How to Set Your Property Location in Swales.app

Use browser location services, GPS coordinates, or manual map navigation to analyze solar potential, soil, rainfall, contour lines, flood risk, water stress, and more — for any property, anywhere in the world.

What Swales.app analyzes for your location

Swales.app uses real-world environmental and geographic data to generate a complete picture of your property. To produce accurate results, it first needs to know where your land is.

Solar Potential Score
Wind Potential Score
Real-Time Precipitation
Soil Composition
Altitude & Elevation
Contour Lines
Flood Risk Maps
Water Stress Analysis
Weather Forecasts

There are three simple ways to set your location. Choose the one that best fits your situation.


3 ways to set your location

🥇

Method 1 — Allow browser location access

Recommended

Best for accuracy and ease of use

The fastest and most accurate method if you are physically located on or near the land you want to analyze. When you open Swales.app, your browser displays a location permission request.

[Screenshot: Chrome location permission popup]

How to use it:

  1. 1Open Swales.app in your browser
  2. 2A location permission popup will appear
  3. 3Click Allow
  4. 4Swales.app automatically centers the map on your position

Why this works well:

  • Fastest setup — no manual entry
  • Most accurate location detection
  • Uses device GPS, Wi-Fi, and location services
  • Ideal when physically on your property

Note: If you are analyzing a property located somewhere else, use Method 2 instead.

🥈

Method 2 — Enter latitude & longitude coordinates

Most precise remotely

Best for remote properties and precise land analysis

If you know the exact coordinates of your land, enter them directly into Swales.app. Latitude and longitude are numerical values that pinpoint any location on Earth.

[Screenshot: Latitude / longitude input fields in Swales.app]

How to use it:

  1. 1Locate the Latitude field in Swales.app
  2. 2Enter your property latitude (e.g. 40.7128)
  3. 3Locate the Longitude field
  4. 4Enter your property longitude (e.g. -74.0060)
  5. 5Click Set Location

Why this works well:

  • Your property is in another region or country
  • You are evaluating land before purchasing
  • You need maximum precision
  • You already know the exact coordinates
🥉

Method 3 — Navigate manually on the map

No coordinates needed

Best when you don't know your coordinates

You can manually pan and zoom the map until you locate your property, then drop a marker to set the analysis point.

[Screenshot: Manual map navigation inside Swales.app]

How to use it:

  1. 1Click and drag the map to move around
  2. 2Use your mouse wheel or trackpad to zoom in
  3. 3Continue zooming until your property is visible
  4. 4Click to position the marker on the desired location

Limitations:

  • Higher chance of selecting the wrong location
  • Difficulty identifying exact boundaries
  • Reduced precision when zoomed out
  • More time required for remote properties

How to find your latitude & longitude

Not sure where to get your coordinates? Here are two quick options.

Option 1 — Google Search

Search for either of these:

"What are the coordinates of my address?"

"Latitude and longitude of [address]"

Google displays the coordinates directly in the search results.

Option 2 — Google Maps

  1. 1Open Google Maps
  2. 2Navigate to your property
  3. 3Right-click the exact location
  4. 4Copy the coordinates that appear

Example result:

-34.3976, 150.6440

Screenshot: Google Maps right-click coordinate menu

Accuracy ranking

🥇

Browser location access

Most accurate — uses device GPS when on-site

🥈

Latitude & longitude coordinates

Extremely accurate for remote or pre-purchase analysis

🥉

Manual map navigation

Useful when coordinates are unavailable


Which method should you use?

📍

Browser location

Use when:

  • You are physically on your property
  • You want the quickest setup
  • You want maximum accuracy
🗺️

Latitude & longitude

Use when:

  • You know your coordinates
  • You are analyzing land remotely
  • You need precise positioning
🖱️

Manual navigation

Use when:

  • You do not know your coordinates
  • You are exploring multiple locations
  • You prefer visual map browsing

Start exploring your land with Swales.app

Once your location is set, Swales.app automatically gathers environmental and geographic data for your property — giving you everything you need to make smarter land decisions.

Permaculture Design
Regenerative Agriculture
Homesteading
Sustainable Development
Food Forest Design
Water Harvesting Systems

The better you understand your land, the better you can design for long-term productivity, resilience, and sustainability.