GeoDirectory: Custom Map Styles is an official add-on that allows website owners to customize the visual appearance of directory maps to match their site branding. It provides a simple user interface with color pickers and intuitive options to replace default map aesthetics. This extension ensures your directory achieves professional brand recognition by styling interactive map elements.
WPExclusive members get access to Custom Map Styles as part of a full plugin and theme library, with plans starting from $9.99/month. See the full Geo Directory collection →
What Is GeoDirectory: Custom Map Styles?
GeoDirectory: Custom Map Styles is developed by Geo Directory and is a styling plugin for its namesake directory framework. It belongs to the directory category on WPExclusive, alongside other tools for building professional listing sites. This add-on specifically addresses the visual disconnect between a website’s theme and the default, generic appearance of standard Google Maps or Open Street Maps.
The plugin solves the problem of aesthetically unpleasing default map styles that often clash with custom web designs. It is built for directory owners who want to turn their maps into a branded element of the user experience.
GeoDirectory: Custom Map Styles Features
The feature set for Custom Map Styles is built around providing granular control over map layers and preset styling options for multiple map providers.
Google Maps Styling Engine
Users can style all individual layers of a Google Map, including roads, water, parks, and railways. Custom Map Styles allows for the modification of specific style parameters such as hex color, hue, gamma, saturation, lightness, and weight. You can also import preset styles from libraries like Snazzy Maps to save time during the directory setup process.
Open Street Maps (OSM) Support
The plugin supports Open Street Maps as a first-class citizen alongside Google. It provides a wide range of preset map styles to match modern website aesthetics. Additionally, it contains API input settings to allow the use of paid map layers, such as Open Cycle Map, ensuring flexibility for specialized niches.
Contextual styling
Custom Map Styles enables developers to set different styles for different types of maps across the site. For example, you can style the individual listing details map differently than the global category search maps. This contextual control ensures that the map remains functional and legible regardless of its placement on the page.
Pricing
Check current pricing on the Custom Map Styles sales page. WPExclusive members access it as part of their plan, avoiding individual site license fees.
| Plan | Price | Sites | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Site | $29.00 | 1 Site | Plugin + Updates |
| 2 – 5 Sites | $39.00 | 5 Sites | Plugin + Updates |
| Unlimited Sites | $69.00 | Unlimited | Plugin + Updates |
| WPExclusive Membership | From $9.99/month | Unlimited | Custom Map Styles + full library |
For developers managing multiple sites, a WPExclusive membership covers Custom Map Styles plus hundreds of other plugins and themes, which is usually less than the cost of one premium license.
Latest Version
The current version is 2.3.5. Custom Map Styles receives regular maintenance to ensure compatibility with the core directory framework and latest API changes from mapping providers. WPExclusive updates plugin files promptly after each developer release.
How to Install
- Download the Custom Map Styles .zip from your WPExclusive member account
- In WordPress: Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin
- Select the .zip and click Install Now → Activate
- Navigate to GeoDirectory > Settings > Maps Styles in the WordPress dashboard
- Enable the “Custom Style” toggle for the Directory Map or Listing Map sections
Use Cases
Luxury and Niche Directories
High-end real estate or travel sites benefit from using Custom Map Styles to replace primary-colored Google Maps with desaturated, minimal, or dark-mode maps that reflect a premium brand identity in the directory niche.
Interactive Event Locations
Organizers can use specific color schemes to highlight roads and parks, making it easier for visitors to navigate complex event locations map-by-map without distraction from default map markers.
Agencies and Developers Managing Multiple Client Sites
Agencies can use a single WPExclusive subscription to deploy consistent, high-end map styling across multiple client projects without spending hundreds on individual add-on licenses.
Pros and Cons
✅ Strengths
- Granular control over specific elements like water, roads, and landscape features
- Full compatibility with both Google Maps and Open Street Maps
- Time-saving ability to import preset JSON styles from external libraries
⚠️ Limitations
- Does not support styling for Google Static Maps due to provider limitations
- Requires the core GeoDirectory plugin to be installed and active
- Developer auto-updates require an active license key. WPExclusive publishes updates manually when new versions are released.
Is GeoDirectory: Custom Map Styles GPL Licensed?
Yes. GeoDirectory: Custom Map Styles is distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), the same license that governs WordPress itself. GPL gives any user the legal right to use, study, share, and redistribute the software. This is the legal framework that makes WPExclusive’s membership model possible.
WPExclusive distributes 100% original, unmodified files, the same release the developer publishes. No injected code, no alterations, and no security risks.
Get GeoDirectory: Custom Map Styles on WPExclusive
WPExclusive membership starts at $9.99/month, $87/year, or $149 lifetime, giving you GeoDirectory: Custom Map Styles plus every plugin and theme in the library, on unlimited sites.
Explore the full Geo Directory collection → or browse all WordPress plugins →
Frequently Asked Questions
What does GeoDirectory: Custom Map Styles do?
GeoDirectory: Custom Map Styles is a specialized extension used to modify the visual styles of directory maps. Custom Map Styles allows you to change colors, saturation, and element visibility on both Google and Open Street Maps.
Is GeoDirectory: Custom Map Styles free?
This is a premium add-on usually sold as part of a paid subscription or individual license. Via WPExclusive, it is included in all memberships starting from $9.99/month.
What is the latest version of GeoDirectory: Custom Map Styles?
The current version is 2.3.5. The plugin is actively maintained, and WPExclusive members always receive the most current release to ensure compatibility with WordPress updates.
How much does GeoDirectory: Custom Map Styles cost?
Retail pricing starts at $29.00 for a single site and goes up to $69.00 or more for unlimited sites. Via WPExclusive, it is included in plans from $9.99/month.
Is it legal to use GeoDirectory: Custom Map Styles via WPExclusive?
The plugin is GPL licensed, which explicitly permits redistribution. WPExclusive provides original, unmodified files, which is fully within GPL terms.
Does Custom Map Styles work with Open Street Maps?
Yes, Custom Map Styles supports Open Street Maps in addition to Google Maps. It includes preset styles for OSM and supports custom API layers for providers like Open Cycle Map.
