Getting Started

1. Create a Project

A project groups related deeds together — one county, one family, one title chain.

First-time users will see a sample project already created with two demo deeds. You can use it to explore or delete it when you're ready.

2. Manage Projects

The Projects page gives you full control over your projects with search, sort, trash, duplicate, and rename.

Changing the project's default measurement unit converts all displayed distances project-wide — course tables, detail panels, and wizard defaults all update automatically.

3. Add a Deed

Inside a project, the workspace has three panels: a deed list (left), a form/detail panel (center), and the map (right).

Keyboard shortcut: press N to create a new deed.

4. Paste Deed Text

Copy the metes-and-bounds description from your deed document and paste it into the text area. The parser handles the rest.

Beginning at a stone marker, thence North 45 degrees East 300 feet
to an oak tree, thence South 30 degrees East 200 feet to a creek,
thence South 60 degrees West 300 feet to a stone pile,
thence North 30 degrees West 200 feet back to the Point of Beginning

The parser recognizes many formats:

• • Standard: N 45°30' E 300 feet
• • Written: North 45 degrees 30 minutes East 300 feet
• • Compact: N45.5E 300 ft or S34.3E 200 feet
• • Bare cardinal: South 80 chains (no degree angle)
• • Compass rose: Northeast 200 feet, South Southeast 50 rods
• • Curves: curve to the right radius 200 feet arc 150 feet
• • Fractional: 15 1/2 poles

Below the text area you'll see “Parsed N courses” and any errors will be highlighted inline with red underlines.

5. Course Wizard

If you prefer entering courses manually, switch to the Course Wizard tab.

Switching between tabs preserves data in both. The active tab determines which courses feed the preview.

6. Preview & Stats

As you enter courses, the SVG preview updates in real time. It shows:

• • The parcel shape with colored stroke and transparent fill
• • Course numbers at midpoints
• • Bearing and distance labels on each line (hidden for 13+ courses)
• • Direction arrows showing the survey path
• • A POB (Point of Beginning) marker
• • Curve arcs with delta angle and radius labels
• • Meander courses as blue dashed lines

The stats bar below shows the area (acres and sq ft), perimeter, and closure precision ratio (e.g., 1:5000). “Perfect closure” means the parcel closes exactly.

7. Metadata & Declination

Below the courses, fill in the deed metadata:

• • Owner / Grantee — the person receiving the land
• • Grantor — the person granting/selling the land
• • Date — the deed date (a year is enough, e.g. “1788”)
• • Book & Page — the deed book reference
• • Notes — any additional context
• • Magnetic Declination — the compass correction for the time period

For declination: positive values shift bearings east, negative shift west. Click the NOAA button to auto-lookup the historical declination for the deed's date and location (requires the deed to be placed on the map first).

Click Save Deed (or Ctrl+S) to compute geometry and persist.

8. Place on the Map

Keyboard shortcut: press P to enter placement mode for the selected deed.

9. Map Tools

10. Search & Filter

The sidebar includes a search bar that searches across all deed fields (owner, grantor, date, book/page, notes). Matches are highlighted in the results.

The “As of Date” slider lets you filter deeds by year. Drag the range to show only deeds from a specific time period. Click “Show All” to reset. Both the sidebar list and the map respect this filter.

11. Table View

Toggle between Map and Table view using the switch in the header. The table shows all deeds in a grantor-grantee format, sortable by 7 columns: Grantor, Grantee (owner), Date, Book/Page, Acres, Courses, and Status (placed/unplaced).

Click any row to select the deed and open its detail panel. The table respects search and date filters.

12. Export

Export buttons are in the project header. Each format has a specific use:

13. Import

On the Projects page, click Import and select a file. Two formats are supported:

• • .json — btdeed project files (full round-trip with all data)
• • .mbl — DeedMapper files (courses, metadata, owner name, date)

MBL import creates a new project with the deed data from the file. If you're migrating from DeedMapper, this is the easiest way to bring your work over.

14. Cloud & Sharing

btdeed works without an account — everything saves locally in your browser. Sign in to unlock cloud features:

Viewer role can browse and export but not edit. Editor role can create, edit, and delete deeds. Only the project owner can manage sharing.

15. Keyboard Shortcuts

Press ? at any time to see the full shortcuts dialog. Here are the most useful:

16. Print at Scale

The print view generates a scaled map with professional output. Access it from the deed detail panel.

• • Selectable scale (1:1200, 1:2400, 1:4800, etc.)
• • North arrow and scale bar
• • Course table with all bearings, distances, and landmarks
• • Owner name, date, and area information
• • Use your browser's print dialog (Ctrl+P) to print or save as PDF

17. PLSS Descriptions

PLSS (Public Land Survey System) descriptions like “the SE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 21, Township 4 South, Range 4 East” are parsed automatically.

The SE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 21, Township 4 South, Range 4 East of the Third Principal Meridian

• • Formal, compact, and dotted formats supported
• • Quarter subdivisions (NE 1/4, SW 1/4 of NE 1/4, etc.)
• • Auto-generates rectangular geometry with acreage
• • Township grid overlay appears on the map
• • PLSS description shown in the detail panel with acreage breakdown

18. DeedMapper (MBL) Workflow

MBL files from DeedMapper often hold thousands of deeds that need cleanup before they look right on a real map. btdeed gives imported MBL projects their own toolbar and an Illustrator-style edit mode so you can refine the whole cluster without saving after every nudge.

Large MBL projects (300+ deeds) automatically render through a high-performance canvas layer with viewport culling, so even 5,000-deed clusters stay smooth.

19. Tips & Tricks