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Jun 25, 2026

Heratio Help Center article. Category: User Guide.

System Map User Guide

Overview

The System Map is an interactive, end-to-end diagram of how material moves through the platform - from capture and ingest, through description and review, to publication, access, and preservation. It lets you see the whole pipeline at a glance and then drill into any part of it. You can search for a specific step, filter the map by stage, use the minimap to keep your bearings on a large diagram, and zoom in and out to move between the big picture and the detail. Open it at /help/system-map.

What it does

The System Map turns the platform's workflow into a traversable picture so you can understand how the pieces fit together:

  • It shows the full journey of a record across stages, with the connections between steps drawn as a flow.
  • It is searchable, so you can jump straight to a named step or component.
  • It can be filtered by stage, so you can focus on just one phase of the lifecycle - for example only the ingest steps, or only the access steps.
  • It includes a minimap - a small overview in the corner - so you always know where you are within a large diagram.
  • It supports drilling in and out, so you can zoom from the high-level overview down to a specific node and back again.

It is useful for onboarding new staff, for explaining the platform to stakeholders, and for orienting yourself before diving into a particular task.

How to use it

  1. Go to /help/system-map (also reachable from the Help Center).
  2. Search: use the search box to find a specific step or component by name; the map moves to and highlights the match.
  3. Filter by stage: choose a stage (for example ingest, description, review, access, or preservation) to narrow the diagram to that phase and hide the rest.
  4. Use the minimap: glance at the minimap in the corner to see your current position within the whole map, and click within it to jump to another area.
  5. Drill in and out: zoom in to read the detail of an individual node, or zoom out to see the entire pipeline. Pan to move around when zoomed in.
  6. Reset filters or clear the search at any time to return to the full view.

Good to know

  • The System Map is a navigation and orientation aid - it explains how the platform works; it does not change any of your data.
  • It is the quickest way to answer "where does this step happen, and what comes before and after it?"
  • On a large map, the combination of filtering by stage and using the minimap is the fastest way to find what you need without getting lost.
  • If a part of the diagram looks crowded, zoom in - labels and connections become clearer at higher zoom levels.