Articles on: Regions

Visual Region Editor

What is the Visual Region Editor?


The Visual Region Editor provides a map-based interface for creating and managing regions. Instead of entering postcode rules as text, you can visually select areas on a map, use presets for common groupings, and see real-time coverage as you build your regions.

Availability


The Visual Region Editor is currently available for shipping zones containing only one of these countries:


  • Great Britain (GB)
  • United States (US)
  • Australia (AU)


Multi-country shipping zones use the standard region editor.


Accessing the Editor


  1. Navigate to a shipping zone containing GB, US, or AU
  2. Look for the banner promoting the new region editor
  3. Click to open the Visual Region Editor


The standard region editor remains available if you prefer the traditional interface.


Understanding the Map


Color Coding


Full coverage - Area shaded in the region's color

Partial coverage - Area shaded at 50% opacity (indicates some postcodes in the area are included, but not all)

No coverage - White (not included in any region)

Overlap - Bright red (area covered by multiple regions - should be avoided)

Catchall coverage - Catchall region color (area not specifically covered but included via catchall region)


Granularity by Country


United Kingdom - Postcode areas (e.g., SW1, M1, EH1)

United States - Full ZIP codes (e.g., 90210, 10001)

Australia - Full postcodes (e.g., 4001, 2000)


Creating and Editing Regions


Creating a New Region


  1. Click Create Region
  2. Enter region name
  3. Select a color for the region
  4. Add postcode coverage using any of the methods below
  5. Save your changes using the save bar at the top of the page


Switching Between Regions


Click any region in the sidebar to edit it. You do not need to save before switching to another region but remember to save (or reset) your changes before leaving the editor.


Viewing All Regions


The map displays all regions simultaneously, each in its assigned color. This helps identify gaps and overlaps in coverage.


Adding Postcode Coverage


Method 1: Click Areas on the Map


  1. Select the region you want to edit
  2. Click postcode areas directly on the map
  3. Selected areas add to the region immediately
  4. Click again to remove an area


UK Example: Click on "SW1" to add all SW1 postcodes to the region US Example: Click "90210" to add that ZIP code AU Example: Click "4001" to add that postcode


Method 2: Enter Postcode Rules


Use the same rule syntax as the standard editor.


Include specific areas:


  • SW1 * - All postcodes starting with SW1
  • 90210 - Specific US ZIP code
  • 4001 - Specific AU postcode


Include ranges:


  • SW1 1*-SW1 5* - Range of postcodes


Exclude specific areas: Add rules to the exclusions list to remove specific postcodes from broader inclusions.


The map updates in real-time as you add or remove rules.


Method 3: Use Presets


Presets apply multiple postcode rules at once for common groupings.


Great Britain presets include:


  • Country-level - England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland (all, mainland, offshore variations)
  • Regional - East, West Midlands, North East, South West, etc.
  • Major cities - Greater London (all, central, north, south, east, west)
  • Cities - Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and more


United States presets:


  • All states (Alabama, Alaska, California, etc.)


Australia presets:


  • Major metro areas
  • Suburban areas
  • Rural areas (Organized by state)


To use a preset:


  1. Select your region
  2. Choose a preset category
  3. Select the specific preset
  4. Rules apply automatically


Presets can be combined - add multiple presets to build complex regions.


Inspector Tool


Click any postcode area on the map to view coverage details:


Coverage Information


Region coverage - Which region(s) cover this area Coverage type:


  • Full - All postcodes in this area are included
  • Partial - Only some postcodes in this area are included


Overlaps - If multiple regions claim this area, all conflicting regions are listed


Overlap Detection


Overlaps occur when multiple regions include the same postcode. This creates ambiguity and should be resolved.


Overlaps show as:


  • Bright red shading on the map
  • Badge in the inspector
  • Count in region details


To fix overlaps:


  1. Use the inspector to identify which regions overlap
  2. Edit one region to remove the overlapping postcodes
  3. Verify the red shading disappears


Editing Region Details


From the Visual Region Editor, you can:


Edit:


  • Region name
  • Region color
  • Active/inactive status
  • Postcode inclusion rules
  • Postcode exclusion rules
  • Catchall status


View (but not edit):


  • Rates assigned to this region


To edit rates, navigate to the region from the standard interface.


Best Practices


Avoid Overlaps


Ensure each postcode area belongs to only one region. Overlaps cause unpredictable rate selection at checkout.

Use the inspector tool to identify and resolve overlaps immediately.


Use Appropriate Colors


Choose distinct colors for each region to easily distinguish coverage on the map. Avoid similar shades.


Start with Presets


For common regional groupings, use presets as a starting point. Add or remove specific areas afterward to fine-tune coverage.


Verify Partial Coverage


If an area shows partial coverage (50% opacity), use the inspector to understand which postcodes are included. Decide if you want full coverage or if partial is intentional.


Check for Gaps


White areas indicate no region covers those postcodes. If you ship to these areas, add them to an appropriate region or create a catchall region.


Test Your Regions


After building regions, test with actual postcodes from each area using the Rate Sandbox to ensure rates calculate correctly.


Common Use Cases


Creating Regional Rates


  1. Use country or regional presets to quickly define broad areas
  2. Assign different rates to each region (e.g., higher rates for remote areas)
  3. Verify no overlaps exist


City-Based Pricing


  1. Use city presets for major cities
  2. Create separate regions for urban vs suburban vs rural
  3. Assign faster/cheaper shipping to cities, higher rates to remote areas


Mainland vs Offshore


Great Britain: Use "England Mainland" and "England Offshore" presets to separate mainland from islands.

Scotland: Use "Mainland (excluding Highlands)" and "Offshore and Highlands" presets for different shipping tiers.


Custom Coverage


  1. Start with a broad preset (e.g., "England - All")
  2. Click specific areas on the map to add fine-grained coverage
  3. Use exclusion rules to remove specific postcodes


Performance Considerations


The Visual Region Editor works best for stores with fewer regions (approximately 6 or fewer).


Performance may degrade with:


  • Many regions (10+)
  • Very complex rule sets
  • Large maps (US, Australia)


If the editor is slow or doesn't load:


  • Reduce the number of regions
  • Simplify postcode rules
  • Use the standard region editor instead


Troubleshooting


Editor Won't Load


Possible causes:


  • Too many regions for the map to render
  • Very complex rules causing performance issues
  • Browser memory constraints


Solutions:


  • Reduce the number of regions
  • Use the standard region editor for complex setups
  • Try a different browser or clear cache


Can't Find Preset


Presets are country-specific. Ensure you're viewing the correct country's preset list.


Overlaps Won't Resolve


Use the inspector to identify all regions claiming the area. Edit each region's rules until only one region covers the postcode.


Partial Coverage Not Intended


If an area shows partial coverage but you want full coverage:


  1. Click the inspector on that area
  2. Review which specific postcodes are included
  3. Adjust rules to include all postcodes in the area (e.g., change SW1 1* to SW1 *)

Updated on: 09/03/2026

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