Turn your QGIS Project into a Data Collection Project

In this workflow guide, we will guide you through the steps to transfer a QGIS project to GIS Cloud, configure it for field data collection, and share it with users in the field who use the Mobile Data Collection (MDC) app.

Stage 1: Install plugin 🔧

Steps:

1. Open your project in QGIS 
2. Install the GIS Cloud Publisher for QGIS plugin via the QGIS Plugins dialog.

Stage 2: Publish to GIS Cloud ☁️

Steps:

1. Sign in through the Publisher panel using GIS Cloud credentials
2. Review project layers and symbology
3. Click Publish map to GIS Cloud.
4. Set map title and privacy (private or public).
5. Confirm project save if prompted.
6. Wait for the upload to complete

Top tip: All data uploaded using the publisher lands in the qgis folder within your GIS Cloud File Manager. Each map will have its own folder!

Stage 3: Prepare Layers for Mobile Data Collection 🗄️

Steps:

1. Log into GIS Cloud Map Editor and open your published map.
2. Import the target layer(s) into the GIS Cloud database.
3. In Map Editor, replace the source version of the layer with the database-imported version

Stage 4: Configure Data Collection Form 🧩

Steps:

1. In Map Editor, create a new form and link it to your database layer.
2. Customize form items (text, date, photos, select lists, etc.) as needed.
3. Save and connect the form to the respective layer; the layer is now ready for data collection!

Stage 5: Deploy Map to Field Collectors 🚀

Steps:

1. Share the map via Map Editor, set collect, update or edit permissions
2. Field workers open the MDC app, select the shared map from and begin collecting or editing data.