your map, follow these steps:

Click on the “Media” button, which is located next to the “New Box” button.
A dialog will appear. Choose “Licensed Media”.
On the search page, you can now search for a medium.
At the top right of each search result, there is a red plus for copying .
Click on the plus symbol, and the medium will be added to your map.

How can I embed a box from another map onto my map?

Embedding boxes from another map onto your own map is possible as follows.

Click on the three dots next to the “New Box” button and select “Embed external Box”.
Navigate to the map that contains the box you want to embed.
Click on the red link icon on the box.
Choose whether you want to link the box you are embedding to the map. This allows access to both maps.
Afterwards, you will return to your map.

Please note that only the box title and the box content will be embedded. Additionally, the calendar and reservations for the respective box will be embedded. However, likes, reviews, bookings, and comments will not be embedded for technical reasons.

How can I embed a column from another map onto my map?

Click the three dots next to the “Add Column” button and select “Embed external Column. Then navigate to the map where the column is located. You will see a red plus icon next to the columns, select the column you wish to embed. You will then be automatically redirected back to your map, where you will find the embedded column with all its boxes.

Please note that in the embedded column, only box titles and contents are displayed, but not likes, ratings, bookings, and comments.

What does this message mean: “Too many maps open. Up to 4 maps can be checked for realtime changes.”?

In order to get live updates about changes on your map, a constant connection to the server is established for each map, which also requires constant resources. We are therefore throttling the maximum number of live update connections per user, to keep the server load lower, so Edumaps still runs very fast for all users even at full load.

You can still edit the other maps, just click away the message. You just will not see any updates when other users make changes. If you are working alone on multiple maps, you can ignore the message entirely.

How to fully color a box?

To fully color a box, proceed as follows:

Edit the box by clicking on the three dots and select “ Edit” from the dropdown.
Below the box title you will see a color picker. Click on the color box with the pen icon on the far left.
Another color selection appears. To the right there is a “Fill” checkbox. Activate it.
The box is now fully filled with the selected color.

How to make the background of a box transparent?

To make a box transparent or semi-transparent, do the following:

Edit the box by clicking on the three dots and select “ Edit” from the dropdown.
Below the box title you will see a color picker. Click on the color box with the pen icon on the far left.
Another color selection appears. To the right there is a “Fill” checkbox. Activate it.
Click the pencil icon again. A slider now appears with which you can set the transparency.
If you move the slider all the way to the left, the background of the box becomes completely transparent.

Can I set up recurring bookings?

Recurring bookings are not possible with the booking tool, only one appointment per box resp. course. Here you would have to reset the booking time at the beginning of each next period. Tip: You can quickly delete existing participants in a booking by deactivating the bookings, save the box, and then edit it again and activate the bookings.

Can you change the spacing between boxes on a pinboard?

The vertical box spacing in a pinboard is set to 30 pixels. If you want to change the defined box spacing in your map, you can define a value for “Vertical box spacing” in the “Extras” tab in the map editor.

Alternative: You can use the “Sticker Wall” map format for arbitrary distances. There you can arrange the boxes anywhere on the map and create individual distances.

Can you change the spacing between columns on a pinboard?

The column spacing in a pinboard is set to 50 pixels. If you want to change the specified column distances in your map, you can define a value for Column Distance right” in the “Extras” tab in the map editor.

How can I collapse or hide the box content?

If you create a new box (or edit an existing box), you will find the option “Collapse Box” in the box editor. Activate the checkbox and the content of the box will be collapsed.

Can we transfer content from TaskCards to Edumaps, or how can we import a TaskCards board into Edumaps?

Yes. Edumaps provides a TaskCards importer: Paste the link to the board there and start the import. For private boards, use the share link (share icon in TaskCards). Boards on your own TaskCards instances (for example schoolname.taskcards.app) are also supported.

Columns are converted into columns, cards into boxes, and timeline boards into timeline maps. Attachments (images, PDFs, audio, video, Office files) are imported in their original size, as are card colors and collapsed cards. Uploaded HTML files are imported as ZIP archives for security reasons. Comments are not imported. The board's background image is also not imported and can be set again in the map settings in Edumaps. For boards with many videos, the import automatically continues in several steps.

Alternatively, the user can save the board locally using the SingleFile browser extension and then upload the saved file on the importer page. With this method, images are imported in the preview size used by TaskCards.

In Edumaps, you can export your own content at any time and back it up independently.

I used my email for the school admin account, how can I use my email for a teacher account?

An email cannot be used for two different accounts. You need to set a new email address for the school admin account. To do this, log in and use the Change email page. When this is done, you can create a teacher account with your personal email.

Can an email already associated with a teacher account be used for the school admin account?

An email cannot be used for two different accounts. You must first assign a new email address for the teacher account. To do this, log in and use the Change email page. When this is done, you can use the now free email address for the school admin.

Tip: If you do not have a second email available, simply use a pseudo-address or that of your secretariat.

How can you display the photos on a map like a slide show?

An automatic playback of the photos on your map is possible. To activate, proceed as follows:

Open an image on your map by clicking on it.
The image can be seen in the popup.
Next press the P key on your keyboard.
Now the photos of the maps are played one after the other.

Press P again to stop the automatic playback.

How can I add a box to a specific location on the sticker wall?

To create a box in a specific location, double-click where you want the box to appear. If you then save the box, you will see the box at the clicked position.

What is the maximum number of maps I can create?

Depending on your tariff, a maximum of:

5 maps (Free)
100 maps (Minimal)
1000 maps (Premium)

What is the maximum number of columns, boxes, arrows, and text fields that I can create in a map?

In one map, these are the maximum ppssible items:

max. 100 columns per map
max. 500 boxes per map
max. 300 arrows per map
max. 300 text fields per map

The maximum number of boxes per column is determined by the maximum number of boxes per map.

How can you revoke or reset access rights to a map?

Basically, once a map link has been shared, anyone with that link has access to the map. If you now want to revoke access from all users, you can click on “Generate new map link” in the “Extras” tab in the map settings. If you regenerate the link to the map, then the old map link will become invalid (the access code changes) and all users who have already used this link will lose access to the map. Of course, you must then inform the relevant people about the new link.

Can a teacher be enrolled at several schools, for example on a partial secondment?

Basically each email address can only be assigned to one account. If you need a teacher account at a second school, you will need to create a second account with a different email address. A pseudo-mail address can also be used.

How can I prevent an anonymous user from making changes to my map?

Anonymous visitors have editing rights only if you have shared your map with editing rights without requiring login. To prevent anonymous editing, you must activate "Access only for registered users" in the map sharing dialog. Then only registered users can work on your map, and you can see in the map history which user changed what.

Alternatively: If anonymous users should only read, then simply select "Read map" as the access right in the map sharing dialog.

Is it possible to only allow text fields and disable boxes in a map?

If editing rights have been granted, boxes can also be added. Alternatively, you can design the boxes itself as text fields. Just hide the title of the box in the box settings, then you have the same functionality as with the text fields.

How to create a timeline with boxes above and below the timeline?

With the map format “Timeline”, boxes are always automatically arranged above the timeline. If you would like to have one box above and the next box below, there is the following workaround. Create a map in the Sticker Wall format. Then drag a long arrow from the far left to the far right. Tip: Hold down the Shift key to align the arrow. After that, create your boxes and put them at the top and bottom of the arrow.

How can the teachers in our school always use the same background and box color for new maps?

To always have the same background for new maps, simply create a map as a template and provide it to your teachers. The steps are as follows:

Create a new map with the desired background and a colored box as a template.
Set the map sharing to “My School (Read Only)”. Save the map.
Now, all your teachers can find the map under “Maps of my School”, open it there, and copy it via the menu at the top right (“Copy Map”).
The copied map can then be edited by the teacher as a new map.
The existing colored box can be duplicated, so the color is retained for new boxes.

How to prevent the asterisk * formatting character from being recognized for bold or italics?

To prevent an asterisk * from being used for formatting, simply precede the asterisk with a backslash \, i.e. \*. Then the asterisk is only rendered as text and not recognized as a formatting command.

When I store a map in a folder, which access rights apply to the map?

When you store a map in a folder (via the map menu “Save (in folder)”), the map link used to access the map is saved. This means, if you access the map with editing rights and then save the map in the folder, the map will be saved with editing rights.

If you are in a folder and click the “Add map” button and then choose “My Maps”, you can decide, by clicking the red cross on one of your maps, whether the map will be stored with reading rights or editing rights.

When trying to register, the error message appears “Email already belongs to an account”?

The error message means that the email address is already registered with Edumaps. You may have created a list of students via the school admin account and thus already assigned the e-mail address. Or a third person has registered using your email address. Then please go to the Forgot password page and enter your email. You will then receive an email with which you can assign a new password. Then you can use this new password to log in. The other user then no longer has access.

If we as a school buy a school license, can students create their own maps?

Yes, students can create maps too. So every student in your school if the account is assigned to your school.

However, there are the following limitations:

Each student can create a maximum of 50 maps.
Each student has 50 MB of storage for uploads (across maps). This is sufficient for audio recordings (usually 100 - 200 KB) and webcam recordings (usually 5 - 10 MB).
The booking module cannot be used.

When registering, an error message appears and registration is not possible?

Registration can fail if the email domain does not exist. In that case, check the spelling of your email address.

Registration can also be temporarily blocked if too many registration attempts were made within a short time (anti-spam protection). Wait a few minutes, reload the page and try again.

When logging in, the error message appears that the limit of registrations has been reached. Is there a maximum number of learners per institution?

500 registrations per hour are possible per IP address. This is anti-spam protection from bots. There is no maximum number of logins per institution.

Can different access rights be set for entire folders (editing and reading)?

Yes, folder rights can be assigned differently. Select one of your folders from the “My Folders” page. If you click on the blue Share button in the folder and select “Link to Folder”, you see a link with reading rights. If you activate the checkbox “Editing”, a new link will appear. This link gives other users editing rights to your folder. These users can remove maps from the folder and add new maps to the folder.

Is it possible to display the participants of all courses in one map as a CSV file at once?

Yes, you have the option to export the entire participant list of all courses on a map.

To do this, go to edit mode.
Click on the three dots and select “Export Map”.
In the dialog that opens, select “Export all participants (csv)”.

The export contains the course name, email, real name and user name of the participants.

When I export the participant list as a CSV file and then open it, why is each record displayed in a single column or cell?

The export uses the standard CSV format with the comma as the delimiter. If you open the CSV file in a text editor, you can see the delimiters. Depending on the software you use to open the CSV file, the delimiter is set automatically or offered as an option. If you use Microsoft Excel 365, you need to set the delimiter to “Comma” in the CSV import dialog. In LibreOffice Calc, under “Separator Options”, the “Comma” option must be enabled. Google Sheets automatically detects the delimiter.

Can we blacklist an email address, so it is not misused?

To prevent an email address from being used by others, proceed as follows:

Log in with your admin account.
Go to the Create Accounts page.
Click on the “Create from list of names/emails” button.
Enter the email address (to be protected) and create a new account.

Now the e-mail address can no longer be used by others, since each e-mail can only be used once for one account throughout the system.

If an account was created via the Edupool single-sign-on, can teachers change the password on Edumaps and then log in directly?

Yes, the password can be changed in Edumaps directly in the My Account page and the standard login page can be used. The teachers can still continue to log in using the Edupool SSO. The single-sign-on does not transmit passwords, but a verified user ID that works independently of passwords. Both login methods are therefore possible.

Can uploaded files be shared only for reading and playing, but locked for download?

Technically, it is unfortunately not possible to prevent the download of files and other content. Once a file (video, audio, PDF, etc.) is loaded into the memory of the browser, a user can download it, even if the download button is not displayed.

However, Edumaps provides an option that allows you to hide the download buttons. To do this, go to the map settings and open "Tools". Check the “No download buttons” box there.

Can we setup the booking module so that only users who are already registered can book the course?

No, the booking module has no such setting. Many customers wanted people without an existing account to be able to book as well. This is why “Book with email” is offered next to “Login with account”. It creates a basic account for the person, which they confirm with a checkbox in the booking form. A booking without any account is not possible, because cancellation, certificate of participation and reminder email are tied to the account.

Tip: Share the link to your map with the option “Access for registered users only”, then only logged-in users can open the map and book.

Can the registration page changed, so it requires the real name in addition to the e-mail address?

We strictly adhere to data protection, in particular to the principle of data economy. When registering, only the most necessary information (email and password) is requested.

How can I transfer my admin account to another user?

A neutral, non-personal e-mail should always be used for admin accounts so that the login can be easily passed on. If you used your personal email, log in with the admin account and change the email in the My Account page.

How can I add another subtitle to the map title?

To add another small heading to the title, you can open the map settings and, under “Extras”, insert another heading in “Text below map title”. Alternatively, you can create a line break in the main heading with \\ and use the second line for a second heading, where smaller text can be achieved with <tiny>Small heading</tiny>.

How to quickly move a column from right to left?

To do this, open the column menu by clicking on the three dots. Now instead of clicking “Move” you can just use your keyboard and press the cursor key to the left ← several times in a row. This way the column is moved very quickly to the left.

Is it possible to add subfolders to the folders?

Yes, it is possible to add more folders to a folder via the “Add folder” button. For other structures, you can create a central map and link folders and maps from there.

Why do we not receive confirmation emails for our accounts?

The Edumaps email server normally runs smoothly. It is therefore important to check where the problem could lie. Points to clarify:

Have you checked your spam folder?
Can you receive other emails?
What are the blacklist and spam filter settings of your email server?

To test, you can create an account with an email that is not from your server. For example Gmail or GMX. If the confirmation email arrives at this account, the problem lies with your mail server.

Are the login details resp. account details synchronized between the different servers?

No. Each server runs independently and has its own user database. For example, if you register at www.edumaps.de and then at nds.edumaps.de, then two different accounts are created on two different servers, even if you have used the same email address.

Note: An exception is the respective Matheretter instance, which forms a unit with Edumaps (i.e. www.edumaps.de and www.matheretter.de share the same user database). Note to admins: Edumaps and Matheretter consist of one system. Accounts only have to be created once and are available for both (same logins).

How can you make the column title and box title bold or italic? Are line breaks possible in the title?

In the column settings and in the box settings you can also format words in the input field for the title. Here it is possible to set bold and italic with asterisks. Line breaks are also possible with two backslashes. See details in the tutorial "Entries and formatting in the box editor".

How to make words bold or italic and insert line breaks in the map title?

In the map editor, you can also make words bold or italic in the title input field. For bold, put two asterisks ** before the word and after the word. For bold, put one asterisk * before the word and after the word. Line breaks are possible with two backslashes \\.

How to change the font size of the text in a box?

You can set the font size of the boxes for the entire map in the Map Editor under the “Extras” tab, in the “Font Size in Boxes” section.

In addition, you can set the font size for individual words. There is a simple syntax for this:

Increasing the font size of words is possible by enclosing the words with: My large text.

Decreasing the font size of words is possible by enclosing the words with: My small text.

For very small print, you can use: <tiny>Very small text</tiny>.

The font size change can be applied to map titles, column titles, box titles, and box contents.

How can you move multiple boxes at the same time?

Moving/sorting boxes is technically complex because other users could also add boxes at the same time and boxes could be moved at the same time. Therefore we only allow sorting of single boxes. This would also affect real-time map updates for all active users. Therefore, only one box can be moved per user.

How can I add a custom background image to a map?

If you create a new map, you will find a selection of background images at the bottom of the editor. To the right of them there is a button “Custom Image”, click on it. Now you can select a graphic file from your computer. Please note that files are only accepted in JPG, PNG and GIF format.

If you have an existing map and would like to change the background image later, open the map settings (either by clicking on the map title or click on the three dots at the top right and select “Map Settings”). You can now upload a new background image in the map settings.

What are the image dimensions in pixels if I want to insert my own background image into the map?

You can choose any size for the background graphic. For example, 1200 px wide by 800 px high. All backgrounds are displayed responsively, meaning they dynamically adjust to the width or height of the respective device depending on the window.

How are background images scaled? Are fixed sizes possible? How can I see the entire image?

Background images do not have a fixed size. The size always depends on the screen on which the map is displayed. Background images are always adjusted to the screen size or the size of the browser window. Fixed sizes for backgrounds are not possible.

Note that if you place arrows or text fields on elements of a background image (like arrows on a tourist map), they will no longer point to the same locations on other screen sizes. The reason is that the background image adjusts and changes size.

Can H5P content be uploaded to a map?

H5P is based on HTML, Javascript and iFrame embedding, both of which we cannot allow for security reasons. Therefore, H5P files are automatically packaged as ZIP files when uploaded. These ZIP files are then available for download with a warning.

If you like to provide interactive H5P, please paste the link to your external H5P content into the box. If the link preview does not appear properly, you can also add your own preview image.

Why is the preview image for my link not displayed?

For new links, generating the preview takes up to a minute. Please wait. If the preview image does not appear, please perform a hard reload in which all images are reloaded. For a hard reload you can use the key combination CTRL + SHIFT + R. If the preview image is still not displayed, please check the error message, which is located directly at the location of the preview image. You may have entered the link incorrectly. Click on the link, to make sure the website is rendered correctly in your browser. There are also websites or servers that block the generation of preview images. If the preview appears incorrect, it may be due to media content that will be reloaded later in the rendering process. We have no influence on that.

How can I display a box only at a specific date?

To display a box with “Appears on dd.mm.yyyy” and hide the box content in the map view, open the box settings and click on “Change Visibility” at the bottom. Then click on “Show box from”. Enter the date there and optionally the time.

What is the difference between Admin and Superadmin?

Superadmin accounts are usually assigned to media centers, which then have access to all schools assigned to them. The rights of the superadmin are:

Can edit school, teacher and student accounts on the User Management page (change names, change emails, change passwords).
Access to List of all schools.
Access to Activated Accounts. Accounts are considered activated if the account has created at least one map, otherwise not.
Distribute maps to schools: The entry “Maps of my media center” appears at the top of the main menu under “Discover” for schools and their teachers. When creating maps, the superadmin can specify the types of schools to distribute to.

For the user types at Edumaps, see also Map: Edumaps User Roles.

Can emails be linked automatically, i.e. converted into mailto links?

To automatically link emails, go to the map settings, select map extras, and activate the option “Automatically link emails”. Then, open the map view, and all email addresses will be displayed as links. Please note that we do not allow direct linking with mailto and additional parameters, as this could potentially pose a security risk. See Details here.

Why can I not set tel-links in the box content?

We do not allow tel:+123456 links because they could cause security issues. For example, phishing attacks are possible. This means attackers could use tel:-links to trick users into calling a phone number that leads them to disclose sensitive information. Moreover, there are privacy issues. The careless inclusion of phone numbers could expose personal information or lead to harassment. Technically, a denial-of-service attack is also possible. This means attackers could continuously call the phone number and cause an overload.

As a teacher, can I edit student feedback (comments) later on?

Once a comment has been submitted, it cannot be edited again. We orient ourselves towards common chat systems that do not allow the editing of posts of other users.

Alternative: The student can delete their comment and post it again. Or the teacher can post a correction to the comment. The teacher can delete any comment at any time in the comment history.

Can you hide the date and time in the booking module?

Hiding the booking element below the box is not planned. Please note: The date and time are used by our server to send a reminder email to the participants 24 hours before the course date. Therefore, this information should also be included. In addition, you can immediately see when the course takes place without having to search for this information in the box contents.

Can all participants in all boxes of a map be reset at once?

A global reset of all participants is not possible. Solution: Make a copy of your map. Existing bookings will not be carried over to the copied map.

What access rights do the maps have in a folder that I share for editing?

The access right always refers to the folder, not to the contained maps. For the maps in the folder, the following applies: the access right with which the map was added to the folder applies. The access right of a map is independent of the access rights of the folder into which it was placed.

If you need different access rights, such as maps for reading for your students and maps with editing rights for your colleagues, please create two folders for this purpose. In the student folder, place all maps with reading rights (using the "Add map" button). In the teacher folder, place all maps with editing rights.

How can I make a selected number of maps available centrally?

You can achieve this by using a central folder. Place the maps of your choice in this folder. You can then link the folder in your platform (such as Moodle or another LMS). The advantage of this approach is that you can delete maps from this folder or add new ones without the link to the folder changing.

Why can I not comment, rate or like an embedded box?

With embedding only the box content is embedded in the existing box, but not the associated comments, likes or ratings. This has technical reasons.

Why do students end up on the Matheretter login after scanning the QR code?

If you want to go from Edumaps to Matheretter with automatic login, you have to be logged in to Edumaps, visit the map directly and then click on the Matheretter link (a so-called deep link). Only then can Matheretter understand that it is a user who comes from Edumaps and automatically logs in to Matheretter. If you print out the map with QR codes, there is no information about who the user is and that they come from Edumaps. We therefore recommend sharing the map directly instead of printing it out.

Why does the direct login not work with the IServ password?

Edumaps and IServ are two separate systems. This means your IServ password only works on IServ. If you would like to use the Edumaps direct login page, you must use the Edumaps password. If you do not know your password, you can renew it using “Forgotten password”. Your IServ login can be used via the IServ single-sign-on. Here you log in to IServ, IServ sends your basic data to Edumaps and you are then logged in to Edumaps.

What happens if two users edit the content of a box at the same time?

If two or more users edit the same box content, the changes will not be visible in real time. The changes to the box contents are only propagated after saving.

This means that if user A makes a change to the box content and user B is working on the box at the same time, and now user A saves, user B receives the message that the box content has changed. If user B now saves his box content, he will overwrite the box content set by user A.

To ensure that no content is lost, we have built in a revision history for each box. All versions of a box are saved and can be accessed and restored at any time. To view the history, go into edit mode, then at the box click on the three dots and select “Revision”. There is a “Restore” button under each box.

How can I restore a deleted column?

When deleting a column, the boxes it contains are deleted separately and at the end the column itself. These are independent events. Therefore, a column cannot be restored directly.

However, you can open the map history and restore the deleted boxes there. In edit mode, click on the three dots at the top right and select “Map History”. You can then restore any deleted box, a new column will be created in each case.

Why do I no longer see notifications about changes to my map?

Basically, another user has to make a change at your map for you to receive notification of the map change. You will not see notifications for your own edits.

Furthermore:

Only the map owner receives notifications about changes to their maps.
Map changes include: Add/edit/delete box or box contents, change box position, sort boxes, copy box to map, Add/edit/delete column, sort column, Add/edit/delete arrow, add/edit/delete text box.
If the map owner visits the Notifications page, the changed maps are displayed. The next time they visit, these maps will no longer be visible.
So changes are only displayed once. The notifications will then be removed.
They must be on the same server. Notifications do not go from, for example, www.edumaps.de to he.edumaps.de.

Can classes or groups also be created with students from other schools?

Classes or groups can only be created with users within the same school. Putting together a group with users from different schools is not possible, primarily for data protection reasons.

Can I share maps with students from other schools?

Yes, this is possible directly via the map link. If the students from the other school access the map, they can click on the three dots at the top right and select “Bookmark (in Folder)”. This allows students to save any maps they want.

If you want to have more control, you can alternatively create a folder and store the map(s) there. Share this folder with the students via a link. Students can then click the star in the top right to save the folder to their account (you will then find “External Folders” under “My Folders”). You can make changes to the folder and delete it at any time.

How can you make the corners of the boxes not round but angular?

To do this, open the map editor and click on the “Extras” tab. There you will find an input field for “Rounding of box corners”. Enter the value 0 there.

I have a new single-sign-on account. How can I link this new SSO account to my Edumaps account?

To link a new single-sign-on to your Edumaps account, follow these steps:

Log in using your old single-sign-on.
If this is not possible, use the direct login page.
If you do not know your password, reset it using Reset password.
If you have not provided an email address for your account, please contact your school administrator. He can change the email address and the password for your account.
Once logged in, go to the Single-Sign-On Management page.
Remove the previous single-sign-on by clicking on the red trash icon .
Next, go to the website of your SSO provider and log out there.
Go back to Single-Sign-On Management. Click on the button of the SSO provider (e.g. “IServ” or “Edupool”) and log in to the provider with your new SSO account.
You will then be automatically redirected back to Edumaps and the new SSO connection will be linked to your Edumaps account.

Why are not “Schüler und Schülerinnen” and “Lehrer und Lehrerinnen” used in the German text?

On our website we use the generic masculine because it includes all people regardless of gender. It also keeps the texts shorter and easier to read, which is a significant advantage on an extensive platform like Edumaps. In addition, the use of gender language with special characters is prohibited in the state administration and at public schools in Hesse.

Can I use the background images on Edumaps for other purposes?

All background images we use (i.e. the templates in the map editor) can be used freely, including commercially. The images come from Pexels (see License).

Do courses get marked „finished“ automatically after a certain period of time?

A course can only be finished manually by clicking on the “Finish” button. This button will only be displayed one hour after the scheduled start of the course. If a course is shown as finished, you or another editor have clicked the end button.

Will people who have not registered an account also receive a certificate of participation by email?

Yes. If someone makes a booking via e-mail, a basic account is created for this person. The person receives an e-mail with the booking confirmation. This e-mail contains no password, but a link with which the person confirms their e-mail address and, if needed, sets a password of their own.

Once the e-mail address is confirmed, this user will also receive an e-mail with a link to the certificate of participation, when you click the Finish button in the box.

If no e-mail arrives, either the e-mail address is incorrect, the e-mail address has not yet been confirmed, or the e-mail sent by our mail server is rejected by your mail server or ends up in your spam folder.

How can a completed course be activated again (box is marked with “Finished”)?

Completed courses are marked with “Finished”. If you want to remove the termination notice, do the following: Set the booking time of the box to the future and save the box, now the course is activated again and is no longer considered finished. You may need to reload the page for the changes to be visible.

The termination can also be removed if you deactivate the booking option, save the box and then activate the booking option again.

When a user books a course via email, he is automatically logged in, other times he is not. What is the reason?

There are two situations when a visitor (who is not logged in) books a course. First, they already have an account with Edumaps. Second, they do not have an account with Edumaps yet. The standard procedure is that if they have an account, they click on “Book” for the course and then choose the “Login with account” button. If they choose the “Book with email” button instead, they are directed to the “Sign up for Booking” (register) page. There, they enter their email and name. At this point, our system could block the registration with a message stating that a user account already exists. However, instead, we proceed with the course booking for this user and enroll them in the course. Logging in must not occur here, as it would pose a significant security risk.

In this case the user receives the booking confirmation by email, provided their email address is confirmed. If the visitor does not have an account yet, a basic account is created and they are then logged in in this browser.

Why is the booking option not displayed?

The booking option is available to all users. However, the booking module appears deactivated in the box settings only for student accounts and anonymous users. Please check which user role you are logged in with.

Why other editors cannot change the map title, background image, and map access rights?

The editor for the map data is only available to the map owner. If this were not the case, other editors could, for example, set the access rights to “Read with Login”. and thus immediately exclude all other editors from editing the map.

How can the boxes be collapsed to a certain part of the box, for example, one third?

Partial collapsing of boxes is possible. Open the box settings and select “Collapse box”. Then activate the “Teaser” option.

Why does the comments page open in a new tab and not as an overlay in the same window?

In order to display the comments correctly in the overlay, a minimum browser width of 600 pixels is required. If this is not available, the comments will be opened in a new tab. Probably you are using your tablet/iPad in vertical mode, which results in a smaller browser width. Turn your tablet/iPad horizontally so that the browser width is larger.

How can you display the URLs for uploads and links as well as all color codes in the box editor?

If you use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + S in the editor, all URLs for uploads and links as well as all hexadecimal color codes will be displayed. Alternatively, click on the dropdown arrow in the box editor toolbar and select "Syntax out".

My maps have changed and the contents of the boxes is incomplete, why is that?

Open your map in edit mode. Click on the three dots at the top right and select “ Map History” in the dropdown. With the map history you can see which user made which changes. By the way, you can find all of your maps under My Maps.

How can I transfer a map from one server to another server (including files)?

Open your map on the first server. Click the blue “Share map” button at the top right and copy the link to the map. Next, navigate to the second server, select “Create map” in the menu and then “Import map”. In the dialog, click on “Map from other server” and then enter the map link. Confirm, and the entire map including all files will be imported to the second server.

Can individual words be written in a smaller font size?

Yes, this is possible by enclosing the word or text as follows: <small>My small text</small> The smaller font size can be used in map title, column titles, box titles, and box content.

For very small print, you can use: <tiny>Very small text</tiny>.

How can you hide the participant count on the map from visitors?

To do this, open your map in edit mode and access the map settings. Click on the "Extras" tab. There you will find the option "Hide participants". Activate the option. Next, switch to the map view. Now you can see that all participant numbers are no longer visible.

How can I set the same color as map background for all maps?

You can transfer the exact color from one map to another map. The following steps are necessary for this:

Open your map in edit mode and go to map settings.
Click on the small pencil next to the color selection circle.
A dialog opens that shows a color code such as #FFAA77. Copy this color code.
Now create a new map (or edit an existing map) and go to the map settings.
Click on the small pencil next to the color selection circle.
In the dialog that opens, paste the copied color code #FFAA77. Confirm by clicking on the OK button.

Now you have transferred the color of one map to the other map.

How can I hide a specific text field from other visitors?

You can hide a specific text field from visitors by entering /hide/ in the first line of the text field. This text field gets then hidden in the map view. Note that the text field is always visible in edit mode.

What happens to the account if a teacher changes the school or the district?

It is possible to transfer a teacher from one school to another school (on Edumaps). To do this, log in with the admin account of the school the teacher should go to. Then go to the “List of all accounts” page and click on the “Invite user” button. You will then come to the “Invite User” page. There you can enter the email of the teacher. The person will then receive an invitation via email.

Should the teacher move to a school that does not have an Edumaps license, he could book a subscription himself or his new school could purchase a school license. It should be noted that every user can export their maps at any time, even without a license.

Is it possible for stickerwalls to link boxes permanently by arrows?

Dynamically linking boxes with arrows is not currently planned.

Is every change to the box and its content saved in the change history?

If you edit a map, the change is saved as a revision and can be restored.

What is a Teamtext?

A Teamtext is an online document where any number of users can write together in real time. Here, ideas can be compiled, tasks can be worked on, or brainstorming sessions can be held. You can also create breakout rooms by setting up a separate Teamtext document for each group and distributing it accordingly. Collaborative work including chat is thus made incredibly easy.

You can add the Teamtext module to any box. To do this, open the box editor by clicking on the orange arrow. In the editor, you will find the "Teamtext" button in the lower area (next to the image, file, webcam, and photo buttons).

Teamtext is powered by Etherpad Lite, which is hosted by us. We do not have access to the source code and cannot make any changes to it.

How to share a Teamtext document with read-only permissions?

A Teamtext can be shared with read-only access by clicking on the share button and activating “Read only”. You will then be shown a new link. Copy this link and distribute it or post the link to your map.

How can you export a Teamtext as a PDF?

Open the Teamtext document in your browser. Then select “Print” in your browser menu and then select the browser-built-in PDF printer. The keyboard shortcut for this is: Ctrl + P

Why can tables not be created in Teamtext (Etherpad)?

Unfortunately, we had to disable the table plugin because it led to complete data loss for several users. The revision history was also destroyed for many users as a result. Please use an external program for tables. Etherpad or Teamtext is currently not suitable for this purpose. Please note that Etherpad is external software that we host on our server. However, we do not have access to the source code.

How can I share a map with my school while also allowing third parties to edit or read it?

If you want to share a map with all students and teachers of your school, select the option “My School (Read)” under “Share” in the map settings. If you want teachers to be able to edit the map, additionally enable the checkbox “Teachers can edit map”.

Sharing with anonymous users: If you have chosen the map sharing option “My School (Read)” and also want to share your map with third parties who are not registered with Edumaps, you can do so as well.

Click on the blue Share Map button and select “Link to Map” in the dropdown.
Choose “Edit Map” and do not enable the checkbox “Access only for registered users”.
Copy the link and distribute it to third parties.

Can I set a background color for the text and also specify the text color?

Setting the background color and text color for the same text is not possible. You can either set the text color or the background color for text. However, at Edumaps we have implemented a feature that determines the brightness of the background color you have set and automatically sets the text color to white or black.

How can you revoke the sharing of a map with a group/class?

To withdraw the sharing of a map with a group/class, proceed as follows:

Open your map.
Click on the blue share button and select “Share with class”.
The dialog that opens will show you at the bottom at what time you shared the map with which class.
To the right of the sharing entry, you find a red cross. Click on it, and the sharing will be revoked.

How can I see an example or preview of a certificate of participation?

To see a preview of the certificate of participation (i.e. the confirmation of a participated booking), you can proceed as follows:

If the course time is not in the past, temporarily set the course time in the past. Then reload the map.
In the course you will find the “Finish” button. Click on the button.
A dialog appears with: “All participants will receive an email with a certificate of participation (preview)”.
Click on “Preview” and you will be shown a preview of the certificate of participation for your course.

What are anchor links and how to use them for navigation?

You can use anchor links (jump text fields) to create navigation within a map. To do this, put self-nameable anchor links in your boxes and link them, for example, via a table of contents in a box.

Instructions for creating anchor links (example with table of contents):

Open the box you want to link with the box editor.
Click on the button and select “Anchor Link” in the dropdown.
As an example, !#anchor is inserted in the box contents.
Rename the anchor as desired, for example !#start1. Make sure that the anchor word is a continuous word and that the !# characters always precede the word (without spaces, write everything in lower case).
Save the box.
Now open the box with the table of contents (via the box editor).
Write a new text entry in your table of contents.
Mark the text entry with the mouse and click on the “Insert link” button with the symbol .
Now enter your self-named link with hash characters, for example !#start1. Save the box.

If you now click on the link you have set, the map will scroll to the linked box and the box will flash three times.

See also: Tutorial: Anchor Links as well as Example Map: Table of contents with anchor links

Can multiple anchor links be placed within a box?

Yes, you can place as many anchor links as you want in the contents of a box.

Can you register users with emails from the .schule domain and create students with such emails?

Yes, this is possible. Student emails are not checked for suspected spam when they are created via the school admin. Only the official registration page is used to check whether the email and the specified domain exist. Domains with .schule or other types of domains are accepted.

How can I, as a school administrator, regenerate the list of created accounts with the QR codes for direct login?

The re-generation of QR codes with direct logins is not possible, as they can only be created during the initial setup. The reason for this is that the QR codes contain the initial password set by you, which we do not store in plaintext but encrypt, ensuring that even we cannot see the password. This means that QR codes can only be generated during the initial creation of the accounts. For this reason, the following dialogue is displayed immediately after creating the accounts: “Print the list now. The list will only be displayed once. The QR codes cannot be generated again.”

As a course instructor, how can I add multiple students to a course later?

You can add students using their email addresses.

Access your map in private mode of your browser (i.e. not logged in).
Now click on the “Book” button in the box.
Select “Book with Email” and enter email and name of your student.
The confirmation “Course successfully booked” then appears.

This way you can add your students to the course later yourself.

Why can other map editors not finish the courses on the map?

Completing courses is only available to the map owner. There are application scenarios where several students are allowed to edit a map and could potentially set courses to completed.

How to center text and headings?

Aligning text and headings is currently not possible. If this feature is requested more often, we will look forward to implementing it.

How can you insert your own QR code?

You can insert a link as a QR code by using the editor to edit the box contents by clicking on the plus icon at the top right and selecting “QR Code”. Then enter the link and confirm.

If you would like to set a text as a QR code instead of a link, enter directly into the editor: {qrcode:My text here} - this will immediately be converted to a QR code.

Tip: You can find the QR code generator at QR-Code Generator.

Can you assign the same color to all boxes on a map at once?

This can only be done later individually per box. However, when you start creating a map, you can create a box with a specific color as a template and then simply duplicate it. To duplicate, use the box menu (three dots at the top right of the box) and select “Duplicate”.

When linking a YouTube video, is the preview image loaded from Youtube.com and thus the IP passed on?

When a YouTube link is placed in a box, our server automatically loads the preview image from Youtube.com and saves it on our server. This means that when the user accesses the map, the preview image is loaded from the Edumaps server and not from an external website. Data protection is therefore fully guaranteed.

Are QR codes generated using an external service or does my link remain secret from third parties?

Every QR code graphic on Edumaps is generated directly in the browser using Javascript. The QR code can be created with {qrcode:LINK1}. This means that the link you provide will be converted directly into a graphic by your browser when the map loads. There is no request to an external server. In fact, there is no request for the graphic at all.

What does accessibility mean for a website?

In general, website accessibility includes measures such as the use of semantic HTML structures, alternative texts for images, clear and understandable content, easy navigation via keyboard (without mouse), texts in sufficiently large fonts and stronger color contrasts for better readability.

In Germany, the „Barrierefreie-Informationstechnik-Verordnung (BITV)“ regulates how websites are designed to be accessible. It sets the standards for accessibility and is based on the requirements of the „Behindertengleichstellungsgesetzes (BGG)“ (Disability Equality Act). In America, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects the rights of people with disabilities in many areas of public life. An online check for accessibility according to ADA can be done on accessibe.com.

In addition to private companies, public bodies are also obliged to ensure that their websites and digital services are accessible.

What can you do if there is a map in an account that a school urgently needs, but the teacher is not available (e.g. hospital)?

The school administrator can set a new password for the affected user account and then use this to log in. However, the consent of the teacher must be given beforehand. It is also important to ensure compliance with data protection.

It is helpful to collect all important maps in a folder that all teachers in the school can access at any time and store their maps there.

I work with two teacher accounts at two different institutions, how can I make my maps available to all students?

You can centralize all your maps in one folder and manage them with two different accounts. To do this, proceed as follows:

Go to My folders and click on the blue “Create new folder” button at the bottom.
Give the folder a title (example “Material primary school”).
Place all of your maps that you want to share with your students in this folder.
- You can add a map directly to the folder using the “Add map” button. Then paste the link there.
- Alternatively, you can visit the respective map and select “Bookmark (in Folder)” from the dropdown in the map menu. Then select the folder in the dropdown and confirm.
Now you can give the second account editing rights to the folder. Proceed as follows:
- Open the central folder.
- When sharing folders, click on “Share with User” and activate the “Edit folder” checkbox in the dialog.
- Enter the username of the second account and click “OK”.
- Now you can also manage the central folder with the second account and add any map.
- Next, add your maps from the second account to the central folder.
- You can then send the link to the folder to your students.

How can I prevent maps from being copied?

You can disable map copying in the map settings. In the “Extras” tab you will find the “Disable map copying” option.

A box is supposed to be made available for editing. However, the user cannot edit the box. What do we need to set?

Whether a box can be edited or not depends on the generated link to the map. The link must be created with editing rights. Furthermore, the column in which the box is located must not be protected from editing.

How can other editors change the map title and background?

Changing the map title and map background is only available to the map owner.

Why ist the spell checker not working in the box editor?

We had to disable the spell checker for the text area of the editor. The reason for this is that the placeholders (like LINK1 or UPLOAD1 etc.) would be reported as errors, however, these must remain unchanged and are essential for the editor to function properly.

What does teaser mean in the box settings?

If you activate the “Box Teaser” option, the box will not be shown with its full contents in the map view, but only with 2.5 lines (40 pixels height). This means your visitors can see a small part of the content, but are not overwhelmed by the entire box content.

Why are blank lines inserted when pasting copied text into the box editor?

If you copy a multi-line text and paste it into the editor, we automatically set line breaks as new paragraphs, so that the formatting is correct and paragraphs are separated from one another. However, this does not happen when it is a list. If you want to insert the text unchanged, instead of using the key combination Ctrl V you can simply press the key combination Ctrl Shift V. This will paste the text directly from the clipboard as is.

The iPad keyboard covers half of the screen while editing, how can I improve this?

The floating keyboard of the iPad can shrink the keyboard so you can see more of the screen. See Apple instructions. Make the keyboard smaller by squeezing its edges with two fingers. Press and hold the gray line “–” to move the keyboard around the screen.

The “Split Keyboard” option takes up significantly less space than the standard on-screen keyboard of the iPad. You can enable the keyboard by going to: Settings → General → Keyboards → Split Keyboard. To split the keyboard, either pull the left and right sides of the keyboard apart with two fingers, or tap and hold the keyboard button in the bottom right, then select “Split”.

The other option is to use a Bluetooth keyboard. Virtually any Bluetooth keyboard works with iPad, iPhone, and tablets. When this keyboard is active and connected, no on-screen keyboard will be displayed, allowing the entire screen to be used for content.

Last alternative: Rotate the iPad and switch to the vertical view. This way, the keyboard takes up less space on the screen.

Can star ratings for boxes be enabled?

Star ratings for evaluating boxes are not yet planned. In the box settings, you can enable “Voting” and select “Assess” from the dropdown menu. Now boxes can be rated as “Good”, “Average”, and “Poor”. As the box owner, you can then click on the number of voters to see the details of all assessors in the opening dialog. You will also find the average value of all assessments at the bottom left of the detail window, including a representation in the form of stars.

Can external links be displayed in overlays via iframe so that students do not leave the website?

Opening external websites in an overlay is unfortunately disadvantageous for several reasons:

Accessibility: Content within iframes may not be accessible to all users, particularly those using assistive technologies such as screen readers. This can create barriers for users with disabilities and impair their ability to access information on your website.
Privacy and Cookie Policies: Embedding external content in iframes may result in the privacy and cookie policies of the external website not being properly enforced. This can lead to compliance issues and compromise the privacy standards of our website, especially if the external website collects personal data or uses cookies.
Usability: In general, users expect external websites to load in a new tab or directly in the current tab. Displaying them in an overlay is not standard practice.
Security Risks: Embedding external content via iframes can pose security risks, especially if the external website is not trustworthy. Therefore, iframes to external sources are completely blocked in Edumaps.
Smartphone Display: On smartphones, the available screen size is too small to display external websites as overlays.
Additional Scrollbars: Embedding external websites via an overlay causes additional scrollbars, which can impair the user experience by complicating navigation or disrupting the visual flow of the page. Users may need to switch back and forth between the scrollbars of the iframe and those of the page itself to see the entire content, leading to an unpleasant and inconsistent user experience. These extra scrollbars can also affect the appearance of the embedded page.
Browser Compatibility: Different browsers may render and interpret iframes differently. This can lead to inconsistencies in display and behavior, especially concerning the handling of CSS styles, Javascript interactions, or support for specific HTML5 features.
Interaction Limitations: In some cases, external webpages within iframes may include interactive elements such as forms or buttons. Interacting with these elements within the iframe can be problematic because communication between the iframe and the main page may be restricted.

How can I assign my own alternative text for an uploaded image?

Basically, the caption below UPLOAD1 is set as alternative text for images. However, there is also the option to define image tooltips via UPLOAD1{Text}. This text is then also set as alternative text (<img alt="Text">) for the corresponding image.

Gamification: How can I progressively reveal boxes when visitors click on anchor links?

To reveal or display boxes one by one, you can proceed as follows:

Create a map and activate the "Reveal Mode" option in the map extras. This will only display the first box in the map when the map is loaded.
Link the boxes one after the other using anchor links. That means Box 1 points to Box 2, then Box 2 points to Box 3, and so on.
Now distribute your map in read mode.

Now you can call the link in the browser and click through the boxes one by one. The boxes will be displayed one after the other.

How do I log in to Edumaps as a teacher in Hesse (Schulportal Hessen)?

Hesse has a state-wide license, Edumaps is available to you as a teacher free of charge. The easiest way is via the Schulportal Hessen:

Log in to the Schulportal Hessen as usual.
Open the Edumaps tile there. On the first click, your Edumaps account is created automatically and linked to your school.
After that you can start right away, a separate registration is not necessary.

If the Edumaps tile is not yet visible for you, it has to be activated once by your school's Schulportal administration. Contact the responsible person at your school for this.

Alternatively, your school admin can create a teacher account on he.edumaps.de and hand you the username and password.

How do I get more space under the heading to position a sticker there?

Currently, there is no option to influence the spacing below the map title. Alternatively, instead of using a text field for your note to the students, you can place a signature beneath the heading. To do this, input the following after the map title: Map title \\ <small>Here is my note</small>. Another option is to place a box within the first column that contains your note. You can make the box look like a sticker by fully coloring it and hiding the box title.

Can we access and use Edumaps on a Smart TV?

Yes, this is possible on most Smart TVs. Simply use a browser on the device and access our website there. If your Smart TV does not have its own browser, you can install a browser app. For example BrowseHere (TVWeb Browser), Puffin TV Browser or Chrome, if available.

Can you assign a text color for map titles, column titles and box titles and set a colored background for words?

Yes, this is possible for advanced users by enclosing the word in curly brackets and then write down the color code in hexadecimal. As an example: {my word}{#00F} becomes my word.
To set a background color for a word, simply add a hash character to the end of the hexadecimal code. As an example: {my word}{#AAF#} becomes my word.

How to make text colored?

For text inside a box, you can open the editor, select the text and then click the color icon. Choose the color you want and the text will be colored.

For colored text in the map, column, or box titles, you must specify the color using the following notation: Example: {my colored text}{#00F} - This will be displayed as my colored text. The color code #00F is just a number that represents the red-green-blue values of a color. The most commonly used colors can be found here: Color codes in hexadecimal.

Where can I find the AI assistant to generate content?

To open the AI assistant, go into edit mode and click the three dots next to the “New Box” button. A dropdown will open, where you will find the “AI Assistant” entry. Click on the entry, and the assistant will open. Generate any content and then add it directly as new boxes to your current map.

If you do not need the function to insert AI content as boxes, you can also call the AI assistant directly here: AI Assistant.

Can images be generated with the AI assistant?

We use the text mode with the API from OpenAI and cannot generate images. Fundamentally, there is still a question about the added value of an artificial image for the learning process. For generating artificial images, we recommend using specialized image generators from other providers such as Midjourney, DreamStudio, Craiyon, or Adobe Firefly.

As a school from Lower Saxony, can I use Edumaps without the Moin School single sign-on?

Yes, every school has received an admin account from the Ministry of Culture. With this admin account you can create teacher accounts. With teacher accounts, direct logins are possible without single sign-on.

By logging in via Moin-Schule, new accounts are created again and again, resulting in duplicate accounts. How can we get around this?

With Moin SSO you should always log in to the same Edumaps account. If this is not the case, Moin-Schule is passing a different user ID with the single sign-on. Only if the user ID is different, a new account is created.

If such problems occur, we recommend the direct login. To do this, your school administrator must create a teacher account for you. Or you can use the page “Change password” while logged in, set a new password and then use your email and password for the direct login in the future (instead of the Moin SSO).

I receive the error message “Access denied” when using SSO Moin-Schule?

The “access_denied” error is generated by the Moin-Schule server. Possible reasons include: Either your account at Moin-Schule has not been activated, or Edumaps is not activated for your school on the Moin-Schule platform. Make sure that both systems, Edumaps and Matheretter, are activated for your Moin-Schule account. If it still does not work, please contact the Moin-Schule support at support@moin.schule.

When using Single Sign-On with Moin-Schule, is a new account created every time?

With the Single Sign-On Moin-Schule, a person ID (“pid”) is passed. According to Moin-Schule, this ID is unique per person and is used by Edumaps to identify the user. If a student registers anew, this person ID will be different. If the ID remains the same, no new account is created; the user is logged into the existing Edumaps account. Please verify the data on the site of Moin-Schule.

Alternative solution: Assign a password to the user account of the student (in the list of all accounts) and let them use manual login on Edumaps.

When logging in with the SSO Moin-Schule, I am logged in as a student, although I am a teacher?

If you receive the role “Student” at Edumaps, then the data at Moin-Schule is set to student. Please check your settings on the Moin-Schule website, especially the release of role attributes. You can later upgrade your Edumaps account to “Teacher” by using the admin account, accessing the page List of Accounts. Find your account, click Edit, and change the role.

How can you move several boxes in a row?

Multiple moves can be activated as follows:

First, click on the three dots on a box and select “Move” in the dropdown.
Then, a checkbox for “Multiple sort” appears at the top left of the map. Activate it.
Now, you can move the boxes on the map as often as you like.
To deactivate multiple sorting, simply click on a red cross or deactivate the checkbox at “Multiple sort”.

Can the multi-sort mode be activated permanently?

This is not possible because every map loads in edit mode by default. The user can then manually switch to multiple sorting mode themselves.

Where can you find the Edumaps QR code generator?

You can find the QR code generator at this link: QR-Code Generator.

How can I plan a parent conference day with Edumaps?

You can use the Template: Parent Conference Day for a parents evening or a parent-teacher conference. Open the map. Then click on the three dots in the top right and select “Copy Map”. You can then change the copied map as you wish and enter your times.

How can I sort quickly like a Kanban board?

For this, you can use the multiple sort feature. The multiple sort can be activated as follows:

First, click on the three dots on a box and select “Move” in the dropdown.
Then a “multiple sort” checkbox appears at the top left of the map. Activate it.
Now you can move the boxes on the map as often as you like.

I have a subscription but cannot create teacher accounts?

Only an admin account can create teacher accounts. This is not possible with a private account. A school license is required for this. However, private accounts can create student accounts that are then associated with the account.

Which single sign-on systems (SSO) can Edumaps already connect?

Edumaps currently offers single sign-ons to:

Bildungsmediathek NRW
Bildungsserver Sachsen-Anhalt
DiLer
Edulog (Switzerland)
Eduplaces
Edupool Hessen
Hessisches Schulportal
IServ
moin.schule
Sesam (BaWü)
Univention
Vidis
WebUntis

How to create polls?

You can add a survey module to a box by opening the dropdown in the box editor and selecting “Poll”. Now you can create any survey you like. See also Tutorial.

To enable simple voting with only 3 options, A, B, and C, for a box, proceed as follows:

Open the box settings by clicking on the three dots on the box, select “Edit”.
Enable the “Ratings” option.
Select the “Voting” option instead of “Assessment”.
Then click “Save Box”.
Now polls are enabled for this box.

Can the admin block the changing of student names?

Due to data protection, we are not allowed to block the name change. Every user must be able to change and delete their data at any time.

Can student accounts be placed in a trash can instead of immediately deleting them?

Due to data protection, we are not allowed to deactivate or archive student accounts, otherwise the student would no longer be able to access their user data.

If you want to remove the student from the current students list, the admin can remove the user from the school. The student can then delete themselves at any time. The student can be added back to the school list at any time using the “Invite User” feature.

How many maps can a teacher account create and how many maps can a student account create?

The maximum number of maps for teacher accounts is limited to 1000 maps. The maximum number of maps for student accounts is limited to 50 maps.

Can students also create maps?

Yes, student accounts can also create maps. Simply click on “Create Map” at the top of the main menu.

Can additional fonts be integrated?

We currently offer 15 fonts that you can select under “Fonts” in the map settings. 10 of those fonts are pre-installed on Windows, Mac, and Ubuntu operating systems and are displayed correctly. For the others, we load font libraries. If a font is to be displayed that is not available on the operating system of the user, it will not be rendered.

Which fonts are recommended for elementary students and for dyslexia?

The fonts “OpenDyslexic”, “Atkinson Hyperlegible”, “Lexend”, “Tiresias”, and “Comic Sans” are particularly suitable for students with dyslexia.

1. Open Dyslexic: This font was specifically designed for people with dyslexia.

2. Lexend: This font was designed to increase reading speed and accuracy.

3. Atkinson Hyperlegible: Designed by the Braille Institute Library, this font offers excellent clarity and readability, making it useful for people with a variety of visual and reading impairments, including dyslexia.

4. Tiresias: This font was developed for clear readability. It is often used in public transport systems to convey information clearly and distinctly.

5. Comic Sans: Although often criticized, Comic Sans is relatively easy to read due to its rounded letters and clear shapes, even for children with reading difficulties. It is included in many Microsoft products and is therefore widespread.

How can I remove files from a box (I have editing rights)?

To delete a file, simply delete the text UPLOAD1 from the editor. Then the file is no longer in the box. By the way, you can find all your uploads separately in the Upload Manager.

How is it possible for the superadmin to grant a teacher an admin account?

Admin accounts cannot be transferred to teacher accounts. Admin accounts are central accounts primarily intended for managing other users.

If you are superadmin, you can search for the admin account in the User Management. Once you have found the admin account, you can set a new password (to do this, click “Edit”). Write down the admin account username (e.g. “he4569”, you will see the name in the first column). Send the username along with the new password to the person who will manage the admin account.

Why do you have to be logged in to make a reservation?

If we allowed anonymous visitors to book your reservation calendar, there would be a high risk of spam, where theoretically hundreds of entries could be added to your calendar. It is therefore essential to register a user account beforehand.

How do you create a line break to the next line and not to the line after next?

By default, the box editor jumps to the line after next when you press Enter, as it expects a new module. However, if you use Shift + Enter (or Alt + Enter), you will go directly to the next line. This creates a line break.

Does Edumaps offer a calendar for organizing my class?

Yes, this is possible in several ways. Either through your own user calendar or through the calendar of a box.

If you want to plan a week, a map might also be directly useful for this purpose. Take a look at this example map: Example: Primary School Weekly Plan.

Why does the screen automatically scroll up on a smartphone when you move to the next column to the right?

The automatic scrolling up is an Edumaps feature for smartphones. As soon as you move to the next column, it automatically scrolls up because otherwise, the user would be lost in the column context. Tip: You can activate “Scroll columns” in the map settings under “Extras”, then the scrolling up is automatically disabled.

Is it possible to upload Office documents that can be filled by all users?

You can use the teamtext module for shared texts and filling out texts. Siehe What is Teamtext?

Can we organize equipment rental via Edumaps?

Yes, this is exactly why the reservation module is available for each box. See tutorial: Tutorial: Create and manage Reservations.

I have several user accounts with Edumaps. How can I save different maps centrally?

To help you better organize your maps, the “Bookmark (in Folder)” feature is available for each map. This saves a map directly to one of your folders (e.g. Favorites). You can create and manage the folders as you require. If maps are only released within the school (under “Maps of my school”), you actually have to use two different accounts for editing/reading. For all other access rights, you can save and manage the maps using folders.

How do you prevent anonymous participants from editing the map or changing boxes?

To do this, activate the "Access only for registered users" checkbox in the map-sharing dialog. See also Tutorial: Distribute maps with access rights. Or you can share the map via a map link that only allows viewing.

When loading a PDF it says “This content is blocked. Contact the site owner to resolve the issue.”?

This message can occur if the browser settings have been changed. Basically, all PDFs are loaded in an iFrame, which can cause problems with some browsers. To solve the problem, check the permissions of your browser, see hints here.

Can I send an email to the class when new information is available on the map?

If you want every student to receive an email (once a day) whenever you publish new content on your map, then each student must follow the map. For this, the student opens the map view, clicks on the three dots in the top right corner and selects “Follow map”.

Tip: Your class will also receive a notification when you share your map with the class. For this, use the blue “Share map” button in the top right corner and select “Share with class” from the dropdown.

Otherwise, reminders to your class to check the map again must be sent manually via existing communication channels.

Is there a list of all applications of Edumaps?

Yes, you will find a variety of Edumaps applications on the map: Use Cases of Maps. In the first box, you will find a summary that provides you with an overview.

The map on the computer looks different (editing status) than the map on the smartphone/tablet?

Perform a reload of the page. Regardless of the browser cache, the page will always be fully reloaded. If you still see two different versions after reloading, it must be a different map. Please check if both URLs were exactly the same. Or one browser might be displaying the map in a view mode (e.g., with hidden boxes) and the other browser displayed the map in editing mode (where all boxes are typically shown). Additionally, check if your internet connection is working perfectly.

How can my colleagues find my maps more quickly?

To provide information centrally, you can create a folder that you then share with your colleagues. You can add new maps to this folder at any time, and your colleagues will find all the maps centrally located in this place. Alternatively, you could also create a central overview map and link all other maps from there.

What is the difference between columns and boxes?

In a pinboard, columns are arranged vertically. Boxes are placed into these columns. In a timeline, a column is horizontal (meaning “row”) and the boxes are arranged from left to right. In a sticker wall, there are no columns, as all boxes can be freely positioned. This means a column is a higher-level structural element in which boxes are sorted.

Can you hide a medium (image/audio recording/video) behind a spoiler?

Yes. See Spoiler example.

Can you define sections in a box and then collapse and expand them?

Currently the solution would be to create a separate box for each section and collapse the box. Also the spoiler function can be used within a box.

I exported a CSV from Trello and imported it directly as “Edumaps CSV”, but it does not work?

Correct, you are getting the error “This CSV cannot be imported. Data sets incorrect.”, provided you import a file that does not come from Edumaps. Every CSV file - like every spreadsheet - has its own structure with a defined arrangement of data records. Use the Trello importer instead: paste the link of your public board there or upload the JSON export of the board (in Trello: board menu > Print and Export > Export as JSON).

Can I link an uploaded file to an image?

This is currently not possible. The preview images for each file are generated automatically.

How can I put a widget on the home screen of my iPhone/smartphone that shows the contents of a box?

The widget app Widget Web is available for Apple devices such as iPad and iPhone. To do this, take the single box link, i.e. the link that is loaded when you click the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the box.

On Android smartphones, HTML cannot be displayed on the home screen widget. Here you can find the app Widgetify, which generates a screenshot of the website at intervals you specify and then shows it as an image on the home screen.

Where can I find the Edumaps short link generator?

You can find the link generator here.

Can a trash can be introduced where all deleted boxes go if you accidentally delete them?

You can restore any deleted box in the map history. You can find the map history at the top right of the map menu under the “Map History” entry.

Is there a display of which user uploaded a document and when?

Each box has a change history, where you can see which changes were made by whom and at what time. You can also restore previous revisions of the box contents. You can access the change history by clicking on the three dots on the box and selecting “History” in the dropdown.

Links to external websites are displayed with preview images. How can I create a pure text link?

In general, the following applies: If a link stands alone on a line, a preview image will always be generated. If a link is placed within text (i.e., not at the beginning of a line), it is rendered only as a text link and no preview image is generated. A simple dash before it is enough, or for example “Here is the link: https://…”. If the link itself should stand alone on a line, you can place an exclamation mark before the https, for example !https://www.externeseite.de. This forces the link to be displayed as a text link. See also Tutorial: Inputs and Formatting in the Box Editor.

All uploads are displayed with preview images. How can I create a pure text link to the file or document?

An upload is inserted in the box editor as UPLOAD1 and is rendered with a preview image in the preview mode. If you do not need a preview image but want to link specific text to the upload, place an exclamation mark before and after UPLOAD1 and then write the text to be linked below or after it. Example: !UPLOAD1! My Example. This displays the text “My Example” as a text link and links to the uploaded file.

Alternatively, you can place curly brackets around UPLOAD1 and insert the text as follows: {My Example PDF}{UPLOAD1}. This links the text “My Example PDF”.

If the link with https… should stand alone on a line, you can place an exclamation mark before the UPLOAD1, i.e. !UPLOAD1. This displays the link directly.

How can I prevent image files from being compressed automatically? How do I upload all my photos without resizing them?

By default, uploaded images are resized to a maximum width of 1800 pixels or a maximum height of 1000 pixels. To upload a photo at its full image size, open the map settings and select the option “Always upload images without compression” under Extras. Tip: If you want to make several images available for others to download, you can alternatively create a ZIP file containing all the photos on your computer and then upload it.

How can we avoid automatic compression of uploaded image files?

To avoid compression, select the image files on your computer and create a ZIP file. You can then upload this ZIP file into a box and share it. The images inside the ZIP will remain in full resolution.

If you want to upload an image unchanged, add keep to the end of the file name. So instead of my picture.jpg, use my picture keep.jpg as the file name.

My account is no longer working. I can neither log in nor access my maps. What is the reason?

First, check all the information at "My login does not work". If none of the solutions work and the error “User not found” continues to appear, your account has probably been deleted. Please contact your school admin and ask if accounts were deleted.

Note that deleted accounts cannot be restored as we delete all data immediately and irreversibly. We adhere to strict data protection. Deleted means deleted.

Why does our video not play on iPhone and iPad with Safari?

If the video file does not play, it is likely that a video codec has been used that cannot be played by Safari or Quicktime. One solution is to convert the video file with an external program and then upload it again. For iPhone and iPad, you can use an app like The Video Converter.

Another solution is to simply use a different browser like Chrome to play the videos.

If it is about video recordings, you can alternatively use the webcam recording in the Edumaps box editor, just open the editor and click on the “Webcam” button.

When adding boxes to a sticker wall, the boxes overlap. How can this be prevented?

When you have a sticker wall and click on “New Box”, a box is added at a random position in your currently visible area. If all users are at the top left with their smartphones and add boxes, the boxes will gather in this area. One solution is to simply scroll to the right or down and add new boxes there. This way, you achieve a better distribution of boxes on your sticker wall.

Alternatively, you can select the pinboard format. Here, there are no overlaps, as the boxes are arranged one after the other.

Can student accounts be created without providing an email address, but with specifying the class?

If you create student accounts and also want to specify the class, an email address must be provided for each student account. However, you can use dummy email addresses for this purpose. Real email addresses are not required. The email addresses do not need to be reachable.

Can arrows and text fields be attached to boxes so that their position adjusts when a box is expanded?

The positions of arrows and text fields are fixed relative to the global map. It is not possible to change the reference system to a box. You can use the map format “sticker wall” to also fix the boxes to the global map.

How can I give a presentation with Edumaps where each box appears as an individual slide?

You can give a presentation (as known from PowerPoint) by clicking on the zoom icon at the end of a box. This opens the box in single view in large format. In the single view, you will find buttons in the top right to navigate to the previous or next box. This way, you can give your presentation and present all your media.

Why am I prompted to initialize my account after Single-Sign-On?

If you see a popup on the homepage asking you to initialize your account, it means that no email address was provided during the Single-Sign-On process. In this case, only a dummy email address has been stored for your Edumaps account. This means that if Single-Sign-On (SSO) stops working in the future, you will not be able to access your account. Therefore, it is important that you have a way to log in directly to your account at any time and request a new password at any time. For this, you need to provide a valid email address.

How can I embed my box calendar into an external calendar (like Outlook, Apple, or Google Calendar)?

You can embed any of your box calendars into an external calendar like Apple and Google Calendar. As the map owner, you will find an "iCalendar Link" below the box calendar. Click on the link, and the iCalendar link will be displayed. Copy the link and then integrate it into your Apple or Google Calendar.

How can I quickly upload and share images?

The quickest way to share photos and images is by clicking on “Create Map”, entering a map title, and then saving. Next, click on the blue “Image” button at the top right (next to the “Text field” button). Now you can choose your image to upload, and the image will be ready immediately.

I cannot register on the Hessen server. How can I, as a state employee in Hessen, log in?

An admin account is available for each school. The login for this admin account is provided by your responsible media center in Hessen. This admin account can then create a teacher account for you. Alternatively, you can use Single Sign-On via Edupool. The login is done through the Edupool of the Hessen media centers. If you already have an Edupool account, log in to Edupool with it, go to “Tools”, and select “Edumaps” from the dropdown menu. If you are the administrator of your school and use IServ, you can also set up an IServ SSO.

How long does it take for Google Calendar to adopt changes from my Edumaps calendar?

If you have integrated a calendar (e.g. user calendar or box calendar) into Google Calendar via iCalendar link, any changes will appear in Google Calendar after about 12 to 24 hours. We have no control over this time interval, as Google determines the update interval.

I want to delete my account but do not remember my password to confirm the deletion. What should I do?

In these circumstances, proceed as follows: 1. Log out. 2. Go to the Forgot Password page. 3. Request a new password to be sent to you.

How can I hide boxes containing solutions from editing students in edit mode?

In general, you cannot hide boxes from other editors in edit mode. However, in the box settings under “Change visibility”, you will find the option “Hide box”. There you can activate the checkbox “Hide from students in edit mode”.

Alternatively: You can also add a spoiler to your solution box. This way, the answers can also be hidden in edit mode.

I accidentally canceled my subscription. How can I withdraw my cancellation?

To do this, you can simply place a new order at the end of the term. Your subscription and term will then be automatically extended.

How can boxes posted by students be hidden and only released after review by the teacher?

There are scenarios where a “Check and Approve” function is useful (such as post moderation). For example:

Protect individual work results from being copied
Political discussions
Avoiding insults

As a solution, it is recommended to share individual columns. To do this, click the blue button at the top right to share the map and select „Share column group” from the dropdown. Each student can then be assigned their own column and post their content there.

After review, the teacher can release or make the respective box visible by moving the box to a column visible to all students. Alternatively, the teacher can release the map link at the end of the exercise, giving all students full access to all boxes.

Why is the text indentation not working for me?

If the text is not indented despite you having placed two spaces before the text, please check if the text stands alone, meaning without any text in the line before it. Indented text applies to an entire paragraph and must be set before the first text in the first line.

How can you change the generated link for sharing a map?

The links for sharing a map cannot be set manually. However, you can use the short link generator to create your own links. There, enter the link to your map under “External Link” and your desired part of the URL under “Desired Slug (short link)”.

Do parents need an account to view a map, as they cannot open the map and are being asked for login details?

If you are working on the map alone (without colleagues), you can set the map access right to “Read without Login”, then the map can be accessed without a login. However, if you are working on the map together with colleagues and the access right is already set to “Edit with Login”, you can use the “Read-only link” to share the map and distribute this to the parents. All access rights are explained here: Access Rights and Sharing Maps

I have already registered with my personal email address. Now it does not work to register with my work email?

What error message appears? See instructions under My login does not work. What to do? The school admin can generally edit all user accounts and emails, as well as create new accounts.

Can I also download the QR code as a file so that I can insert it into presentations?

Yes, the QR code can be saved by right-clicking. Then select “Save image as” in the context menu. On mobile devices, hold your finger on the QR code, then a menu for saving the image will also appear.

Where can we find the template for our record of processing activities (data protection) to comply with the GDPR requirements?

See Appendix 4 under Data Processing Agreement according to Art. 28 GDPR.

Can my colleagues, with whom I have shared a map (with editing rights), also share this map with their created classes?

Sharing with classes using the “Share with class” function is reserved for the map owner, and only the classes created by the owner can be selected.

Solution using folders:

Each teacher creates their own folder.
In the folder, they click “Add map” and insert the link to the map (be sure to use the “Read only rights” link).
Then they click the blue share button in the folder and select “Share with class”.

Alternative solution: If the map is final, your colleagues can make a copy of the map and then share their own map with their own classes.

Can the admin account work like a user or should the admin account be separated from the user account?

School admin accounts should primarily be used for managing user accounts. School admins can create maps that are made available to all teachers and students (setting with access right “My School”). These maps can then be found in the menu under “Discover” in “Maps of My School”. For all other tasks, separate teacher accounts should be used.

Can you create a teacher account for me at my school?

For data protection reasons, we are not allowed to create or register accounts within the responsibility of a school. Please contact the school admin responsible for you.

Why can I not register directly via email on external servers (like those in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia)?

On external servers, direct email registration is not possible. Usually, there are Single Sign-On solutions (such as Moin-Schule or Edupool) or the school admin creates teacher and student accounts for direct login.

How can I generate a preview image from a linked PDF?

If your link points to an external PDF, you can download the PDF and upload it to your box. This will automatically generate a preview image on our server.

Why is the book button still visible even though the course time is already in the past?

Booking a course is possible up to one hour after the start time. This allows users who join the course a little later to still sign up. Booking a course that is more than one hour in the past is no longer possible.

Why do I not see the finish button for the bookings of the box?

The “Finish” button is always displayed to the map owner. If you do not see the finish button, you are logged in with a different account (or anonymously). Once the course is finished, a “Finished” note appears.

How can I insert a new column at the very front?

Hover your mouse over the empty area to the left of the first column. The “Add column” button will then appear. Click the button to insert a column right at the front.

Due to changes in SSO, new accounts are being created. How can we keep the old accounts?

If you use new SSO accounts, new users will indeed be created in Edumaps. To continue using the data from the previous accounts, it is possible to merge the old and new accounts using your school admin account (see FAQ here). The previous teacher account must then be merged with the new teacher account.

Why can my students not insert images into the box?

There is an upload limit, but it only applies to very large files. In some cases, cookies may be blocked on students’ devices; then an upload is technically not possible. Send us the link to your map and the displayed error message so we can investigate the issue.

Ensure also that neither the column nor the box is protected and that the correct map link with editing rights has been opened.

Sharing with users via email does not work, the error appears: User not found?

Please check if the email address was entered correctly. Make sure both users use the same server. Alternatively, share your map not using the email address, but rather via the username. Each user can find their username in their My Account page.

How can I share a map with a group with read-only rights and with a user within the group with editing rights?

The following steps are necessary:

First, open your map and set the access right to “Edit with login”.
Then share the map with the group. Use the blue share map button in the top right and click “Share with Class” in the dropdown. Select the group/class, check the “Read-only rights” box, and confirm.
Now all members of the group/class will receive a notification, and the map will appear under “Received Maps” for them.
To give editing rights to a single person (who is in the group), use the blue share map button again and click “Share with User” in the dropdown. Enter the username or email (do not check “Read-only rights”) and confirm.
Now the map will appear for this user under “Received Maps” with editing rights.

I have no internet connection while on the go and would like to use the map offline?

For laptop: Enter edit mode, click on the three dots, and select “Export map” from the dropdown menu. There, choose the entry “Static Map with all files (HTML)” (only available for customers, with school license and state license).

For iPhone/iPad, you can save the map offline by opening the map in the Safari browser and selecting “"Add to Reading List”, see Apple article. This is also possible for Chrome iOS.

For Android, you need to install an external app (or enable the “Read Later” feature in Chrome). For example, the app Offline Browser. This app downloads the entire map page, including images. Please note that the app only makes images available offline, and other media such as videos/audio/PDFs are not downloaded.

There was a change in school administration, how can I become an admin now?

Please contact the previous admin user and ask for their login credentials. After logging in, go to the profile and change the email address. We recommend always using the official email address of the school administration and never personal emails.

Is it possible to share the map without my name appearing? How can I hide my name?

The name displayed under the map title is the name you assigned in your profile. If you change the name in your profile, the updated name will appear under the map title. Alternatively, you can hide the map title (see Map Settings under “Extras”), and the map title along with your name will no longer be displayed.

Why do the maps in the map list have the same preview image instead of a preview of the actual map?

This is due to technical reasons. If we created a preview image for each map, it would be server-intensive and significantly increase loading times for all users. The background images are kept very small: for 100 maps in the map list, for example, if 5 background images are set, that results in 5 requests (about 500 kB). With real preview images, there would be 100 requests for the visitor and about 100 * 100 kB = 10 MB. With an internet speed of 500 kB/s, our current variant results in 1 second loading time, while the real preview would take 20 seconds to load.

Why do the linked maps in my boxes all seem to have the same preview image (a page with a book background)?

Technically, these are different preview images. The issue is that the server creating screenshots of websites cannot log in. Therefore, the user (in this case, the server) is redirected to the login page with the book background. If you use a read-only link for the map in the box, the screenshot server can read the map without logging in.

How can we collapse and expand multiple boxes at once for better overview?

You can press M on the keyboard. Alternatively, use the map menu in the top right (click on the three dots) and select "Hide/Show Contents".

Is it possible to print the contents of a map in book form, where each column is a chapter and boxes are subchapters with their contents?

You can download any map in Markdown format. You can then use one of the free Markdown editors to design your book. However, there is no automatic table of contents available at this time.

If a user changes their email, do they still have access to the maps shared with them?

Yes. User IDs are used in the database to identify users in relation to shared maps.

How can you see the name of the creator and the last editor for a box?

In edit mode, you can see the name of the creator or the last editor by hovering over the box title and waiting briefly. A tooltip will appear, showing the name and creation or edit date, as long as the box was not created by the map owner themselves. The tooltip for a new box shows the box creator with “Created by”. The tooltip for an edited box shows the last editor with “Edited by”.

Are the content data of the created maps transmitted unencrypted (data protection)?

We use HTTPS connections for all communication. This means that the data is encrypted during transmission between the client (web browser) and our server. The HTTPS protocol uses SSL/TLS to ensure this encryption. Therefore, all content data is encrypted during transmission. This protects the data from eavesdropping and unauthorized access by third parties during transmission.

Is it possible to use the Edumaps platform in other countries like the USA and Sardinia?

We have no restrictions regarding the location of our visitors. Anyone can use Edumaps, whether from Europe, America, or another continent, regardless of the country. Please use our main server at www.edumaps.de and no other servers.

Can you collapse or expand multiple selected boxes in a column with one click?

Collapsing or expanding selected boxes with one click is not possible. You can individually hide the box contents for each box and thus keep the box permanently collapsed, see box settings.

How can we download images and videos when there is no download button?

For photos and videos, right-click on the photo/video and select download. On smartphones and tablets, press and hold the photo or video until the download dialog appears.

How can you allow the downloading of photos on the map?

The download of photos and videos is not limited. To download photos to the computer, the user can open the photo and right-click on it. Then, a context menu with “Save image as” appears. On smartphones and tablets, the user can open the photo and hold it for about 2 seconds, then a download dialog appears.

When creating student accounts, I receive errors when importing students with name, email, and class but no email address?

Many administrators use student email addresses to ensure uniqueness and avoid duplicates with the same name. We recommend using dummy email addresses, such as “student1@myschool.de”, “student2@myschool.de”, and so on. Another advantage: If you repeat the student data import next year and the emails match, the new class designations will be transferred to the students. This allows you to quickly assign students to new classes during the school year transition.

When reloading Teamtext (Etherpad) in the background, the JAWS screen reader jumps to the beginning and reads with a slight delay?

Unfortunately, we have no direct control over Etherpad, as this open-source software is developed by others. You can report such issues directly to the developers here.

I use different Single Sign-Ons, how can I link multiple SSO with my Edumaps account?

The Single Sign-On Management is available for this purpose (found in the My Account page). After logging in with the first Single Sign-On provider, go to this page and select another Single Sign-On.

We have activated bookings for a box. Who can view the participant list of the course?

Viewing all participants is possible for all editors in edit mode, as long as they are not anonymous and logged in. See also Tutorial: Create and manage Bookings (Courses).

Can you link two different SSO accesses from the same provider to an Edumaps account?

For different Single-Sign-On providers, you can access the Single-Sign-On Management in the My Account page. However, if it is the same provider, merging Single-Sign-Ons would only be possible through the school admin, who can use the Merge Account function for this purpose. When merging, the existing SSOs are combined. However, we recommend actually maintaining two accounts on Edumaps in such cases to avoid other issues. Note: Multiple accounts can manage and share maps centrally in folders.

My students have deleted content and posted disruptive content, how can I prevent vandalism?

You can view deleted content through the map history. There you can also access the change history for the deleted boxes and restore previous states. We generally recommend that each student gets their own login and that the map is set to “Edit with login”. This way, anonymous vandalism is not possible, and you can always track who changed and deleted what by name.

Tip: For group work, each student can create a column and protect it. Subsequently, only the student and the map owner can create and edit boxes within this column.

How do my colleagues receive a notification when something new is posted on the map?

To receive notifications about new boxes on a map, you can follow a map. To do this, click on the three dots at the top right in the map view and select “Follow Map” from the dropdown menu. You will now receive notifications directly on Edumaps via the yellow bell in the main menu. Additionally, our server checks once a day which users should be informed about new content and sends out an email notification.

Is the map zoom also available in edit mode?

Yes. The map zoom (50 % to 200 %) is available both in the map view and in edit mode. You will find it behind the magnifier icon in the top right corner. The editing panel on the left always stays at its normal size, so it remains easy to read and to use. Boxes, arrows and text fields can be moved as usual while the map is zoomed. Alternatively, use the direct browser zoom. Simply hold Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) and scroll the mouse wheel.

How can I zoom out from the map view on mobile phones and tablets?

For technical reasons, it is not possible to zoom out with two fingers when the map is first loaded. However, you can zoom out by clicking on the zoom search icon in the top right corner and selecting 50 % from the dropdown menu. Afterwards, you will see the map zoomed out/reduced, and you can zoom in and out at will with two fingers.

How can I first give my students editing rights via a link and then downgrade them to read-only rights?

If you are working with links and not by sharing to classes, you can also achieve the desired scenario. To do this, open the map settings and click on the “Read link allows editing” option in the map extras. Then click on the blue Share button and copy the link with access rights “Read map”. When your students open this link, they can edit the map. If you later want to revoke the editing rights, go back to the map settings and deactivate the option “Read link allows editing”. So the read link only grants read-only rights as usual.

If you use the “Share with class” function, you can first share with editing rights, and later simply share again with read rights. This overwrites the previous sharing.

Why do students not see a dropdown with all sharing options like teachers do when sharing maps?

Students do not see a dropdown with “Share to Group” and “Share to User” and “Share Column Group”. Reasons for this are: Students cannot create classes/groups. Only teachers are allowed to share directly with individual users (colleagues). Sharing column groups is reserved for teachers and administrators only.

Why does my iPhone say “Your password was detected in a data leak and may be compromised”?

There are two possibilities: 1. If you store passwords for websites on your iPhone, the iPhone automatically detects weaknesses. For example, passwords that are easy to guess or used multiple times. 2. Your password was included in a known data leak. It is quite possible that you had a Trojan on your computer that intercepted your logins with passwords published on the Dark Web.

However, the message does not mean that the data leak originated from the provider. At Edumaps, we store all passwords hashed in our database, which means that the password is never in clear text, such as “password123#”, but instead “$2y$10$HgMaeNXOJbez/xU0HS5HJOxoZGhvMxT”. Thus the password is always protected.

In any case, you should change your password and assign a stronger one that includes special characters and uppercase letters.

Tip: You can find data leaks directly on the website haveibeenpwned.com. Simply enter your email address there, and you will be shown if your email address appears in a data leak.

Why are arrows displayed above the boxes and not below them?

The arrows overlaying the boxes is by design. Boxes and freely placed images on the map are overlaid by arrows. The reason is that arrows point to elements on the map and therefore need to be in the foreground.

I used the Edupool SSO and am associated with the wrong school, how can I change schools on Edumaps?

If you are using the Edupool Single Sign-On, you need to change the school affiliation directly on Edupool. Reason: With Single Sign-On, the school is verified, and your Edumaps account is assigned according to the transferred school. The assignment to the school is made with each use of the Edupool SSO. This means that if the teacher is assigned to “School A” on Edupool, then they will also be automatically assigned to this school on Edumaps when using the Edupool SSO. All manual changes in the user database on Edumaps are overwritten with each Edupool SSO. This means you need to change the teacher association in Edupool, and the teacher must use the Edupool SSO again. Then the assignment should be correct.

If your teacher account is one manually created by the school admin, the other school admin can transfer your account to the other school using the “Invite User” function.

Please note that we are not allowed to change your school affiliation for privacy reasons.

How can I give multiple workgroups write access to only one assigned box on a shared map?

This is possible with the Share Column Group feature. Create multiple columns and then a box in each column. Afterwards, you can create multiple column links. Each column link is assigned only one column, which represents the respective workgroup. Then send each workgroup their corresponding column link, which contains the box to be edited.

Tip: You can change the column links at any time afterwards and unlock additional columns or change access rights per column.

Why is a basic account created when a student anonymously books a course via “Book with email”?

A basic account is created because, for data protection reasons, we are not allowed to create a student account and assign it to a school. Additionally, it is not guaranteed that it is indeed a student. It could, for instance, be a spam bot.

Why is a medium not displayed when searching in the Edupool mediatheque?

Check if the medium's signature has been activated by the superadmin in the media management. If the signature is not there, the medium will not be displayed in your search.

Why was the feedback button removed from the box editor?

Unfortunately, we had to remove the feedback button again. The reason: Some teachers thought they could allow private feedback and simultaneously use the comment function separately in the same box to conduct a discussion. However, technically, the blue feedback button directly opens the comment page and does not allow a separate thread. Since scenarios that are not intended arise from this, we had to remove the feedback button.

Why is my audio file not playing?

Please test it in this map to see if you can play the audio file. If the audio file does not play, there is probably an issue with your browser. Is the latest version installed? If the audio file plays correctly, then there is probably an issue with your uploaded file. For example, using the MP2 codec can cause problems. You would need to convert your file to the MP3 codec and then upload it again. You can find many websites online for this purpose. Just search for “convert to MP3 online”.

How can my students find a column group shared by the teacher again?

When your students access a column group, they will find a bookmark icon at the top right. If the student clicks on it, they can select a folder where the column group should be bookmarked (the simplest option is in the “Favorites” folder). After confirmation, the student can find the column group in the respective folder under “My Folders”.

Is there a push function so that we are automatically informed about changes on a map?

You can achieve this through the Follow Map function. Your users open the map, then click on the three dots and select “Follow Map” from the dropdown. With new content, users receive an email once daily.

I do not see the pricing page of Edumaps?

The pricing pages are only displayed on the main server www.edumaps.de. Not on other servers. You can access the pages here: Prices for schools and Prices for individuals. If you are logged in as a student or teacher, the “Prices” entry will not appear in the main menu either.

How can you fix the top column bar so that the column name always remains visible?

You will find this option in the map settings under "Extras". There you activate the option “Scroll columns”.

How can one protect a box with a password?

You can hide the box content and make it visible only after entering the correct password. To do this, open the box settings and click on “Protect box”. Then select the "Password protection" option and set a password. Save the box. After that, switch to the map view and you will see that a password input field appears, and the content is displayed only after entering the correct password.

Where can I see which classes/groups I am assigned to?

Groups created by teachers are private and protected. Groups created by admins can be viewed on the Predefined Classes page (including all members). This means that only predefined classes/groups set up by the admin should be used, as they are visible to all teachers at your school.

Can we, as a publisher, publish a created map in one of our works (digital and print)?

If a person creates a map, that person is the creator and holds all usage rights for the content on that map. Edumaps does not have copyright on it. Therefore, the person can directly permit your publishing house to use it, with no need for Edumaps to be consulted.

Notes:

Please pay attention to which media have been uploaded onto the map and check their license rights.
Ensure that the Edumaps logo does not appear, only the map itself. The Edumaps logo is copyright protected and may only be published by us.
All background images provided by Edumaps are from Pexels and are free to use, both commercially and privately.
We would appreciate it if there is a note stating "Created with Edumaps" when the map or its depiction is published in your work.
Tip: You can generate a QR code for each map by clicking on the blue share button and incorporate it into your work. This way, the map can also be accessed digitally.

We want to publish our joint map and place all the names of authors under the title?

In the map settings under “Extras” you will find the option “Text below map title”. Enter the desired names here. This text will then appear directly below the map title.

How can you change the line with the name of the map creator under the map title?

In the map settings under “Extras”, you will find the option “Text under map title”. Enter the name or group name you want here. This text will then appear directly below the map title, where the name of the map creator is displayed. Additionally, you can hide the name of the map owner. To do this, open the map settings under “Extras” and activate the checkbox “Hide map owner”.

My map is protected with a map password, yet sometimes I can access the map without a password?

When you are logged in as the map owner, you never need to enter a password. Map owners always have full access to their own maps. When a user has correctly entered the map password, it is stored in their browser for 3 days. If the user accesses the map again during this period, they do not need to enter the password again. Stored map passwords are also deleted upon logging out, meaning the entries in the browser cache are deleted.

How can I add my own logo to the certificate of participation?

You can add your own logos to the top right corner of the certificate of participation by uploading the logo graphic into the box. You can find all the details in the tutorial.

Is it possible to set limitations for rental systems and calendar bookings (booking only during specific periods or with 2-hour slots)?

The calendar module is intended to remain flexible. Constraints are not currently planned. However, you can use an informative text within the box to indicate your individual booking modalities.

How can I link an existing manually created account with a Single Sign-On (SSO) account?

Follow these steps. It is important to follow this exact order:

Log in to Edumaps with your manual account.
Then, open the page of your Single Sign-On provider (such as Edupool or Univention).
Log in there and click on “Edumaps” (in a tile or dropdown).
You will now be redirected to Edumaps, where the message will appear that you can link your manual account with the SSO provider.
Click on the “Link Account” button. You may need to enter your Edumaps password for confirmation.

Afterwards, the Single Sign-On is linked to your manual account.

Are all participants in a course automatically informed by email if I cancel the course?

An automatic email is not sent by Edumaps, as this would lead to mass emails and our mail server would be blacklisted. Also, the function could be misused to generate mass emails. Instead, proceed as follows: Access the list of all participants. To do this, click on the participant counter on the box. This list shows you all email addresses. Now you can copy the emails and send a message to all participants using your email program.

Tip: If all courses on your map are canceled, you can export a CSV list of participants from all courses. You can find this CSV export under “Export map”. Then you can open the CSV file and copy the column with the emails.

How can I display the pinboard or timeline in full screen in the browser?

Use the keyboard shortcut F11 built into most browsers, which displays the website in full screen (without the browser address bar). Return to normal mode by pressing ESC.

How can we conduct an anonymous poll without students having to log out?

For anonymous polls, you can simply open the link to the map in a private browser window.

How can I zoom into an image?

When you click on an image that has been uploaded into a box, the image opens in an overlay. On a smartphone, you can then zoom in with your fingers and move the view. On a computer, you can zoom in with the mouse wheel and then move the view by holding down the mouse button.

How can you set the column title for all columns to be two lines high?

You can insert a blank line in single-line column titles by adding \\ at the end. This creates a line break, thus making a single-line column title display as two lines.

How do I copy an entire box or an entire column?

You can learn how to copy boxes and columns from other maps in these tutorials. To copy boxes and columns on the same map, click the three dots on the box or column and select the option “Duplicate”.

How can I add more information such as speakers to a certificate of participation?

You can create your own short descriptions to add any information you want. See Short description for participation certificate in the tutorial.

How can I fully archive my map?

You can use the offline export for archiving. See tutorial.

How can I enlarge the font when printing a map?

This can be done directly through the print dialog of the browser. In the additional settings, you will find the option “Scale” with the value “100”. Set this value to “200”.

How can I display a full-size image in a box and not a thumbnail?

Displaying the image in full-size instead of a thumbnail in a box is possible. To do so, follow these steps:

Upload the image. It appears as UPLOAD1.
Place a hash # directly behind UPLOAD1.
With UPLOAD1# the image will be rendered in full size.
Save your box.

How can I position a logo next to the map title?

In principle, it is not advisable to place a logo graphic next to the title, as most visitors access the map via smartphone and, due to the small screen width, there is not enough space for the display. However, you can place a small logo at the top left of the map or to the right of a short map title.

Alternative solutions:

Place the logo graphic in the first box on the map.
Use a background image that contains the logo.
Place a logo at the end of the map.

Why can I only make 3 requests with the AI module?

The AI module incurs costs that are not covered by our pricing. Therefore, it is available for testing with 3 requests for each user. Further requests are not possible.

When I open a PDF on the iPad, can I no longer exit the full-screen mode with the PDF view?

This is an iPad-specific issue. Possible solutions:

Use the back gesture: Try swiping from left to right across the screen with one finger. This should lead to the previous screen.
Show the top bar: Tap the screen once to see if the top menu bar appears. This often works to display the controls, including a button to close the PDF.
Use the multitasking bar: You can swipe up with four or five fingers simultaneously to open the multitasking display, then close the app that is displaying the PDF or switch to another app.
Restart the browser: Press the home button (or on newer iPads, swipe up from the bottom edge) to return to the home screen, and then reopen the browser. This should close the open PDF file.

Why are PDFs being downloaded directly in Safari instead of displaying a preview in the browser?

If your Safari browser downloads PDFs instead of displaying them, you need to change your Safari settings to use the integrated PDF reader in Safari. To do this, click on “Safari” in the menu bar at the top and select “Preferences”. Then go to the “Websites” tab. Scroll down on the left side to “Plug-ins”. If a PDF reader like “Adobe Acrobat” is active there, it should be deactivated. Also, make sure no other PDF plug-in is active. If no PDF plug-in is active, Safari should display PDFs as a preview by default.

How can we import or integrate existing external calendars into a calendar on Edumaps?

You will find the “Import calendar (ics)” button below the calendar on the right. Click the button, and you can upload an ics file. “ics” stands for “Internet Calendaring and Scheduling Core Object Specification (iCalendar)”. It is a file format for sharing calendar information. In almost every external application, you can export the calendar as an ics file.

How can we download a calendar from Edumaps as an ICS file or integrate it externally?

You will find the “iCalendar Link” button on the right below the calendar. Click the button, and the iCalendar link for the current calendar will be displayed. Copy the link and open it directly in the browser. This will start the download of the ICS file. Instead of downloading the calendar, you can directly integrate the link into most external applications.

How can I create a table in a box?

Use the dropdown in the box editor and select “Table”. A template for a table will then be inserted, which you can fill with your data. See also the tutorial: Creating Tables.

How can we use the Single Sign-On of Univention?

For applying for and using Edumaps at Cologne schools, an ID Broker connection (UCS) should be available.

- Cologne schools that have not yet applied for an ID Broker connection (UCS) for their school can do so via the Helpdesk in the City of Cologne's intranet. This application is usually submitted by the school management.
- Cologne schools that already have an ID Broker connection (UCS) can apply for integration of Edumaps via Netcologne's (ITS) ticket system.
- Link: https://ticket.netcologne-its.de/index.php

For queries regarding the ticket system, the following email address can be used: servicedesk@netcologne-its.de Teachers can log in via the UCS portal using their UCS credentials. The Edumaps tile will appear in the UCS portal after integration.

How can we activate WebUntis single sign-on?

To use single sign-on from WebUntis to Edumaps, you need to activate the “Edumaps” app in WebUntis. To do this, proceed as follows:

Log in to WebUntis.com with your WebUntis admin account.
Click on “Administration”, then on “Platform”.
Click on “Add application”. Search for “Edumaps” and click “Save”.
Edumaps will then be available to all your WebUntis users.

Where can I see when a box was created?

To see the creation date of the box, open your map in edit mode and click on the three dots on the box. In the dropdown that opens, select “History”. You will then see all edits of the box (revisions). Under the heading, you will find the creation date with “Box created on”.

Alternatively, you can select “Map History” in the map options (click on the three dots in the top right corner). There you will find the complete history of the map with all creation dates of the boxes.

Can classes also be created with a Premium Account?

Yes, classes can be created both with Premium Accounts and with Admin Accounts.

I have problems with formatting in a box?

For better editing (when there are many formatting elements), it is helpful to display the syntax. This way, you can see the formatting marks that have been set. To do this, click on the dropdown arrow on the right in the box editor toolbar and select "Toggle syntax" in the dropdown. Afterwards, all formatting marks will be displayed and you can see where formatting overlaps or is not set correctly.

If I leave my current school or authority, can I keep my maps?

Yes, your maps will remain as long as your account is not deleted. At the end of your time at the school or authority, you can click "Leave school" in your My Account page options; after that, the admin will no longer have access to your account. The admin will also no longer be able to delete your account.

Tip: Export your maps in the Edumaps-JSON format and in the offline format so that you always have a backup copy. These can be imported into a new account whenever needed.

How can I continue using Edumaps after changing schools?

When changing schools, there are several ways to continue using Edumaps:

1. New school has an Edumaps license: In this case, the school admin can invite your user account and assign it to the school as a teacher account.

2. New school does not have an Edumaps license: If the school acquires a school license, then point 1 applies. Otherwise, you can select "Leave school" in the options of your My Account page. Afterwards, your account will be downgraded to a basic account. To then have more storage space and use all features without restrictions, you would need to purchase a Premium Account.

Can you prevent votes from being clicked multiple times?

You can activate the restriction to a single selection by clicking the survey module in the dropdown in the box editor and then selecting “Single choice” instead of “Multiple choice”. This way, only one answer can be selected in the survey, not multiple.

To prevent anonymous users from voting multiple times (which is possible if the person uses several browsers), you would need to share the map link with “Access for registered users only”. This would require all voters to register and verify via email beforehand.

Technically, it is unfortunately not possible to uniquely identify anonymous visitors if they use different browsers.

If I duplicate a fully collapsed box, why is the resulting box not collapsed?

The new duplicated box is displayed with its contents expanded so that the content can be edited directly. In most cases, this is the desired scenario.

Content suddenly seems to be no longer available, could data be lost?

It cannot be completely ruled out technically that - in very rare cases - data loss may occur. This can be due to an unstable internet connection, possibly a server restart, or other reasons. To find out which boxes have been created and deleted, you can use the map history. This will quickly give you an overview of all changes on your map (who edited what and when). In some cases, you can determine here how the data was lost, specifically by looking at entries like “Box deleted”. By the way, deleted boxes can be completely restored by clicking on the icon with the circular arrow in the map history.

You can create a backup of your maps at any time. Use the “Export map” function for this or create a copy of your map.

Will a drawing function be implemented for the boxes, since our students write with a digital pen on a tablet?

A module for making drawings or handwritten notes is not planned. Instead, we recommend downloading and using an app specialized in drawing from the Play Store or App Store. Afterwards, you can export an image file from the drawing app and upload it to your box.

How can I add two appointments at the same time in the user calendar?

To do this, go to the week view and, for example, set the first appointment to 17:00. Then set the second appointment to, for example, 16:00. Now move the second appointment with the mouse to 17:00. Or you can edit the second appointment and enter the time in the input field.

How can I show a message to every visitor who is currently viewing my map?

For this purpose you can use a popup message that you find in the box editor. You can place it in any box. See tutorial here.

How can I undo the connection of my account to a single sign-on after linking it?

Go to the Single Sign-On Management page.
There you will find all single sign-ons linked to your account.
Now you can click the delete icon next to the active SSO, and the connection will be removed.

How can I regenerate the Teamtext links when duplicating maps so that students receive empty Teamtext documents?

Links are not changed when maps are duplicated. They remain fixed. In the Teamtext module, a fixed link is also generated and placed in the box. This cannot be directly changed when duplicating the map. You will need to edit the boxes and manually set the new links yourself. Tip for quicker editing: To create a new Teamtext link, it is enough to simply add a number or a letter to the end of the existing link in the box.

How can you place curved/bent arrows between boxes?

When you add a new arrow using the “Arrow” button at the top right of the map, this arrow is always straight. To use curved arrows, you can download appropriate arrow graphics with a transparent background from the internet and then add them using the “Image” button. Afterwards, you can adjust the position, size, and rotation of the arrow graphic on your map.

How can I transfer my maps from the existing account to the new account when changing schools to another federal state (different server)?

If you would like to switch from a server like www.edumaps.de to another server such as nrw.edumaps.de, you can transfer your maps as follows:

Note down all links to your maps on www.edumaps.de.
Log in to nrw.edumaps.de.
Click on “Create map” and select “Import map”.
Then, in the dialog, select the option “Map from another server”.
Paste the first map link and confirm.
The import takes place automatically, including all files.

In this way, you can transfer or import all data when you change schools.

The same procedure should be followed, for example, if you want to move from a private account on the main server to a teacher account on a state server.

How can I limit the view of the box calendar to the time period 8:00 to 16:00 (instead of 24 hours)?

Changing this setting is currently only possible using the following hack:

Edit your box, activate the calendar. Save the box.
Edit the box content and insert, as text on a separate line: // #cal#8-16#
Save the box content.
Now open the calendar and you will see that only times from 8am to 4pm are displayed.

It does not matter where in the box content the hack is placed.

Is it possible to assign a task to an external person using their email address?

Users must be registered, otherwise it is not possible to assign a task. The assignment is done via the Edumaps username. Since other features depend on the user ID, bypassing registration is not possible here. However, with an admin account, you can quickly create an account with the corresponding email address – and then assign the task.

What should I do when the error message appears: “The map owner's storage is full. No further uploads are possible.”?

When a user uploads a file to a map, the file is placed in the map owner's storage. As a result, the map owner's storage usage increases. The available storage is limited for each user. If the storage limit is exceeded, further uploads are blocked by the server.

To check the storage usage, the map owner can open the “My Account” page. There, the total storage space and remaining space are listed.

The available storage spaces depend on account type and license:

Storage for teacher accounts: 1 GB, 5 GB, or 10 GB (depending on server)
Storage for student accounts: 50 MB
Storage for basic accounts: 10 MB
Storage for premium accounts: 1 GB or 5 GB (depending on plan, main server only)

Possible solutions:

For basic account:
If you are a teacher at a school but only have a basic account and are not assigned to a school, the school admin can invite your account to the school as a teacher account. This way, you will receive the storage of a teacher account.
For student account:
If you are a teacher but only have a student account, the school admin can upgrade your account to a teacher account via the List of Accounts. This way, you will receive the storage of a teacher account.
For teacher account:
Media centers have the option to individually allocate more storage space to certain accounts.
For basic account:
If you are not affiliated with any school, you can book a premium plan and thus increase your storage.

We link to a map of a user. How can we ensure the link remains available if the user deletes the map or their account?

There are several options:

Solution 1: Link from your maps to a folder you have created and place the required maps there.

Solution 2: You can use the admin account (or create an additional account) where you publish all maps intended for everyone. Then link to these maps.

Solution 3: You can use the short link generator to create links that you use on your maps. Later, you can edit the corresponding short link and change the target as needed.

How can I copy maps from one Edumaps server to another (e.g., from nds.edumaps.de to nrw.edumaps.de)?

This is possible as follows:

Click on “Create Map” in the sidebar.
Select “Import Map”.
In the dialog, choose the option “Map from other server”.
There, paste the link to the external map. The import will be carried out automatically.

I have several accounts through different single sign-ons. How should I handle this?

There are several solutions for merging duplicate accounts:

Option 1: The best solution is for the school admin to merge both accounts. For this, the admin uses the page Merge accounts. Both accounts must be assigned to the same school in Edumaps. If this is not the case, the admin must use Invite users.

Option 2: Link the single sign-on with your account. In other words: you log in (directly or with a single sign-on) and then use the second single sign-on. You will then be shown an option to link the SSO. However, maps will not be transferred if they were already created in the SSO account you are trying to link.

Option 3: On the “My Account” page you will find the Single sign-on management. There you can select the respective single sign-on and automatically link it to your current account. Delete the duplicate account and then use your existing account to perform the SSO link. Make sure that the SSO has not been used before.

Option 4: You only use direct logins and avoid single sign-on solutions, to prevent duplicate accounts and the associated administrative effort for the school admin.

How do I get an invoice for my subscription as a private customer?

Credit Card: After payment, you will automatically receive a confirmation email from Stripe. This email also contains the automatically generated invoice.

Paypal: After payment, you will receive a confirmation email from PayPal. This contains all relevant information (amount, product) and usually serves as a replacement for an invoice.

If you need an invoice directly from us, please send us an email with your full name and billing address. We will then issue an invoice and send it to you by email.

Please note: Invoices are generally issued collectively once a year to keep administrative work to a minimum. Exception: If you cancel your subscription, we will issue a final invoice.

Can the map formats Pinboard and Timeline be combined so that columns can be placed at the front?

Unfortunately, this is not possible. Only one of the map formats can be selected at a time.

How can we protect the map from students and parents, so that only teachers can access the map?

You can restrict access to teachers only. To do this, open the map sharing dialog, click on the three dots at the top right, and select “Access for teachers only” in the dropdown. Another alternative to protect maps is to set a map password.

If a map link was accidentally shared with students, you can regenerate the map link. The previously issued map link will then be invalid. To do this, open the map sharing dialog, click on the three dots at the top right, and select “Regenerate links” in the dropdown.

How can I quickly switch from the admin account I have access to, to my personal (teacher) account?

To switch between your admin account and your personal teacher account, you need to log out from one account and then log in with the other account. A direct switch function between different accounts is not available.

How can students complete tasks on shared maps and submit solutions?

To ensure that each student can work on the tasks individually, it is recommended to share the map with read-only rights and have students submit their answers via the comments function. This way, individual solutions remain hidden from other students.

Alternatively, you can create a separate copy of the map for each student and share it individually with editing rights. This enables students to work on the tasks independently without seeing the solutions of others.

Another option is to share the map with editing rights and ask students to enter their answers in separate, protected sections or boxes that are only visible to you as the teacher. In this way, students can complete the tasks without their solutions being visible to others. In particular, the option “Share path groups” can be used here, ensuring that students cannot see each other's individual solutions.

What rights apply to the saved map when I follow a map?

When you follow a map, you will find this map again on the page My followed maps. There, maps are always linked with read-only rights. Never with editing rights. Use the “Follow map” function only to receive notifications about new boxes. If you want to save a map (also with editing rights), then choose the function “Save map in folder”.

When parents book parent-teacher meetings for siblings, how can we distinguish by their names?

A separate account should be created for each child, and the booking should then be made with these accounts. This avoids confusion and ensures clarity.

How can the course provider inform participants about the cancellation of a course?

The announcement of the cancellation must be made by the teacher themselves via email. The names and emails of the participants can be exported as a CSV file for this purpose. To do this, click on the participant icon and select “CSV export”.

Why are there no push notifications?

Push notifications are technically difficult (require service worker or app) and would create additional load for the server. Instead, we display notifications directly on the website at New Activities, where the latest activities relevant to you are listed, sorted by category.

Can we integrate Edumaps into our learning management system via an LTI interface?

LTI stands for Learning Tools Interoperability and is a way to integrate external applications into a learning management system (LMS) such as Moodle, Itslearning, or Microsoft Teams. With LTI, external services like Edumaps can be used directly within the LMS, without users having to log in twice or create separate accounts.

An LTI interface can therefore be used for single sign-on (users log into the LMS and are automatically signed in to the connected tool) and for course and user provisioning (the LMS passes information such as course ID, role (teacher/student), or names to the tool).

Please contact our support team if you require an LTI implementation.

I have two accounts on two different servers (www.edumaps.de and nrw.edumaps.de), how can I transfer the maps?

Since Edumaps is operated on different servers, the user accounts on www.edumaps.de and nrw.edumaps.de are separate. However, there is an easy way to transfer maps from one server to another.

To do this, click on "Create Map" in the menu and then select "Import Map".
Next, choose the option "Map from another server".
Here you can now enter the link to the map on the external server and confirm.
The map will then be copied from one server to the other.

Which AI does the AI function use, and how is data protection compliance ensured?

The AI function in Edumaps currently uses OpenAI’s GPT models via a server-to-server interface. The data protection compliant deployment “OpenAI Azure” is used. The involved servers are located in Sweden (Europe). Data is not used for training purposes.

In relation to data protection requirements, the following points apply:

All data is processed exclusively within the European Economic Area (EEA).
No personal data such as names, email addresses, or content from user accounts is transmitted to OpenAI. No personal data is stored by OpenAI.
Data transmission is encrypted via a secure server-to-server interface.
Edumaps only transmits the text necessary for the respective request and never personal user data such as names, IP addresses, email addresses, or content from user accounts.
The transmitted data is explicitly not used for training AI models.

Under these conditions, and when the service is used within the EEA, the use of the AI function is currently compliant with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

How can I convert my teacher account to an admin account? Can we create a second admin account?

Converting a teacher account into an admin account is not possible. Each school or institution has access to only one central admin account. The login credentials for the admin account were provided to you upon acquisition of the school license, or by your media center, or by the ministry of education (for state licenses).

See also How many admin accounts can a school have?

Who is the admin of our school?

To determine the responsible administrator, it is recommended to contact your school directly. If you already have a teacher or student account, you can find the contact email of the admin directly on the My Account page.

How can I add a text to the booking confirmation email that is not publicly visible on the map?

In the booking confirmation, besides the box title (course title), the first 500 characters of the box content are also sent. Here, you can add a text comment to the box content (with // at the beginning of the line). This text will be hidden in the map view but will be included in the booking email.

How can I distribute a map to several students so that each student receives their own map to work on individually, and not everyone works on the same map?

To provide each student with their own copy of a map for individual editing, you can proceed as follows:

Duplicate the map: Create a separate copy of the original map for each student. To do this, click on the three dots at the top right and select “Copy map”.
Then, for each individual map copy, generate the map sharing link. Click on the blue “Share map” button at the top right and select “Link to map”.
You can then copy the link and QR code from the map sharing dialog and share them with the respective student.
Alternatively, you can share the map directly with the student if the student is registered with Edumaps. To do this, click on the blue “Share map” button and select “Share with user”. Then enter the email or username.

How can I protect a column with a password?

If you want to hide the content of a column and only unlock it with a password, you can use the password function.

To set the column password, open the column settings.
Activate the “Protect Column” option and select “Password Protection”.
Enter your desired password there. Save the settings.
Result: In the map view, all boxes in this column are hidden and a password input field appears below the column title. Only after entering the correct password will the boxes in the column be displayed.

Is there an alternative to assigning columns to students without using column group links?

Basically, we recommend using column groups, since you can also name each generated link with the respective student's name. Alternatively, you can assign an individual password to each column and then share the map with your students centrally. Afterwards, you can give each student their column password. In fact, this has the advantage that you do not need to create new column groups after duplicating a map.

Do we have a legal obligation to provide an imprint if we, as a school, publish a bulletin board?

Whether an imprint is required depends on whether it is a “business-like telemedium usually offered for a fee”. See imprint obligation in the Telemedia Act / TTDSG / § 5 TMG. Schools are not considered commercial providers, but public institutions are often still required to provide an imprint as soon as they publish content on the internet that goes beyond purely private communication.

If you make a bulletin board publicly accessible, you should provide an imprint. However, if you only share bulletin boards within your school (not publicly), an imprint is not required.

Our recommendation: As a school, link to the central imprint of your website. Simply place the imprint link in the first box of your bulletin board or as text below the map title (see map extras).

How can a column be password-protected even in edit mode?

This feature is currently not implemented.

Where can I get a certificate of participation after a course has taken place?

If you participated in a course, organized by a teacher using Edumaps, you will automatically receive an email with your certificate of participation as soon as the teacher completes the course. For this, the user must click “Finish” in the box.

Why can I currently not access the AI module (Lower Saxony server)?

We are currently in discussions with the Lower Saxony Ministry of Education and are investigating the requirements for further use of the AI module.

What does the little man with a number on each map thumbnail in my list of maps stand for?

The little man icon with a number in your list of maps shows the number of accesses to the respective map. The number indicates how many times the map has been opened. Your own accesses from different devices are also counted, which can make the counter appear higher.

How is the number of map accesses counted?

The visitor counter always counts a new IP address as a new visitor and stores the last IP address as an encrypted value. This means that if you visit your map with a computer and then with a smartphone, the visitor counter increases by 2. So if more than one access to your map is displayed even though you have not shared the link, it is likely that the counter has increased due to your own activity.

What is included in the free basic version of Edumaps?

A free basic account can create up to 5 maps. Storage volume is limited to 10 MB. The upload limit per file is 10 MB. User management is not available (student accounts and classes cannot be created). The booking module, rental module, and AI module are not fully available.

How can students take on an assignment (e.g. project) created by a teacher?

The student can use the comment function of the box and leave a comment with their name. This counts as an expression of interest. Afterwards, as a teacher, you can check whether the student may receive this assignment and enter their username into the assignment module. This counts as an assignment confirmation. The assignment will then appear for the student in the list of all assignments.

I am a teacher at two schools, how can I use Edumaps for both schools?

To use Edumaps at two institutions, you need separate user accounts for each institution. Since Edumaps manages distinct user accounts for each institution, you cannot access the specific functions and data of both organizations with a single account. Please contact the administrators of both institutions to ensure that you receive a separate user account for each organization. With these separate accounts, you can then use the respective functions and data of each institution.

Tip: Use folders to centrally collect and manage maps for both user accounts.

How can I set the allowed booking time before the course starts (e.g. booking up to 24 hours before the course begins)?

To do this, edit the box and, at your desired time, enable the “Protect box” option and there select “Full protection”. After that, booking is no longer possible. You do not need to deactivate the booking system; otherwise existing bookings would be lost.

Where can participants in my courses view all their booked courses?

An overview of all bookings can be found by every user under My bookings.

Can additional selectable options for appointments be added to the booking system?

A separate box must be created for each desired booking option.

Can I receive an automatic email with all participants in my course?

This email feature is not provided. As the map owner, you can view your course’s participants at any time by clicking the participant counter and export them as a CSV file. Users in edit mode can also open this participant list.

In which country are the servers of Edumaps located, and who provides the hosting?

All Edumaps servers are located in the Falkenstein data center (Germany), which is operated by Hetzner Online GmbH. Hetzner Online GmbH is a subcontractor of Edumaps and, as a German quality provider, is distinguished by strict compliance with all German data-protection regulations in accordance with the GDPR. Hetzner guarantees adherence to all appropriate technical and organizational measures (TOM), ensuring that data processing is GDPR-compliant.

How can I turn individual boxes into a course?

To convert a box in Edumaps into a course, enable the booking system for the relevant box. To do this, open the box settings and select the “Calendar and Bookings” tab. There, click “Booking system” and set the course start time. Optionally, you can also set the maximum number of participants and define a price payable via PayPal. After saving the box, the course is activated and participants can register via the “Book” button on the box. See also tutorial with screenshots.

Can multiple boxes be combined into a course within a map and then made bookable?

Technically, an entire map cannot be booked as a course. Only a single box at a time. To reflect your scenario, you can create a complete course map and then link it in a central booking map inside a single box. You can make this box bookable. In this way, a complete course can be booked via one box. You can also place several comprehensive courses side by side and make them available for booking.

Is there a history for calendar entries?

This feature is not currently planned.

How many files such as images and videos can I upload at once?

To maintain server performance, there are technical restrictions that make it necessary to limit the number of files uploaded at the same time. Currently, there is a limit of 30 files that you can upload in one go (for example via drag and drop or by multi-selecting in the file dialog).

Is there an app for Android smartphones or iPhone?

An Android app or iOS app is currently not planned. However, you can create an “Add to Home Screen” shortcut from your mobile browser. This will create an app icon, and you can open Edumaps directly with one click.

We collect boxes on a central archive map; how can we transfer the boxes with one click?

You can use Copy Mode for this. Open your archive map, click the dropdown next to “New Box”, and choose “Copy box from map”. This activates Copy Mode for boxes. Then open any maps in your browser tabs and copy the desired boxes. See also Tutorial: Copy Boxes from other Maps.

I want to share a map with all colleagues for editing, where some columns are protected, but one colleague should be allowed to edit one of these columns?

For this case, proceed as follows:

Share the map with edit rights to your colleagues using “Share to Group”.
One column should now be editable only by a specific teacher.
For this, the teacher opens the map and creates a column. They then set this column to “Fully” protected.
Now only the map owner and the teacher themself as the column owner can edit this column.
All other colleagues have no edit rights for this column.

How can a user, after booking a course with an email address, change their class name?

If a user books by providing an email address, an account is created for them automatically. This account has the real name: “Name | Class”. To change the name, the user must log in with their email. When booking for the first time, the login details were sent to the user. Afterwards, they can change the details on the My Account page. Alternatively, the school admin can invite the user to the school via their email address and then edit the name or the class. Other solutions are not possible for security reasons.

Do shared links or QR codes have an expiration date or a validity period?

Shared Edumaps links - including all links that have been generated as QR codes - are permanently valid. Links/QR codes only lose their validity if, for example, the linked map is deleted.

A teacher has changed schools and has a new Edumaps account at the new school; how do you merge the old account with the new account?

For both accounts to be merged, both user accounts must belong to the same school. For this, the school admin of the new school must invite the user. Afterwards, the school admin can merge the accounts.

If the teacher no longer has access to the old email address and therefore cannot accept the invitation link, the old school admin must change the email address of the old user account so that the invitation email can be delivered. If this is not possible either, please contact your media center (superadmin), which can make this change for you.

We are a private company, how can we obtain a commercial license for using Edumaps?

Depending on the size of your company, there are several options:

If you are a sole proprietorship, a private subscription may be sufficient, offering extensive features (such as an unlimited number of Maps, creating student accounts, increased storage space).

If you are a medium-sized company or a large enterprise, you can consider a school license, which is specifically designed for educational institutions. This license allows you to create up to 2,500 student accounts and offers 5 GB of storage for each teacher or user. All Edumaps features are available.

Please note that the pricing pages of Edumaps are only displayed on the main server www.edumaps.de. If you are logged in as a student or teacher, no "Pricing" entry will appear in the main menu either.

For further information or individual advice, you can contact our support directly.

How can I add a map to my dashboard?

You will see a map in your dashboard if you:

add the map to your favorites, it will then appear in the “Favorites” section,
visit the map, it will then appear in the “Visited Maps” section,
follow the map, it will then appear in the “Followed Maps” section.

To add a map to your favorites, open the map and click the three dots at the top right. In the menu, choose “Bookmark in folder” and then “Favorites” in the dropdown.

Alternatively, you can go to the Favorites page and click the “Add map” button at the top right there. Then choose “Insert map link”, enter the map link and confirm.

However, we recommend working directly with the “Maps” → “Favorites” menu to quickly find important maps again or, if there are many maps, to use folders.

How can I assign a task to two people?

A box containing a task can always be assigned to only one user. To assign a task to two users, you can duplicate the box (with the same content) and then assign the duplicate to the second user.

Alternatively, you can assign the task to one main responsible user and name the other participants in the text of the box. This is useful when several users work together on a single task.

How can I, as superadmin, publish a folder instead of a map on the “Maps of my media center” page?

To do this, it is recommended to create a map that contains a link to the folder. You can then share this map for the “Maps of my media center” page.

We are using the Fully Kiosk Browser app and are getting the error “Too many login attempts (LPW-5)”?

This problem occurs when the browser does not save the login cookie and reloads regularly. As a result, with every reload it tries to log the client in. However, after a certain number of login attempts, the Edumaps server blocks access because it assumes a spam bot.

As a rule, you do not need a reload for Edumaps, because changes are displayed automatically. Changes are transmitted automatically and almost in real time. A manual reload is unnecessary.

For the “Fully Kiosk Browser” app, you also need to make sure that these settings are disabled:
1. “Delete Cache on Auto Reload” (off)
2. “Delete Cookies on Auto Reload” (off)
3. “Clear Cache After Each Page” (off)
4. In addition, a value should be set for “Fake User Agent String” (for example “Internet Explorer 11”).

Why are freely movable images, arrows and text fields only available in the stickerwall format and not in the pinboard format?

In the pinboard format, boxes are arranged in columns and move dynamically (for example when new columns or boxes are added and depending on the screen width). Freely movable arrows and text fields, on the other hand, are always positioned relative to the entire map (“globally”) and cannot, for technical reasons, be anchored to boxes or columns.

This leads to the following problems:

If a new column is added at the front, the arrows remain at their old global positions and point to the wrong column.
If a new box is inserted at the top of a column, all arrows below it shift relative to their target boxes and point to the wrong content.
On large displays, the column width is automatically increased for better readability. The boxes move further apart, but the globally positioned arrows and text fields do not – they then no longer point to the correct elements.

The positions of arrows and text fields are defined with respect to the global map. Changing the frame of reference to a box is not possible. Only in the “Stickerwall” map format are all elements (boxes, arrows, text fields, etc.) positioned globally, do not change their positions and therefore do not cause positioning issues.

Only in the “Stickerwall” map format are all elements (boxes, arrows, text fields, etc.) positioned globally and do not move relative to one another. For this reason, freely movable images, arrows and text fields can be used there in a stable and reliable way, but not in the pinboard format.

How can I keep a grade book in Edumaps?

At the moment there is no dedicated module for this. However, you can insert a table into a box via the Tools dropdown and use it as a simple grade book. In the columns, enter e.g. the students' names, assignments/exams, grades and, if required, comments. Also use the double column width to give the table more space, and create a separate box for each class or subject if needed. When keeping a digital grade book, please observe the data protection and retention policies in force at your school.

How can I change my name and will any maps be lost?

You can change your name on the My account page. Changing your name does not cause any maps to be lost.

Why can my colleagues not delete boxes?

First check whether the map link is configured with editing rights. When opening the link, the red Edit icon must appear in the top right. If your colleagues open the link and switch to edit mode and cannot delete boxes, but can make other changes, this is probably because they are not logged in, but are editing anonymously. For security reasons, anonymous users are not allowed to delete boxes or columns. To do this, logging in with a user account is required. We always recommend creating a separate teacher account for each teacher. This allows unrestricted editing, and the map history shows you exactly who made which change.

Can groups and classes from Eduplaces be synchronized with Edumaps?

Automatic synchronization of groups and classes, as offered in the paid Eduplaces version, is currently not available. At the moment, groups still have to be created manually. We may add this feature in the medium term.

Can my students edit their comments after they have been submitted?

Submitted comments cannot be edited or deleted by students afterwards. Teachers also cannot edit existing comments directly, but can only delete them.

If you want your students to correct their submissions in comments linguistically, you could ask them to write the texts in a box on a separate map and post the link to the box as a comment. You can then revise and correct this box (by the way, in the box history you can see both text versions). Another alternative is to delete incorrect comments and ask the students to post the comment again after correction.

How can I create a line break within a cell of a table?

You can create a line break within a table cell by using two backslashes \\.

Why can I not uncheck the option when sharing folders that only registered users can edit the folder?

Folders can only be edited by registered users so that ownership of content and permissions is clearly assigned. While maps within a folder can be edited publicly, access to the entire folder – for example, to delete maps – requires a login. This ensures that only identifiable (registered) users can make fundamental changes to the folder and that content is not lost unintentionally. Unlike maps, folders do not have a version history.

How can I get more information about the course I booked on a map?

When you book a course on a pinboard, you can see additional information (such as dates, location, and schedule) directly in the box you are booking. If no additional information is provided, you will most likely receive it directly from the responsible school or organizer by email. Check the pinboard to see whether any relevant notes are provided there.

Edumaps only displays the booking status. All details are provided by the organizer on the pinboard. Please check your email inbox, including your spam folder, to see whether you have received a message from the provider. If you have not received an email, please contact the school or provider directly so you can get further details.

Why is my uploaded SVG file not displayed as a preview thumbnail?

For security and reliability reasons, no preview thumbnails are generated for SVG files. SVG is an XML format and can contain active content in addition to graphic data (e.g., scripts, links, embedded objects, event handlers, or external URLs for images/fonts). When rendering, this can lead to unwanted effects – such as loading external resources or executing active elements in certain viewing contexts.

In addition, server-side conversion of SVG to a raster image (preview thumbnail) is not always reliable. Complex SVG features such as filters, masks, clipping, or blend modes are not fully supported depending on the file and renderer. A preview may also fail if the SVG file is invalid or incomplete (invalid XML/SVG syntax), does not contain clear size information, or is very large and therefore exceeds processing limits.

SVG files can be uploaded, but in Edumaps they are not rendered inline for security reasons, and are only provided as a download. If you need a preview, please also upload a PNG or JPG version.

Are the server capacities sufficient if 1200 students access my map at the same time?

We use a high-performance server. Several thousand simultaneous accesses are no problem.

We would like, as a teacher training seminar, to create maps where the seminar is the owner, so that the seminar’s maps remain preserved even when people change?

This scenario is often implemented by teacher training seminars and schools by using functional accounts. The relevant maps are created centrally via these accounts, and then staff members are invited with the appropriate permissions. In this way, the teacher training seminar’s infrastructure remains permanently in place—regardless of whether individuals leave the seminar. You can also use the functional account to copy existing maps and make them centrally available there.

Is it possible to reinsert an image that was mistakenly removed from a box from the upload library back into the corresponding box?

You can reuse any uploaded file. Open the box editor of the box in question, click the upload button and select “My uploads” from the dropdown. Click the image there and it will be inserted back into the box.

Alternatively, go to the page My uploads and click the link icon (small paperclip) next to the image. A dialog will then be displayed; copy the link and paste the link into the box editor. Make sure that the image link must be on its own on a single line. The image will appear. Alternatively, you can open the image, right-click on it, and choose “Copy image address” from the context menu. You can then paste this link into the box editor.

How can I refresh a link preview if the content of the website has changed?

Website previews are updated once a year. If you want to force a new preview, you can modify the link by appending a hash character. For example: Instead of https://www.edumaps.de/ you can write: https://www.edumaps.de/#1

Why is the user no longer listed in the list of all users at our school?

If the user is no longer listed, this may have various causes:

The user deleted their account themselves.
The admin deleted the user account.
The user removed themselves from the school (via “My Account”).
The admin removed the user from the school.

If you use the email again and the error appears that the email address is already in use, then the user was removed from the school. When removed, the account is detached from the school and downgraded to a basic account with less storage.

To delete the account afterwards, you must log in manually and then delete the account yourself via “My Account”. If you no longer know the password, you can reset it here.

How can I paste content from the clipboard into the map?

To do this, open Explorer (Finder) on your computer. Click the file and use the shortcut Ctrl + C. Then go to your map in edit mode and use the shortcut Ctrl + V to paste the file (photo/video/document). A new box containing the file will be created automatically.

Can an external website be embedded live into a map?

For security reasons, this is not possible. See details here.

How can a text field be added to a pinboard (not a sticker wall)?

We generally advise against placing text fields and arrows on pinboards, as they are positioned globally and may shift in the layout. One way to do this anyway is: Switch the map format to sticker wall. Add text fields. Then switch the map back to pinboard format.

How can existing folders be moved into other folders?

Direct moving is not possible. However, you can open the folder and select “Add folder” at the top right. Then add the desired folder. Each folder can be placed into any number of other folders.

Can users who are not the creator of the map also be given permission to share column groups?

Sharing column groups is only permitted for the map owner.

Why can the user not find the folder shared with them under External folders?

There are three possibilities in this case:

The folder was not shared with the user.
The sharing was revoked.
The user removed the folder from their external folders

Solution: Share the folder with the user again.

How can I reset a poll in a box as an admin?

Click on the counter and an overview of all users who voted will open. There you can now delete each user. If you want to delete all votes at once, it may be useful to delete the box and then recreate it.

How can the text be hidden in a text-to-speech input?

Simply place an exclamation mark before the text. Example: <audio-de>!My spoken text</audio>

With two exclamation marks the text is additionally shown as a revealable solution below the play button. This is useful for dictation exercises: students listen to the text and can then reveal the solution themselves. Example: <audio-en>!!Autumn is here.</audio>

Why can’t I see the visited map on the “Visited Maps” page?

If you visited the map without being logged in, the map will not appear under “Visited Maps”. Another possibility is that you opened the map using a column group link. Visited column groups are not stored under “Visited Maps”, as they are a special type of link with separate permissions.

If I leave my school, how can I transfer my account and all content to another one?

In this case, you do not need a second account. On the My Account page, you can select the option “Leave school” from the “Options” dropdown. Your account will then be removed from the school’s access and converted into a basic account. You can then upgrade this basic account yourself by purchasing a Premium subscription. If your new school has a school license with Edumaps, that school can invite you directly, which will upgrade your account back to a teacher account.

How can I represent recurring room occupancy using the lending system or the booking module so that free rooms can be booked individually?

Recurring appointments cannot currently be set up directly. For room bookings, it is important that you create a separate box for each room.

For room bookings, it is recommended to use the lending module, select the “Week” view in the settings, and restrict the bookable times accordingly. This way, only the times you have specified can be reserved. Alternatively, if you have a smaller number of bookings, you can create a map with boxes (for example, as a template for one month), where each box contains a bookable time slot. You can then duplicate this map and adjust it for the following month. You can then link all reservation maps from one central map.

How can I provide the tables of contents of multiple maps centrally so that a quick jump to the respective boxes of the other maps is possible?

To do this, create a central map. There, embed the box containing the table of contents of each other map. By embedding, the anchor links within the box are changed so that they point directly to the other map. In this way, you can build a navigation with different levels.

How can I insert media from our licensed media library directly into a map?

You have several options for inserting media from the licensed media library into a map:

Via the map:
Open your map and click the “Media” button next to the “New Box” button. Then select “Licensed Media Library”. Search for the desired medium and then click the red plus icon to add the medium to your map.
Directly via the licensed media library:
Open the licensed media library directly, search for the desired medium, and copy the link. Enter the link into a box using the box editor.
From an existing box:
If you have already created a box containing text, click the three dots on the box and then click “Media” with the search icon. Select “Licensed Media Library”. Edumaps will then suggest suitable media for you to embed.

Why do files remain stored even though I have deleted the associated boxes?

When you delete a box, the files used in it are not automatically deleted. The reason is that files may also be reused elsewhere, for example in other maps, via links, or outside Edumaps.

Deleting boxes and deleting files are therefore handled separately. This prevents files that are still needed elsewhere from being removed accidentally.

However, you can remove files that are no longer needed in bulk. To do this, use the option “Delete files that are no longer needed?” on the “Uploads” page. There you can have files that are no longer used deleted automatically. Please note, however, that some files may appear to be orphaned or no longer needed and could still be used on other maps. If you remove the file, the red notice “File deleted” will appear on the other maps.

How can I increase a user’s storage space as a super admin?

As a super admin, you can adjust a user’s storage space in the user administration.

Open the user administration.
Search for the desired user.
Click the edit icon.
Change the entered storage value, for example from 5000 MB to 10000 MB.
Save the change.

The user will then have the newly entered storage space available.

I have left my school. Can I also join a new school?

Yes, you can join a new school.

If your new school already has an Edumaps license, the school admin of the new school can invite you as a teacher account and assign you to your new school.

If you want to leave your previous school, you can do so in your account under “My Account” using the “Leave School” option. Your account will remain active. Your maps will also remain available as long as the account is not deleted. After leaving the school, the previous admin will no longer have access to your account.

If another teacher account has already been created for you at the new school, the accounts can be merged under certain conditions. To do this, both accounts must first belong to the same school. The school admin of the new school can then merge the accounts.

Do contents created with AI generally have to be labelled?

That depends on how and where the contents are used.

For normal internal school work materials, no special labelling is usually required. However, if AI-generated contents are published or addressed to the public, labelling may be necessary or advisable. This applies in particular to contents on topics of public interest as well as to artificially generated or manipulated image, audio, or video contents.

As a simple rule of thumb: If content is publicly distributed and readers might assume that it was created entirely by a human, it should be made transparent that AI was used.

For legally sensitive publications, the specific labelling obligation should be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Is there a technical maximum limit for simultaneous course enrolments?

Simultaneous booking by several hundred people is technically possible, even if participants are distributed across different courses in parallel.

A scenario with several hundred participants enrolling in several courses at the same time is therefore generally not a problem.

Can I set a fixed start time for bookings?

A fixed booking window with a start and end time is currently not directly available as a separate function. However, you can represent this scenario using the visibility settings of boxes.

Workaround 1: Information box and separate booking box

Create a first box with all information about the course.
Additionally create a second box used exclusively for booking.
Set this second box so that it only becomes visible at the desired time.
Note in the information box when booking will be enabled on the pinboard.

Workaround 2: Duplicate the box and replace it based on time control

Create a first box with all information about the course.
Duplicate this box.
Activate the booking module only in the second box.
Set the first box so that it is visible until the desired time.
Set the second box so that it becomes visible from the desired time onward.

For users, this makes it appear as if the same box becomes bookable from a certain time. Technically, however, these are two separate boxes: one box without booking and one box with booking activated.

Can we as a school use Edumaps as a document storage system for sensitive documents?

Edumaps is not intended as a classic document storage system for sensitive or confidential administrative documents. The platform is primarily designed for teaching materials, organization, pinboards, assignments, calendars and collaboration.

Files in Edumaps may — depending on sharing settings and use — be accessible to other people, for example if links are shared or content is made available to groups. For particularly sensitive documents, we therefore recommend using a protected file storage system provided for this purpose by the school authority, the state or the respective institution.

If such files are nevertheless to be used in Edumaps, they should be encrypted locally beforehand, for example as an encrypted ZIP file with password protection. The password should be shared separately via another communication channel. However, this is less convenient than the normal upload via drag & drop.

This applies in particular to personnel files, special needs assessments, health data, confidential parent communication, legal cases, grade lists and comparable documents requiring special protection. For such documents, Edumaps should only be used if the school has first checked that this is compatible with its internal guidelines, data protection requirements and sharing settings.

Can several newly created teacher accounts be invited together?

When several teacher accounts are created, a CSV file containing the login details is then offered for download. This file should always be downloaded and stored securely, as it forms the basis for passing on the logins. In this case, there is no shared invitation link for all teachers. Each teacher logs in with their own login and password, which are listed in the CSV file. The login details can then be passed on to the respective teachers, for example by email or via an internal school distribution list. Important: Please make sure that each teacher receives only their own login details, so that misuse is prevented. Edumaps does not send invitation emails containing passwords, as passwords should generally not be sent by email for security reasons.

How can I revoke or end students’ editing rights for a map?

The basic question here is: How did you share the map?

If you gave the map link to your students, you can open the map settings and click the option "Regenerate map link" at the very bottom under "Protect". This makes all previously shared links invalid, so they can no longer be used to open the map.

If you did not share the map via link, but directly with a class/group using the blue Share button, click the blue Share button once again and select “Share with class” again. In the lower section, you will see the existing shares. There you can revoke the share using the red cross.

What happens to our maps if we change the source system in moin.schule (e.g. from DaNiS to IServ)?

In short: Maps created in Edumaps are not automatically deleted when the source system in moin.schule is changed. However, the decisive factor is whether your users arrive in Edumaps with the same unique identifier after the change.

In detail: A deletion announced in connection with a moin.schule connector change (e.g. from DaNiS to IServ) initially affects the previous user accounts in moin.schule itself. The maps created in Edumaps and their contents are stored with us and generally remain assigned to the existing Edumaps user accounts. Edumaps accounts are not deleted simply because data is cleaned up or resynchronized in moin.schule. Deletion in Edumaps only takes place through an explicit administrative action.

What you should definitely check: Before the change, clarify with moin.schule or IServ whether the previous user identities or unique IDs will be retained when changing the source system or whether they will be newly generated.

IDs are retained: Your users log in as usual after the change and see their previous maps.

IDs are newly generated: From Edumaps’ perspective, your users are recognized as new users the next time they log in. The previous maps are then not visible in the new login, although they still exist.

What should you do if the IDs change? In this case, the existing Edumaps accounts must be assigned to the new accounts by the school admin account in Edumaps. For this, the previous account is manually merged with the new account in each case. You can find instructions here: Merge accounts.

How can I sign out of all devices I am logged in on at the same time?

Open the “My Account” page and select the “Sign out of all devices” option from the “Options” dropdown. This will end your active logins on all devices, including the device you are currently using.

Can I create a learning path or weekly plan where students can tick off tasks (check-off function)?

Yes, various functions can be used for ticking off tasks:

Tick off each box using the rating dropdown (you will then see an overview of all users)
Use the comment function of the box (the student can comment with "done"; also suitable for submitting materials)
Tick off each box using the Like button (anonymous, i.e. without listing the names)
Checklist function: Create a task list in a box that each student can tick off individually. As a teacher, you can see which students have completed which items. This lets you run a learning plan with a per-student completion status (see tutorial on checklists).

For these options, one task should correspond to one box. Each student should also have their own account in order to track the names.

Collapsing boxes cannot be controlled individually for each student. The “Collapse box” function applies to the entire map for all visitors.

An alternative would be to duplicate the map for each student (with editing rights). This allows each student to document their work process in their own boxes and collapse boxes individually via the box settings. A good option for smaller groups.

Tip: You can share a map with your students either via a link or directly with a class. When sharing with a class, students receive a notification and can find the map under “Received Maps” (each student needs their own account for this).

Can I receive free access to Edumaps as a trainee teacher?

Unfortunately, we do not offer a special free premium access for trainee teachers. However, there are two ways to use Edumaps free of charge:

If your training school already has a school, media centre or state license, you can usually use Edumaps through this license. The best option is to ask directly at your school.
You can create a free account at any time and try out Edumaps.

You can find an overview of our plans on the pricing page.

What happens to an account when it is removed from a school?

When you remove a student or teacher from the school, this account is downgraded to a basic account. This means that the user no longer has access to the “My School” or “Media Center” page. In addition, they can no longer access licensed media.

How will I be informed about changes to a map if I have different accounts?

If you use multiple Edumaps accounts (e.g. school, media center, and training), you do not need to regularly log in to each account to keep up with updates. There are two options:

1. Follow maps (email notification)
In each account, you can specifically follow individual maps – meaning only those maps for which you want to be informed about changes. See tutorial. You will then receive one daily summary email with all followed maps that contain new boxes. We deliberately chose a daily summary instead of one email per change – this keeps your inbox manageable.

2. Use multiple browsers in parallel
Use two different browsers and stay logged in with a different account in each browser. This allows you to keep an eye on all accounts in parallel without constantly having to log out and back in. You will then see the notifications via the envelope icon on Edumaps directly when switching between the browser windows.

Can you specify a color or category for events when importing an ICS file?

Colors and categories from ICS files are currently not evaluated when importing into Edumaps. Although the iCalendar format includes technical properties such as categories and, in some cases, color information, these are not supported consistently by calendar programs.

Instead of categories, we generally recommend using tags. If we receive further requests, we may develop a tagging system for calendar events in the future.

Why does a page for account linking (single sign-on) appear when logging in via an external platform?

If you open Edumaps via an external platform, Edupool, VIDIS, IServ or another single sign-on service, Edumaps may first display a page for account linking or for confirming the existing Edumaps account. This page is not an error, but a necessary security step. Edumaps must ensure that the access from the external platform is really linked to the correct Edumaps account.

The reason is as follows: At schools, computers, tablets or browsers are sometimes used by several people. It may therefore happen that one teacher is still logged in to Edumaps while another teacher then uses the external platform. In this case, Edumaps must not automatically link the platform account to the Edumaps account that is still open. For technical reasons, Edumaps cannot always clearly determine whether the person currently logged in to the external platform is also the same person who is still logged in to Edumaps in the browser. That is precisely why the account linking is not carried out silently in the background, but must be confirmed deliberately.

The account linking therefore protects against access from an external platform being accidentally linked to the wrong Edumaps account. This is especially important because such a link may later allow direct login without entering the password again.

If the displayed account details are correct, you can confirm the linking or click “Continue”. After that, Edumaps will usually recognize your access automatically again, so this intermediate step normally does not appear at every login.

Please check the following in particular on the account linking page:

whether the displayed Edumaps username belongs to you,
whether the displayed real name is correct,
whether the displayed email address matches your account,
whether you have really logged in to the external platform with your own access.

If the displayed data does not belong to you, please do not click “Continue” or “Link account”. Instead, first log out of Edumaps and then start the login via the external platform again. The page may also appear again if you use another device, cookies have been deleted, the browser is used in private mode or another Edumaps account was previously logged in in the same browser.

At first glance, this additional confirmation may seem like an unnecessary intermediate step. However, it prevents accounts from being linked incorrectly on shared devices. In this way, Edumaps protects your content, your personal data and access to school user accounts.

How do I merge duplicate admin accounts that were automatically created through single sign-on with the original admin account?

The situation: With some single sign-on platforms (SSO), we automatically create an admin account if the transmitted identifier does not yet exist in our system. The usernames differ from the other names of the manually created admin accounts. In addition, the accounts are usually not assigned to any super admin and therefore cannot be found in the user management of super admins.

First step: Contact us so that we can assign the duplicate accounts to your super admin. After that, these admin accounts will be accessible to you.

To link automatically created admin accounts (duplicate accounts) with the original admin account, proceed as follows:

Log in with your super admin account.
Then open List of all schools.
Find a duplicate school, click Edit, cut out the SSO identifier (and save it temporarily in a text editor if necessary), then save the dialog.
Open the original account of the school, click Edit, paste the SSO identifier, then save.
All SSO logins with this SSO identifier will now use the original account.

Optional: Enter "Delete" as the name of the duplicate school account. This makes it clear that this account is no longer used.

Important: If teacher accounts are assigned to the duplicate accounts, you must assign the teachers to the original school.

Open user management
Find the teacher (using the “Assigned to” dropdown)
Edit the teacher account
In the edit dialog, select the correct school in the “Assigned to” dropdown and save.

This allows you to transfer teacher accounts from one school to another school.

Microsoft Copilot cannot access our map. How can we analyze the map?

It may be that Microsoft Copilot has a protection mechanism against automated requests. A reliable workaround is to export the map as an Edumaps JSON file and then upload this file directly to Copilot. This gives Copilot all the necessary information.

Alternative method: Click the three dots at the top right of the map and select “Change contents”. You can now enter your prompt (e.g. “Analyze the map with regard to … and output your analysis.”). A new map containing the analysis will then be created.

How can I restrict editing functions so that only photos or videos can be uploaded?

If you choose “Gallery” as the map format, you can also tick the “Photo mode” checkbox. Only the upload button for photos and videos will then appear in the map. This makes the map especially suitable for situations in which students should only upload media without using further editing functions.

Can I insert a vertical line or separator on a pinboard?

A freely insertable separator is currently not available for pinboards. As an alternative, you can use freely placeable arrows in the sticker wall format. There, the arrowhead can also be removed, creating a simple line.

An important note about display: On small screens such as smartphones, only one column is visible at a time. A vertical separator between two columns is not visible there and therefore has no visual separating effect.

Can I search for emojis in Edumaps by keyword?

There is currently no built-in emoji search directly in Edumaps. However, you can use a site such as https://emojipedia.org/, search for the desired emoji there and then copy it into Edumaps.

How can I move boxes or columns?

Boxes can already be moved. To do this, click the three dots on the box and select “Move”.

Columns currently cannot be freely moved using drag & drop. However, you can insert new columns in specific places:

If you want to insert a column at the very beginning, move the mouse to the left of the first column. The “Add column” button will appear there.

If you want to insert a new column between two existing columns, click the editing dots on the left column and select “New column ⮞”.

A multiple selection for moving several boxes or columns at the same time is not currently available.

Can I upload PDFs as a basis for AI-generated maps?

The technical implementation for uploading files as a basis for AI-generated maps has already been prepared.

Before this feature can be enabled, however, topics such as data protection and copyright still need to be properly clarified.

One important point is that we cannot reliably interpret the contents of a file before sending it to the AI interface. This means, for example, that we cannot safely rule out the transmission of personal data belonging to teachers or students.

Can Edumaps perform an AI search in view mode?

If by “AI search” you mean an internet search, meaning that the AI researches external websites and includes the results in the map, this is currently not possible in Edumaps. For data protection reasons, we use the AI module in an isolated environment via Azure OpenAI. The AI receives only the content from Edumaps that is required in each case and has no free internet access.

If, however, you mean an AI-supported search within the contents of the opened map, you can use the “Analysis ᴬᴵ” module for this. There, you can ask freely formulated questions about the current map or enter your own instruction. It does not necessarily have to be a classic analysis.

If you mean a general search across all boxes of the map, this function is already available. To do this, click the search-plus symbol at the top right and select “Box Search”.

How can we continue using the existing info-mail map for the next school year without all colleagues having to follow a new map again?

You can copy the previous info-mail map, rename this copy, for example, to “Archive”, and then clean up the original info-mail map for the new school year. This means deleting all existing columns and starting again with an empty map. The advantage is that the existing “Follow map” entries remain assigned to the original map. The teaching staff would therefore not have to follow the map again.

When a map is copied, are the existing “Follow map” entries also transferred to the copied map?

No, the existing “Follow map” entries are not transferred to the copied map. They remain assigned only to the original map.

Is there an export function for individual boxes that contain notes, minutes or records, for example as a PDF or DOCX file?

You can open an individual box in the single-box view. To do this, click the diagonal double arrow at the bottom right of the map view. You can then print the box using your browser’s print function or save it as a PDF. This is currently the easiest way if only one individual box is needed. If you would like to continue editing the content in Word, you can either select the box content with the mouse, copy it and paste it into Microsoft Word or convert the saved PDF file into a DOCX file using a suitable program.

Is Edumaps a school administration system (grades, absences, timetable)?

No. Edumaps is the workspace for teaching and collaboration: materials, tasks, pinboards and calendars for projects. Grade management, absences, timetables and parent communication stay in your school administration system (e.g. WebUntis, EduPage, SchILD). Edumaps complements these systems and can be connected to them via single sign-on and class synchronization.

How are map and folder links protected against brute-force attacks?

All maps and folders are secured by automatic brute-force protection. Repeated failed access attempts, for example through wrong links or wrong passwords, lead to a temporary block of further attempts. This effectively prevents systematic guessing of access data. In addition, map and folder links consist of randomly generated character strings that cannot be guessed.

We are switching our single sign-on (e.g. from moin.schule to IServ). What happens to the existing maps?

In Edumaps, each single sign-on login is a separate user account. Someone who has logged in via moin.schule so far therefore has a different Edumaps account than when logging in via IServ, even if it is the same person.

The maps are not deleted during the switch. However, they remain tied to the previous accounts. If users only log in via the new single sign-on from now on, they will not see their old maps there at first.

The solution: The school admin uses the function Merge accounts in the school administration. This merges the previous accounts with the new accounts so that all maps are available in the new account. The easiest way to match accounts is by real name, provided it was transmitted by both login methods. The merge has to be done manually by the school admin.

Our recommendation: Carry out the merge before the old logins are deleted. This way nothing is lost and all users keep access to their content.

How can a pinboard I created as a teacher appear as a pinboard of the media center?

Proceed as follows:

Share the pinboard from your teacher account with the media center's account (Share → Share with user). Alternatively, open the map directly via the read link.
Log in with the media center's account.
There, create a copy of the shared pinboard via the map menu at the top right (“Copy map”).
The copy then belongs entirely to the media center's account and can be published from there as desired.

Important: Only the copying makes the media center the owner of the pinboard. As long as the map is only shared, it remains assigned to your teacher account. Your original pinboard remains unchanged, later changes to one version do not affect the other.

Can a map (e.g. school program) display the school name instead of the teacher's name?

Yes, this can be achieved with two settings directly in the map:

Hide the teacher's name: Open the map settings and activate the option “Hide map owner” under “Protect”. The owner's name will then no longer be displayed at the top left.
Show the school name: Enter a subtitle for the map, for example the name of your school. It will then appear at the top of the map.

Both can be set individually for each map.

How can I permanently move a pinboard from one folder to another (e.g. for archiving)?

Pinboards (maps) can be stored in several folders at the same time. When you remove a map from a folder, it is not deleted but only taken out of that folder. It remains in all other folders and under “My maps”.

To move a map, first add it to the target folder and then remove it from the original folder. After that, the map only appears in the target folder.

Make sure to remove the map from the folder and not to delete the map itself. Deleting the map removes it from all folders.

Why do I lose the editing rights of a map in a folder although I received the map with editing rights?

When another user shares a map with you, they define whether editing or reading rights apply. This right is stored under “Received maps”. When you add the map to one of your folders, the access right in the folder depends on how you add the map:

Via “My maps”: When adding, you define which access right the map is stored with in the folder.
Via “Visited maps”: Here maps are stored with the access right that applied when the map was opened.
Via “Insert link to map”: Here the access right of the link decides which access right the map is stored with in the folder.

How can I enter emojis in column titles and box titles?

The title input fields do not have their own emoji picker. Use the emoji keyboard of your operating system instead:

Windows: Press the Windows key + . (period). The emoji picker opens, where you can also search for emojis by typing.
Mac: Press Ctrl + Cmd + Space.

Select the desired emoji, it is inserted directly at the cursor position. Alternatively, copy an emoji from a site such as https://emojipedia.org/ and paste it into the title.

Is it possible to enlarge text fields?

Directly enlarging text fields by dragging is currently not possible. As an alternative, you can insert line breaks before and after the text (press Enter). This makes the text field correspondingly taller and the text appears more generously placed.

Can a student share only part of their map (e.g. individual columns) with the teacher?

Sharing individual columns with a specific user account is deliberately not available in Edumaps. Sharing takes place at the level of maps and folders so that sharing stays clear for students.

You can still achieve the goal directly in the system, without the detour via email. Example: A student keeps a private portfolio and should show you only their application documents.

Next to the portfolio, the student creates a separate small map, e.g. “Application documents”, and uploads the cover letter and CV there. They share this map directly with your account via “Share”. It then appears for you under “Received maps”.
The portfolio itself remains completely private. You only see the shared map.

Tip: If you create a template for this map with the desired columns, you can hand it out to your class via “Distribute to group”. Each student then receives their own copy and only has to share it with you.

Can checklists be filled out anonymously?

With a checklist, the map owner sees which person has ticked which entries. There is no option to show only the number of ticks without names.

If you want to use checklists for self-assessment (e.g. “I can ...” lists) and the results should remain private, you have two options:

Write a note below the checklist such as “The results are not viewed by the teacher and remain private.” and stick to it.
The learners copy the map via the share link (“Create map” → “Import map”) and complete the checklist on their own private copy. Then nobody but themselves sees the ticks they set.

Why does Edumaps send a one-time code by email for two-factor authentication instead of using an authenticator app?

Because it is easier for most users. In our experience, less tech-savvy users in particular have problems with authenticator apps more often, for example during setup, when changing devices or when they lose the app or access to the device. The one-time code by email works without an additional app and is immediately available even after a device change.

How can I quickly collect a list of participants, e.g. for a club or a field trip?

For a simple sign-up without a participant limit, a poll with just one answer option (e.g. "Sign up") is enough. Anyone who wants to take part ticks the box, and the results show you who has signed up. As soon as you need a maximum number of participants, fixed time slots or a registration deadline, use the booking module instead.

How is the text of documents or photos recognized when I use the AI analysis?

Text recognition (OCR) runs directly on the Edumaps server where your files are stored, using our own software. The photo or document never leaves the server for this purpose and is not transmitted to any external service. The recognized text is stored only at Edumaps and is only passed on to the AI assistant if you explicitly activate this in the AI analysis or when creating a map.

Supported formats are PDF, Word and image files as well as photos, for example photographed worksheets or book pages. Recognition works for German, English, Spanish, French, Italian and Russian. Handwriting and mathematical formulas are currently not recognized reliably.

How do invoicing and VAT work for licenses?

You will receive an invoice by email for every license. Payment is made by bank transfer.

School licenses: The prices for school licenses are all-inclusive prices including VAT. The invoice shows the VAT share of your country, for example 19 % for Germany or 20 % for Austria. You do not need to provide a VAT identification number (VAT ID) when ordering. If the invoice recipient provides us with a valid VAT ID, we issue the invoice under the reverse-charge procedure for the net share, i.e. without VAT.

Organisation and state licenses: These prices are net prices. With a valid VAT ID, the invoice is issued under the reverse-charge procedure without VAT. Without a VAT ID, the VAT of your country is added, for example 19 % for Germany.

Can I ask the AI analysis follow-up questions about an answer?

Every task in the AI analysis is an independent request. The AI does not know its previous answer, there is no ongoing dialogue. This is how a follow-up question or a narrower focus works:

Copy the answer using the copy button.
Open the analysis again: three dots → "Analysis AI".
In the field "Your task or question", delete the preset text, paste the copied answer into the text field and add your follow-up question, for example: "Here is your previous answer: [...] Refer only to the section on electricity and summarise it in three points."
Confirm that the map contains no personal data, select the output language if needed and click "Send".

In edit mode, "Insert answer as box" is available as well. The answer then becomes part of the map and is automatically included in the next analysis. In this case a task such as "The last box contains the previous analysis, extend it by ..." is sufficient.

You can reach the AI analysis in the map via the three dots → "Analysis AI". It is available to logged-in teacher accounts.

Why does my uploaded file look different in the preview than the original?

Edumaps does not modify uploaded files. Every file is stored exactly as it was uploaded, including all formatting.

For presentations and documents, for example from Keynote, PowerPoint, or Word, Edumaps also creates a simplified PDF preview. This preview opens when you click the preview image. It is intended only for quick viewing and does not reproduce the layout, animations, or transitions exactly as in the original.

Open the original file: Click the download icon in the box. You will receive the unchanged original file, which you can open as usual in Keynote, PowerPoint, or Word.

Layout-accurate display directly in the box: Export the presentation as a PDF before uploading it and upload this file. This ensures that the layout is preserved in the preview as well.

Can I request additional information during appointment booking (for example, the child's name and date of birth)? Can the fields in the booking form be changed?

The fields in the booking form (email, first and last name, institution / class) are predefined and cannot be changed or extended. If you need additional information for a booking, for example for school enrollment appointments or parent-teacher meetings, use the comment function of the appointment box:

Edit the appointment box and click "Allow comments".
Leave the visibility of the comments set to "Only me". This ensures that only the map owner can read the comments; other visitors cannot see them.
Save the box and repeat this for each appointment box.
Use an info box on the map to describe which information you need in the comment.

The booking process then works as follows:

The person making the booking enters their email address and their own name in the form and books the appointment.
After booking, they are logged in automatically and enter the requested information as a comment in the booked appointment box.
For another appointment (for example, for a second child), they book using the same account and also leave a comment there.

This means the information is stored directly with the respective appointment and is deleted together with the box or the map. Questions regarding the appointment can also be submitted this way.

Important: Do not set the visibility to "All users" while personal information is included in the comments. Otherwise, anyone with the map link can read this information. With "Only me", only the map owner can see the comments; even users with editing rights cannot see them.

Tip: Comments are enabled separately for each box. Therefore, first create one appointment box with comments enabled and duplicate it using the box menu.

What does the read-aloud function of a box read out?

A click on the speaker icon of a box reads the title of the box first and then its content. Hidden solutions (spoilers) and tables are skipped.

How do I include an event's end time on the certificate of attendance?

The certificate of attendance shows the start date and time; there is no separate end time. You can include the time range using the short description: Add a horizontal rule (---) at the end of the box content and write the text you want to appear on the certificate below it, for example "Training on 25 September 2026, 14:00 to 17:00". This text replaces the full course description on the certificate.

Can I use multiple logos on the letterhead?

You can upload one logo for the letterhead. If an event is organised by several organisations, first combine their logos into a single image file (side by side, with sufficient width) and upload it as the logo.

Can I create my own template for certificates of attendance?

The letterhead serves as the template for certificates of attendance and loan forms and is configured per account. All certificates generated from your events use the logo, address and footer from your letterhead. You cannot create a second, separate template within the same account. If you need a separate letterhead for another institution, for example for a media centre rather than your regular school, use an additional account (such as a dedicated organisational account created for you by your media centre). Then create the events using that account, and the certificates will automatically use its letterhead.

Can I run Edumaps under my own domain?

Edumaps runs exclusively under edumaps.de. Connecting your own domain or subdomain, for example via a CNAME record, is not possible, because login, share links, security settings and legal texts are tied to this domain. You can, however, set up a redirect at your domain host from your address to your Edumaps share link, for example to the folder or map where your environment starts. In addition, you can use your own logo in the map header and your own background image in your maps, so that the environment carries your branding.

How do I include Edumaps in our media development plan?

Many school authorities and schools have to describe the software they use in a media development plan (in Germany: Medienentwicklungsplan, MEP) – especially when licences are to be financed from funding programmes such as the DigitalPakt. The following text module can be copied as it is and adapted to your situation (replace the parts in square brackets). On request we also provide the data processing agreement, the technical and organisational measures, the data protection impact assessment, the emergency plan and the documents required for EVB-IT procurement.

Digital pinboards and collaborative learning maps: Edumaps

The Edumaps platform (edumaps.de) is used for collaborative classroom work, the organisation of learning content and communication within the school. Edumaps is a browser-based, GDPR-compliant application for creating digital pinboards, learning maps and kanban boards with interactive elements (polls, quizzes, checklists, tables, file storage, calendar) and an AI-supported module for generating topic maps, quizzes and language courses. In this role it replaces non-compliant services from non-European providers; existing content from Padlet, TaskCards and Trello can be transferred via built-in import functions, so no teaching material is lost when switching. The platform is hosted exclusively on servers in Germany (Hetzner Online GmbH); a data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR including technical and organisational measures, a data protection impact assessment, a security and emergency plan and the documents required for EVB-IT procurement are available. Teachers and students sign in via [SSO system of the state/school authority, e.g. WebUntis, Univention ID Broker, Eduplaces, Edupool], so separate account management by the school is largely unnecessary; school administrators manage classes and access centrally. Licensing takes the form of a [school licence / licence via the media centre [name] / state licence] with a term of [x] years; the cost is [amount] per year and is financed from [DigitalPakt 2.0 funds / the operating budget]. Tutorials, self-paced courses and a template library with more than 200 ready-to-use maps are available for the rollout, keeping the training effort low.

Note: Whether and how platform licences are funded under DigitalPakt 2.0 is determined by the funding guideline of the respective federal state. Only fill in “DigitalPakt 2.0” in the financing sentence once your state’s guideline explicitly names software or platform licences. If there is no SSO integration, replace the SSO sentence with: “Accounts are created by the school administration via CSV import.”

How do I set up appointment booking for parent-teacher conferences?

Use the booking system. Create a separate box for each time slot and put the time slot in the box title, for example "14:00 - 14:20". In the box settings, open "Bookings and calendar" and select "Booking system", then set the date and start time and limit the number of participants to 1. Then share the link to the map with the parents. Parents without an Edumaps account book with their name and email address, and an account is created automatically in the process. A booked slot is no longer available to others. A reminder email is sent automatically 24 hours before the appointment. The quickest way to start is the "Parent-teacher conferences" template, which you can copy and adapt to your dates. All settings are explained in the booking system tutorial.

Can I download a page shared via column link as HTML?

A separate download for pages from column links is not planned. You can achieve the same result in a few steps:

Create a copy of the map.
In the copy, delete the columns that should not be included.
Then download the copy as HTML.

The original map remains unchanged.

Can an account belong to two schools or institutions at the same time?

No, an account is always assigned to exactly one school or institution. If the admin of another school invites your account and you accept the invitation, the account moves there and no longer belongs to the previous school or institution. You can then no longer open maps that are shared only with members of the previous school or institution. To return, ask the admin of the original school or institution to invite your account again on the page Invite users. Once you click the link in the invitation email, your account is assigned there again. If you work in two places, for example as a teacher at a school and as a media advisor at an authority, you need two separate accounts. The FAQ entry "I have two accounts at a school and an institution" explains how to access the same maps with both accounts.

Where are the Edumaps servers located?

All Edumaps servers are located in Germany. They are operated by Hetzner Online GmbH in the data center in Falkenstein/Vogtland (Saxony). All accounts, maps and uploaded files are stored there. This applies to www.edumaps.de as well as to the dedicated servers of individual states and regions, for example Hesse, Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. For the AI features and the read-aloud function, Edumaps uses Microsoft Azure with a data center in Sweden, i.e. within the EU. Only the text required for the respective request is transmitted there, no account data. All processors and their locations are listed in the privacy policy in the section on processors.

Why does importing a Map from another server fail (password protection, access restricted to my school)?

When importing via “Map from another server”, the destination server retrieves the Map using the provided link. It accesses the Map as a visitor who is not logged in. If the Map is protected, access is denied and you will see a message explaining the reason. The following settings prevent importing:

“Access restricted to my school”: The destination server cannot verify school membership, so importing such Maps is not possible. This applies to every link to the Map, including the edit link, even if you are the owner of the Map. Disable this option in the sharing menu of the original Map before importing, or ask the Map owner to do so. After importing, you can enable the option again in the original Map.
Password-protected Map: A password-protected Map cannot be imported. Only the Map owner can remove the password. Remove it before importing in the “Share Map” dialog under “Set Map password”, or ask the Map owner to do so. After importing, the password can be set again there.
Incorrect or outdated link: If the Map's link has been changed or was not copied completely, the destination server cannot access it. This can also affect an older link that still opens in your browser. Copy the link again from the sharing menu of the original Map and paste it in full.

You can find the individual import steps in the entry “Map from another server”.