# Draw a boundary, line or point on the map

Last updated: 2026-10-27

> Draw a plot boundary, a line or a point on the map, walk a boundary with your phone's GPS in the field, and fix or redraw a shape later.

To draw a boundary, open the record's form, click **Draw Polygon** and click the map to place its corners, or walk it with your phone's GPS. You need to be able to edit the record, as editors and admins can.

## Draw a shape in a record's form

1. Open the form for a new record, or open a record and click **Edit**.
2. In the shape field, click **Draw Polygon** (or **Draw Line**). On a computer, a blue frame and a **Drawing Polygon** bar show you're drawing; on a phone, a panel at the bottom tells you where to tap.
3. Click (or tap) the map to place each corner.
4. To finish, click a polygon's first corner or a line's last point again, or click **Done** (once a polygon has 3 corners, a line 2) or press `Enter`.
5. The field now shows the number of points and the area (or the length). Save the form.

![A record's form with its Boundary field and the Draw Polygon button, under the Location field](https://restorationscope.com/docs/figures/en/draw-polygon-field.png)

On a computer, `Backspace` removes the last corner. **Cancel** or `Esc` stops without keeping the shape; if a corner's menu is open, the first `Esc` only closes that menu.

If the field shows **Select file**, you can use a .geojson, .kml, .kmz or zipped Shapefile instead of drawing.

## Draw straight on the map

If your app has it, editors and admins can create a record by drawing it.

1. Click **⊕** on the right side of the map (on a phone, **More**), or a draw button next to it.
2. Choose what to draw: a type of record (for example one for your **Sites**), or a plain **Polygon**, **Line** or **Point**. The list only offers record types your app lets you create.
3. Click the map to place the corners, then click **Done**. A point needs one click.

The shape is saved as a new record; depending on your app, its form or its page opens next.

On a phone, a record type may ask first: **Walk Perimeter** or **Draw Perimeter**, **Walk Line** or **Draw Line**, **Capture GPS Point** or **Draw Point**. Some go straight to GPS.

## Walk a boundary or line in the field

On a phone, the shape field shows **Walk Perimeter** (or **Walk Line**) next to the draw button.

1. Stand at a corner of the plot and tap **Walk Perimeter**. In the RS Field app, recording starts by itself; if it couldn't start (for example, location is off), fix that and tap **Start**.
2. Wait until the panel shows **Recording** and how accurate the GPS is.
3. Walk along the edge of the plot.
4. Tap **Finish**. A boundary needs at least 3 points, a line 2.
5. In a form, the shape goes into the field: save the form. From the map, the record is saved.

In the browser, keep the app open with the screen on. The RS Field app, version 1.3.0 or newer, keeps recording with the screen locked and offers **Pause** and **Resume**. Tree cover and buildings make GPS accuracy worse: see [How accurate is phone GPS for field data?](https://restorationscope.com/blog/phone-gps-accuracy)

## Fix or redraw a shape

1. Open the record and click **Edit** (or press `E`).
2. In the shape field, click **Edit Polygon** (or **Edit Line**).
3. Change the shape:
   - Drag a corner to move it.
   - Click an edge to add a corner there, or drag from the edge to add and place it.
   - Click (or right-click) a corner for **Delete** or **Copy coordinates**. On a computer, you can also point at a corner and press `Delete` or `Backspace`.
4. Click **Save**, then save the form.

**Cancel** leaves the shape unchanged; `Esc` does the same once any corner menu is closed. On a computer, **Reset** puts the shape back the way it was and lets you keep editing.

If the button reads **Redraw Polygon** (for example, the shape has several parts or holes), draw it again from scratch.

To move a whole shape without changing it, click it on the map and choose **Move**, if your app offers it for that record. Drag the shape, then click **Save**.

To move a single point location, see [Fix a record's location on the map](https://restorationscope.com/docs/edit-location).