For most destinations, the quickest way to add a stop is to simply start typing its name. anim8map will suggest matching locations as you type — just click on the one you want to add it to your route.

A couple of things to keep in mind when using the search:

1. Popular cities, countries, and well-known landmarks are all supported and will typically appear near the top of the suggestions.
2. The same destination may appear multiple times in the list — for example, in different languages or regional spellings. Make sure you select the correct entry for your animation to render it accurately.
3. You can search in your own language — if you type "München" instead of "Munich", relevant suggestions will still appear.

Take a moment to double-check the suggestion before clicking, especially for destinations with common or ambiguous names.

If a destination doesn't appear in the search suggestions — or if you need to pinpoint an exact location that isn't a named place — you can enter it using geographic coordinates instead.

anim8map accepts coordinates in the following format: <latitude>, <longitude>

For example, to add the location of Machu Picchu, you would enter: -13.1631, -72.5450

You can find the coordinates for any location using Google Maps (right-click on a spot and select the coordinates that appear) or similar mapping tools. This is especially handy for off-the-beaten-path destinations, custom waypoints, or precise locations like a mountain pass or a remote beach.

When adding a destination — whether by name or by coordinates — you have the option to give it a custom label. This is the text that will appear on your travel animation video, so it's a great way to personalize your map or provide context for your viewers.

For example, instead of displaying the default place name, you could label a stop "Our first night in Italy" or "The trailhead — Day 3". Custom labels are particularly useful when adding coordinate-based stops that don't have a built-in name.

To add custom labels, choose Edit label from the options on the right-hand side of the destination.

For a full walkthrough of how custom labels work and how to style them, check out our dedicated guide: Customize Labels in Your Travel Animation.

We're constantly working to improve anim8map's destination database, but occasionally a popular location might be missing from the suggestions, or a destination might not render quite right in the animation. If that happens, we'd love to hear about it.

In the meantime, you can always use the coordinates method described above as a workaround — it gives you precise control over placement regardless of what's in the database.

Please reach out to us and let us know which destination is causing trouble. We'll look into it and see what we can do to get it fixed or added for you and future users.