Creating Zones

This guide explains how to create new service zones in the RouteRef admin panel.

Before You Start

Make sure you have:

Admin or Owner role access
At least one driver set up in the Drivers tab
A clear idea of the zone boundaries

Creating a New Zone

Step 1: Open the New Zone Modal

Go to the Zones tab in the admin panel
Click the + New Zone button in the left panel
The "Create New Zone" modal will appear

Step 2: Enter Zone Details

Fill in the zone information:

| Field | Description | Example | |-------|-------------|---------| | Zone Name | A descriptive name for this zone | "Downtown East" | | Driver | Select from your driver list | "Roger" | | Day | Which day this zone is serviced | "Monday" | | Color | Choose a color for the zone | (click to select) |

Tip: Use consistent naming conventions like "Area-Direction" (Downtown East, Suburbs North, etc.)

Step 3: Draw the Zone Boundary

Click Continue after entering zone details
The map enters drawing mode
Click on the map to place points around your zone boundary
Click the first point again to close the polygon
The zone will appear on the map with your selected color

Drawing Tips

Start at a landmark: Begin at an easily identifiable location
Use roads as boundaries: Follow major roads when possible
Don't overlap: Avoid overlapping with existing zones
Keep it simple: 10-20 points is usually enough for most zones

Editing After Creation

If you make a mistake:

The zone appears in your unsaved changes
Click Discard to remove it and start over
Or click the zone to edit its properties

Saving Your Zone

New zones are not saved automatically. You must:

Review the zone on the map
Make sure the details are correct
Click Save Changes in the bottom action bar

Important: Unsaved changes will be lost if you leave the page or refresh.

Zone Limits

Your plan determines how many zones you can create:

| Plan | Zone Limit | |------|------------| | Standard | 30 zones | | Pro | 100 zones | | Enterprise | Unlimited |

If you reach your limit, you'll need to upgrade your plan to add more zones.

Best Practices

Plan ahead: Sketch out zones on paper first
Use descriptive names: Make zone names meaningful to your team
Assign appropriate days: Distribute workload evenly across the week
Review coverage: Check for gaps between zones
Document changes: Note why zones were created or modified

Troubleshooting

"Zone limit reached"

You've hit your plan's zone limit. Upgrade your plan or delete unused zones.

Drawing won't start

Make sure you're in drawing mode (indicated by the cursor change) and JavaScript is enabled.

Zone looks wrong

You can edit the boundary after creation. See Editing Zones.