# Custom background maps

### About custom background maps

Custom background maps allow Mapeo users to incorporate a wide range of geographical datasets and relevant elements into the maps used for displaying current position and data collected. Once added to Mapeo, custom background maps are available completely offline within the application.

### Creating custom background maps

{% hint style="warning" %}
Creating custom background maps currently requires significant technical knowledge and will not be accessible to all users.

The current process, detailed in [Creating custom background maps](/complete-reference-guide/customization-options/custom-base-maps/creating-custom-maps.md), requires comfort installing and using `node` packages via the command line.
{% endhint %}


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.mapeo.app/complete-reference-guide/customization-options/custom-base-maps.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.