Guide

Setup Guide

Get your own Digital Ag Map running in under 30 minutes. No coding experience required — just follow these steps.

Before You Start

  • A Google account (Gmail or Google Workspace)
  • Google Chrome browser (recommended)
  • Basic familiarity with Google Sheets

No Google Maps API key needed — the app uses free ESRI satellite tiles by default.

01

Copy the Template Spreadsheet

Click the "Get Your Copy" button on the Digital Ag Map page. This opens Google Sheets and shows a "Copy document" dialog.

Click "Make a copy" — Google creates your own private version of the spreadsheet. All of the code that powers the app is included automatically — there's nothing else to download or install.

Your copy will appear in your Google Drive (usually under "My Drive"). Rename it to something like "[Your Farm Name] — Digital Ag Map" so it's easy to find later.

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The copy includes all the Apps Script code automatically. You don't need to paste or install anything extra. If you ever lose the spreadsheet, just search your Google Drive for the name you gave it.

02

Open the Apps Script Editor

In your copied spreadsheet, look at the top menu bar. Click Extensions → Apps Script.

This opens the script editor in a new browser tab. It may take a few seconds to load. You'll see a list of files on the left side — these are the code files that power the Digital Ag Map.

Here's a breakdown of every file you'll see and what it does:

Backend — Server-Side Logic (.gs files)

These files run on Google's servers. They handle data, routing, and setup. You'll never see these directly when using the app — they work behind the scenes.

Code.gsThe main entry point — routes URLs to the correct page (Map, Seeding, Harvest, TV Portal, etc.) and handles shared utilities
Config.gsReads and writes data to all 5 spreadsheet tabs — this is the "database layer" that handles every create, read, update, and delete operation
FieldMap.gsBuilds the map data payload — collects fields, pins, crop plans, and progress into one bundle so the map loads everything in a single request
AppIcon.gsGenerates the app icon dynamically — used for the browser tab favicon and home screen icon when bookmarked on a phone
InitSetup.gsThe setup script you'll run in Step 3 — creates the Config, Fields, Seeding, Harvest, and Pins tabs with all the correct column headers and sample data

Pages — What Users See (.html files)

These are the front-end pages that load in the browser. Each one is a complete interface for a different part of the platform.

Index.htmlThe landing page — the first screen users see with navigation links to the Map, Seeding, Harvest dashboards and the Help page
Map.htmlThe main satellite map — draw field boundaries, view crop colors, drop hazard pins, import shapefiles, and navigate to field entrances
Seeding.htmlSeeding progress dashboard — crop-by-crop progress cards, field list with status tracking, and equipment assignments for the seeding season
Harvest.htmlHarvest tracking dashboard — same layout as Seeding but tracks yield, moisture, and combine assignments during harvest
TV.htmlTV Portal mode — a kiosk-optimized view designed for wall-mounted screens in a shop or office, showing an auto-refreshing map with overall progress
Help.htmlBuilt-in help page — documents how to use every feature of the app, accessible from the navigation menu inside the platform

Shared Resources

These files contain code and styles shared across all pages — they keep things consistent and avoid duplicating code.

SharedJS.htmlShared JavaScript functions used across multiple pages — utilities for formatting, data handling, and common UI interactions
Stylesheet.htmlThe main CSS stylesheet — controls all colors, fonts, layout, and responsive design across the entire app
PWAHead.htmlMeta tags for Progressive Web App support — enables "Add to Home Screen" on phones so the app looks and feels like a native mobile app

Configuration

Project-level settings that tell Google how to run the app.

appsscript.jsonThe project manifest — defines runtime version, permissions the app needs, and web app settings. You typically don't need to edit this
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You don't need to edit any of these files to get started — everything works out of the box. If the left sidebar isn't showing the file list, click the folder icon (📁) or the "<>" icon on the left edge of the editor.

03

Run the Setup Script

In the file list on the left side of the Apps Script editor, click on InitSetup.gs to open it.

Near the top of the editor, you'll see a dropdown that says "Select function" — click it and choose setupApp from the list.

Click the ▶ Run button (the grey play icon next to the dropdown).

The first time you run any script, Google will ask you to authorize it. Here's exactly what to do:

  1. A dialog appears saying "Authorization required" — click Review permissions.
  2. Choose the Google account you're using for this project.
  3. You'll see a warning screen that says "Google hasn't verified this app" — this is completely normal. Click Advanced (small text at the bottom left).
  4. Click "Go to Digital Ag Map (unsafe)" — don't worry, this is your own code running on your own spreadsheet. Google shows this warning for all personal scripts.
  5. Click Allow to grant the script permission to read and write your spreadsheet.
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The "This app isn't verified" warning looks alarming, but it appears for every personal Apps Script project. You're authorizing your own code to access your own spreadsheet — it's not a security risk. Google only "verifies" apps that are published to the marketplace.

After authorization, the script runs automatically and creates 5 new tabs in your spreadsheet: Config, Fields, Seeding, Harvest, and Pins.

Each tab includes the correct column headers and some sample data so you can see how the system is structured. You can delete the sample data later once you've added your own fields.

04

Configure Your Farm

Go back to your Google Sheet browser tab (it should still be open) and click on the Config tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet.

You'll see a list of settings in two columns — the setting name in column A and its value in column B. Update these values to match your farm:

FarmNameYour farm name — this shows in the app header and TV Portal (e.g. "Bateman Farms")
AdminPINA 4-digit PIN that protects admin actions like editing fields and crop plans (e.g. 1234)
DefaultLatYour farm's latitude — the map centers here on load (e.g. 51.793)
DefaultLngYour farm's longitude (e.g. -114.108)
DefaultZoomHow zoomed in the map starts — 13 is good for most farms, 14 for smaller operations
CropColorsColors for each crop on the map, formatted as JSON (e.g. {"Canola":"#FFD700","Wheat":"#DAA520"})
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To find your farm's coordinates: open Google Maps in a new tab, search for your farm address or navigate to your land, right-click anywhere on the map, and click the latitude/longitude numbers that appear at the top of the menu — they'll copy to your clipboard automatically.

05

Deploy as a Web App

Go back to the Apps Script editor tab in your browser.

In the top-right corner, click the blue Deploy button, then select New deployment.

A deployment dialog will appear. Click the gear icon (⚙) next to "Select type" and choose Web app.

Fill in the following settings — these control who can access your map and how:

Click the Deploy button at the bottom of the dialog.

Google will display a URL under "Web app" — this is your farm's Digital Ag Map link. Click the copy icon to save it, or select the URL and copy it manually.

Open the URL in a new browser tab. You should see the satellite map interface load with your farm name in the header. If the map doesn't center on your farm right away, double-check the DefaultLat and DefaultLng values in the Config tab.

DescriptionDigital Ag Map v1.0
Execute asMe (your email)
Who has accessAnyone
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Setting "Who has access" to "Anyone" means anyone with the link can open the map and view your fields — but they still need your Admin PIN to make any changes. This is how crew members can access the app from their phones without needing a Google account.

06

Start Using Your Map

Your Digital Ag Map is now live! Here's what you can do right away:

  • Draw field boundaries by clicking points on the satellite map — each click adds a vertex, and double-click closes the shape
  • Import existing boundaries from Shapefile (.zip), KML, KMZ, or GeoJSON if you already have them from your equipment dealer or agronomist
  • Set up seeding plans — assign crops, varieties, and fertilizer rates per field for the current season
  • Track harvest progress with yield and moisture data as each field is completed
  • Drop hazard pins for rocks, obstacles, tile outlets, and other points of interest
  • Share the URL with crew members so they can update progress from their phones in the field
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Bookmark the web app URL on your phone's home screen for quick access. On iPhone, open the URL in Safari, tap the share icon, and select "Add to Home Screen". On Android, open it in Chrome, tap the three-dot menu, and select "Add to Home screen".

Sharing With Another Farmer

Want to give Digital Ag Map to a neighbour or colleague? It's simple. Each person gets their own independent copy — their data stays completely separate from yours.

1

Share your Google Sheet link with "Viewer" access — this lets them see the template but not edit yours

2

They click File → Make a Copy (this copies all the code too, automatically)

3

In their copy: Extensions → Apps Script → Deploy → New Deployment → Web app

4

They authorize once — the app runs under their own Google account with their own data

5

They update the Config tab with their farm name, coordinates, and crop colors

Need Help?

If you run into issues during setup, feel free to reach out. A video walkthrough is also in the works.

Get in Touch →Back to Digital Ag Map