Update: As of January 8, 2026, the beta is now open to everyone! Read more here.
One of Roll20’s most-requested features for the last several years has been Map Pins that connect to handouts.
With the technical constraints of the old tabletop unblocked by last year’s engine rebuild, we’re finally launching Map Pins to Pro and Elite Subscribers in an Early Access beta, and can’t wait to hear what you think!
Learn more about Pro and Elite subscription benefits here.
What Are Map Pins?
Map Pins allow GMs to quickly annotate maps with secret information, display useful notes to players, and create moments of discovery that encourage party exploration, providing more interactive gameplay opportunities. Check out this walkthrough from Roll20’s Community Success Manager, Katie Mae, as she shows off the new feature:
Creating and Navigating Pins
To create a pin (GMs):
- Drag a handout onto the map from your Journal, or
- Drag individual header anchors (H1-H4), from within an open handout
Each pin autofills using information from the handout, if present: an image, title, text, and GM notes – viewable only by them. Text fields can be edited by the GM to their liking, and images can be hidden.
- Click a pin once to display its tooltip.
- Double-click a pin to open its connected handout.
- Click an image to open it in a larger view.
- Press Shift + z, or Shift + Click, to show a Pin image to players.
Controlling Visibility
Map Pins allow players to view a snippet of a handout without cluttering their journals, and GMs have full control over how (and when) players see pins on the tabletop.
Pins default as hidden from players, and feature a dashed border and translucent appearance. Alternatively, visible pins have a solid border and display opaque. Visibility settings can be quickly toggled from the pin mini-menu or updated in pin settings.
Map Pins adhere to nameplate settings found in the Graphics section of VTT Settings, and can be set to appear on hover. If you prefer not to display them at all, they can be disabled in pin settings.
Pin Settings
Each pin contains a few configurable elements. In addition to the visibility states discussed above, you can change the name, linking, and display of the pin, down to choosing exactly which information players will see. You can even set a custom Tooltip if you don’t want to use the actual text from your handout.
Fun Features
Since Map Pins are layerless, you can select and manage them from any tabletop layer (no switching required).
They also allow you to set up interactive traps, haunts, and other rollable events directly from your pins! Check out this tutorial that shows how to set up an inline roll within a handout/pin!
- Create your handout
- Create a link and set:
- your displayed text
- your roll, preceded by a single backtick like this: `
[[1d20]]
- When the player clicks the link, it will automatically roll! (set up 3d dice in VTT Settings for fun visuals)
Map Pins don’t just live on your map… they’re also connected to your handouts. From any applicable anchor within a handout, you can instantly navigate to a placed pin using the “go to pin” button, even if it’s on a different page! This makes navigating your maps a breeze, and pairs especially well with Party Tools that allow you to pull your players to your current location.
Flavor Text
Blockquote formatting is commonly used in D&D and other systems’ official adventure Modules, designed to signal information to be shared with players by GMs. Now, pins created from Anchors (headers within Handouts) have an option in the Tooltip section of Edit Pin Settings: Use blockquote as player flavor text.
When checked, this setting automatically designates the first blockquoted section under that header as information to share with players, and displays it in the pin’s tooltip. Any remaining text under that header is treated as GM Notes. Learn more here.
Pin Resizing
GMs can also customize the size of Map Pins based on map style, grid scale, and personal preference! This is especially useful for creating more discreet pins or providing a visual hierarchy.
How to Resize a Pin
- Select a Pin on your map
- Open Edit Pin
- Go to the Customization tab
- Choose a size from the available options
Beta Next Steps
This Early Access beta is the result of years of community feedback, numerous rounds of community demoing, feedback sessions, and usability tests. We couldn’t have gotten this far without your suggestions, and we’re relying on you to help us ensure the public release meets your needs in your real campaigns.
Please report any issues that arise during your games so our team can address them, and let us know if you have specific thoughts about the direction you’d like to see Map Pins continue to develop. We’re currently working on additional customization options, but would love to hear any other feedback you have on our Forums, on social (X/Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram), in our Discord Server, or via our direct feedback form.
Found a bug? Let us know by reporting it within the VTT or here!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! All users (including free) will have access to Map Pins when they come out of beta. Early access to upcoming features is a benefit of Pro and Elite subscriptions, providing an opportunity to give feedback that influences the public version of new tools.
Not yet, but this functionality is on our roadmap.
We’re currently developing more customization options. In the meantime, let us know what types of customization you’d like to see here.
If you see an error message that says a header couldn’t be found, please report it. We’re working to ensure Map Pins function smoothly across the wide variety of content styling available on Roll20, and your feedback helps us make them even better.
The “Go to Map” button currently works only for pins created from anchors.
No. Making a pin visible only allows players to see a preview excerpt of the handout content via its tooltip. If you want to give players full access to the handout, you’ll need to share it with their journals separately. You retain full control over what’s revealed and when.
Support for this is in development and coming soon!
For more information, please see our Help Center. Happy gaming!!
The awesome adventures, maps, and tokens used in the images and videos in this blog are: