Building an Interactive State Map in Webflow

Last month I shipped an interactive US state map for a client in three days. The kind of project where you either nail the execution or waste everyone's time with a bloated solution.

The client runs a gambling addiction support service. Their problem was simple: people land on the site, don't know where to click, and bounce. They needed a way to show service coverage across states and guide users to booking or specific state pages in one interaction.

No generic map widget was going to cut it.

Why Custom Code Over Plugins

Webflow has map integrations. Most of them are garbage for this use case.

They're built for location pins, not clickable regions. They load heavy scripts, break on mobile, and give you zero control over the experience.

We went with SVG and custom code instead.

The Technical Approach

The foundation was an SVG map of the US. Each state is a separate path element with a unique ID.

In Webflow, I embedded the SVG into a custom code block and wrote JavaScript to handle the interactions:

• Hover states for visual feedback
• Click events to trigger state-specific modals or redirects
• Data attributes to store state names and service availability

The whole thing weighs less than most hero section animations.

The Mobile Problem

Here's where it got interesting.

An interactive map works great on desktop. On mobile, tapping tiny state shapes on a 375px screen is a nightmare.

We tried zoom controls. Felt clunky.

We tried a scrollable map. Users got lost.

Final solution: a dropdown selector for mobile. Clean, fast, accessible. The map only shows on tablet and up.

One component, two experiences. No compromises on either.

Webflow Integration Without the Mess

The map needed to pull data from Webflow CMS: state names, service types, booking links.

I used Webflow's native CMS collection to store everything, then fetched it via custom code on page load. Each state path in the SVG matched a CMS item by slug.

When a user clicks a state, the script grabs the corresponding CMS data and either opens a modal with service details or redirects to the booking page.

No external databases. No API calls. Just Webflow CMS doing what it does best.

Three Days, No Shortcuts

The deadline was tight. Three days from brief to live.

Day one: SVG setup and state path mapping.

Day two: Interaction logic and CMS integration.

Day three: Mobile dropdown, testing, and deployment.

I didn't have time to overthink it. That probably helped.

What This Delivered

The map solved the core problem: users now understand coverage at a glance and get to the right page in one click.

Bounce rate dropped. Booking conversions went up. The client stopped getting "do you cover my state?" emails.

Sometimes the best solution isn't the fanciest one. It's the one that works.

When to Build Custom vs. Use a Plugin

If you need a standard location map with pins, use a plugin. Don't reinvent the wheel.

But if your project requires:

• Clickable regions instead of pins
• Custom data integration
• Full control over interactions
• A lightweight, fast-loading solution

Then custom code in Webflow is the move.

It's more work upfront, but you own the result. No plugin updates breaking your site. No performance issues. No limitations.

Webflow Custom Code Best Practices

Keep your JavaScript modular. Write functions you can reuse across projects.

Use data attributes to store dynamic content. It keeps your code clean and makes updates easier.

Test on real devices, not just browser dev tools. Mobile interactions always behave differently than you expect.

And always, always set a fallback. If the map doesn't load or JavaScript fails, users should still have a way to navigate.

Final Thoughts

Interactive maps aren't a new idea. But most implementations are either too generic or too complicated.

This project worked because we focused on the user problem first, then picked the simplest technical solution that delivered the experience.

Webflow's flexibility with custom code makes this kind of build possible without spinning up a full React app or dealing with WordPress plugin hell.

If you're building for clients who need custom interactions and you're not using Webflow's custom code capabilities, you're leaving money and creative control on the table.