Quick Reference Guide
HUB AND SPOKE LINES
What Are Hub and Spoke Lines?
Hub and Spoke Lines show connections from central hubs to multiple spoke locations. This style of visualization is widely used in logistics, retail, and sales to illustrate how resources move from a central point to distributed destinations. Some brands may call this a “radial connection map” or “origin-destination lines,” but the concept is the same — hubs are your starting points, and spokes are the locations they serve. By adding these visual connections to your map, you can quickly evaluate coverage, identify gaps, and make more informed operational decisions.
Pro Tip: Combine Hub and Spoke Lines with coverage areas or and heat maps to unlock deeper insights. For example, use coverage areas to confirm every spoke is within service range, or layer a heat map on top of your hub connections to instantly see which regions are over- or underperforming. This pairing turns a simple connection map into a powerful decision-making tool.
ADD HUB AND SPOKES
You can add hub and spoke lines directly from the dataset options. Simply select the dataset you want to work with, open the menu, and choose Hub and Spoke Lines. This will open the configuration window where you’ll define your hubs and spokes, apply filters, and style your lines. It’s a quick way to transform your static location pins into a connected network view.
SELECT HUBS
Hubs are your central points — such as distribution centers, offices, or warehouses. To set them, use the filter option inside the Hub and Spoke configuration window. Choose the column in your dataset that identifies your hubs (for example, “Location Type”), set the condition (e.g., Equals = Distribution Center), and apply. Your hubs will now be designated as the origin points for your connections.
Next, for the hub-to-spoke relationship to work, each spoke must reference its assigned hub — for example, through an “Assigned Hub” column in your data, or a Mapline Data column that calculates distance, such as “Nearest Hub Name.” This connection ensures the correct lines are drawn between your hubs and their related spokes.
SELECT SPOKES
Spokes represent the end points connected to your hubs, such as retail stores, customer locations, or sales visit sites. Just like with hubs, you’ll use the filter option to designate them. Select the column (for example, “Location Type”), set the condition (e.g., Equals = Store), and apply.
To connect spokes to the right hubs, your data needs a column that specifies which hub each spoke belongs to — such as an “Assigned Hub” field in your dataset, or a Mapline Data column that calculates the nearest hub. Once this relationship is in place, lines will automatically draw from your hubs to each spoke location.
APPLY CUSTOM STYLES
To make your visualization clearer, customize the look of your hub and spoke lines. Use the style menu to set the line color, opacity, and border width.
For example, you might use bold colors to highlight distribution routes or subtle, semi-transparent lines for customer connections. This flexibility ensures your map stays readable and matches the insights you’re trying to communicate.
PUT YOUR DATA TO WORK
Hub and spoke lines make it simple to analyze how your business operates geographically. By showing direct relationships between hubs and spokes, you’ll gain faster insights into efficiency and coverage. Use this feature alongside other Mapline tools to expand the value of your analysis:
- Time and Distance Analysis: Measure travel times or distances between hubs and spokes to find inefficiencies.
- Performance Dashboards: Track hub-to-spoke activity alongside KPIs for a complete operational view.
- Optimized Routing: Pair hub and spoke visuals with route planning to streamline logistics.
- Segmentation: Color-code spokes by performance metrics to identify underperforming regions quickly.
- Territory Balancing: Use hub and spoke lines with sales territory tools to evenly distribute workload and opportunity.
