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CloudTAK🔗

CloudTAK is TAK.NZ's browser-based client — the fastest way to get onto the Common Operating Picture with no installation. If you're new to TAK.NZ, start here.

Accessing CloudTAK🔗

  1. Log in to the account portal at your organisation's TAK.NZ URL.
  2. Select CloudTAK from your account dashboard.
  3. CloudTAK opens directly in your browser — no download or install required.

CloudTAK works in any modern browser on desktop, tablet, or mobile, though a larger screen makes it easier to work with overlays and drawing tools.

First login🔗

The first time you log in, you'll be asked to set your callsign and device preferences:

  1. Callsign — follow the TAK.NZ Callsigns schema ([ORG]-[REGION]-[SUFFIX]), for example FENZ-AUK-JSmith.
  2. Marker colour — this is set automatically based on your organisation. See Colour Coding if you want to understand why your dot is the colour it is.
  3. Role — choose your role on the team (Team Member, Team Lead, Medic, etc.). If you're not sure, Team Member is the safe default.
  4. When prompted, select Allow so CloudTAK can access your location. If your device doesn't have GPS (e.g. a desktop browser), you'll need to set your location manually — click the location button in the bottom-left corner and select your position on the map.

Moving around the map🔗

  • Pan — click and drag.
  • Recenter on yourself — click your callsign, or click the location button.
  • Rotate — hold Ctrl and drag left or right.
  • Change perspective (tilt) — hold Ctrl and drag up or down.
  • Zoom — use the mouse wheel, or the +/− buttons in the top-right corner.
  • Search for an address — use the search box at the top of the left panel, similar to a normal navigation app. Selecting a result recentres the map on that location.

The basics🔗

Channels🔗

Click Channels to see what's available to your account. Some channels are already enabled for you by default.

  • Channels work like radio channels — to see other users, you both need to be on the same channel.
  • Regional channels (e.g. Regions - Canterbury) are the primary coordination layer. When an emergency happens, all responding agencies activate that region's channel.
  • Organisation channels (e.g. FENZ, NZP-WGN) are for internal agency coordination without broadcasting to everyone else.
  • National channels (e.g. Regions - All of New Zealand) broadcast to all users nationwide, used for major events affecting the whole country.

Each channel shows two icons:

  • An eye icon — open means the channel is on and sharing your location with everyone else on it; a slash through it means your presence is hidden from that channel.
  • An arrow icon — a plain arrow means users on that channel can see each other; an arrow with a slash means the channel only supplies data (e.g. aircraft or hazard feeds) without mutual user visibility.

Your list of channels is unique to your account — some are created by your agency administrator and limited to your organisation, while others are shared across agencies for mutual aid. Only turn on mutual aid channels when you actually need them, and follow your agency's own policy on this. See Channel Structure for the full national/regional/organisation breakdown.

Tip

When you enable a new channel, wait 20–30 seconds for the map to populate with its icons and shapes.

Basemaps🔗

Click Base Maps to change the map style. Pick whichever basemap best suits the task at hand — imagery, topographic, or a simplified view.

Map icons🔗

Click on any icon on the map (for example, a flood gauge or a hazard marker) and read the Remarks field for additional detail about that item.

Draw Tools🔗

Click the pencil icon in the top-right corner to open the drawing tools:

Tool What it does
Coordinate Input Places a marker at coordinates you type in
Range & Bearing Draws a line at a specified bearing and distance from a chosen point
Range Rings Draws rings at specified distances from a point — useful for evacuation planning, searches, or manhunts
Draw Point Drops a marker from a choice of icons at a location you click
Draw Line Places points to form a straight line; double-click to finish
Draw Polygon Places points to form any shape; double-click the last point to close it
Draw Rectangle Drop two points to set the height, then a third to set the width
Draw Circle First click sets the centre, second sets the radius
Draw Sector First click sets the centre, second sets the perimeter of the sector
Lasso Select Draw a lasso around existing features to select them for sharing, deleting, or adding to a Data Package or Data Sync
GeoJSON Import Imports a smaller GeoJSON file directly as editable features (these appear under Your Features, not as a toggleable overlay)

Once a marker or shape is placed, click it to open its radial menu with options to edit, drag to reposition, lock (useful for tracked assets like aircraft or GPS trackers), delete, or open the side panel to edit its name, coordinates, icon, notes, attachments, or share it with other users. All shapes share a common radial menu for editing colour, opacity, line style, and centre coordinates.

CloudTAK supports many iconsets, selectable via a feature's Style → Select Icon menu. Specialty iconsets may not render correctly on other TAK clients — if unsupported, they typically show as a plain yellow clover icon on ATAK, TAK Aware, or WinTAK instead.

Your Features🔗

Open the hamburger menu (three lines, top-right) and select Your Features to see everything you've created, or that's been shared with you. Click a feature to snap the map to it. Every feature here is editable, and recently deleted features can be recovered.

Overlays🔗

Open Overlays to toggle data layers on or off using the eye icon. Click the + button to add pre-existing overlays such as NOAA-style radar, cell coverage maps, or boundary layers, depending on what's configured for TAK.NZ. Files you've imported can also be added here as overlays (see Imports below).

Contacts🔗

Open Contacts to see everyone online, plus anyone who recently disconnected. Use the filter/search bar to find a specific person. Clicking an online contact recentres the map on their position; clicking the chat bubble next to their name opens a direct chat with them.

Data Sync (Missions)🔗

CloudTAK supports Data Sync — TAK.NZ calls these Missions. A Mission is a shared "folder" hosted on the TAK Server, synchronised in real time to everyone subscribed. To create one, click the + button under Data Sync, name it, choose which channel(s) it's available on, and (optionally) set a password and roles (Owner, Subscriber, or Viewer). Selecting Make Active means anything you create in CloudTAK from then on is automatically added to the Mission.

This page covers the CloudTAK-specific controls; for the full concept and cross-client workflow (roles, adding content, sync status, deletion), see Data Sync & Missions and Using Missions.

Data Packages🔗

A Data Package bundles a set of features to share with other TAK users as a single unit — useful for things like a set of staging area markers or a hazard overlay.

To create one: use the Lasso Select tool to select features, click the three dots on the resulting menu, then New Data Package. Name it and choose which channel(s) it's available on; you can optionally attach a file.

Note

Data Packages are cleared from the server every two months by default. Add #permanent under Hashtags if you want a package to stay available indefinitely.

To import an existing Data Package: make sure the right channel is active, select the package, and click Import Package. If it includes a file (e.g. a .kmz), select it under Import Results to add it to your overlays.

Videos🔗

Use the Streams tab to view any video feeds currently available on your channels. A "Video Server Error" usually means the stream isn't currently broadcasting, or isn't in a supported format. Use the Leases tab to set up a video lease and broadcast your own stream (for example, from a UAS) to other users on your channel.

Chat🔗

Open Chat to see all your current conversations, including RELAY, TAK.NZ's built-in AI assistant. Click the + button to start a new chat.

Routes🔗

Create and save a route between two points — either freehand (No Snapping) or snapped to roads and trails (Roads & Trails). Click once to start the route and again to finish; routes can be edited and shared like any other feature.

Uploaded Files & Imports🔗

Files you've imported appear under Uploaded Files. Selecting one lets you add it to the map as an overlay (toggle it via Overlays), download it, add it to a Data Sync or Data Package, or rename/delete it. Use Imports → New Import to upload a new file from your device.

Settings🔗

Open Settings to change your callsign, device preferences, and unit type (e.g. metric vs imperial) at any time.

Tips for getting comfortable🔗

  • You can't break anything by clicking around — explore freely.
  • Start with a small number of channels active (your region, plus your organisation) rather than everything at once, to avoid a cluttered map.
  • If something looks wrong or missing, wait — CoT updates can take a few seconds to reach every client.

Learning more🔗

This page covers CloudTAK as configured for TAK.NZ. For the complete upstream CloudTAK user guide (which this page is adapted from), see:

Next steps🔗

Once you're comfortable with the basics, explore Data Sync & Missions or check the Reference section for callsigns, channels, and colour coding.