Questions on Building Territories on Zip Codes
Below are some of the most frequently asked questions when creating territory alignments based on Zip codes.
If you are looking for instructions on how to build a territory alignment manually or from a file using zip codes then see the below article links:
What are Zip Codes?
We have two Zip code datasets available:
The first is Zip Codes 2021, this is our latest zip code dataset which will be more regularly updated than our Zip Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) dataset. This data consists of zip code areas (polygons) and points for single location zips (points) such as PO boxes, Government Buildings, Universities, etc. They are combined to create a complete coverage Zip Map.
Our other Zip code dataset is made up of ZCTA Census areas (polygons) and points for single location zips (points) such as PO boxes, Government Buildings, Universities, etc. They are combined to create a complete coverage Zip Map. This data is currently based on 2010 Census Boundaries.
Why are there Polygons and Points in my Zip Territory?
The single location zips (such as PO boxes, Government Buildings, Universities etc.) are styled as points. Zip Areas will be represented by a polygon.
What happens when I add a Zip Polygon to a territory?
When you add a Zip polygon to a territory, all the zip points within that polygon will also be added to that territory.
How do I remove/reassign a Zip Point to another Territory?
Select the Zip point on the map use the info pop up to either unassign or assign the point. You can also use the table.
What are the zips that end with MX or MH in my Territories/Export?
If using our Zip Codes 2021 dataset to create your zip code territory alignments, there are a number of areas that do not have designated zip codes due to having no population such as National Parks. For full nationwide coverage, our zip code provider has filled these areas with zip codes that end in 'MX' or 'MH' instead of numbers. Those ending in 'MH' indicate areas encompassed by water, while 'MX' indicates areas encompassed by land.
What are the E Zips in my Territories/Export?
If using our ZCTA dataset to create your zip code territory alignments, there are a number of areas that are not included in the Census boundaries. These are areas with no census population such as national parks. For full nationwide coverage, we fill these with E Zip codes.
How can I differentiate between Zip Points and Zip Polygons?
If your territories are built on Zip Codes, you can find this in two locations.
- Table - Go to the table in your Territory Manager. Click on the magnifying glass beside the "Point Location" Column and select true if you want to filter to the points and false if you want to filter on the areas
- Export - On your CSV export there will be a "Point location" column. FALSE indicates that it is an area and TRUE indicates that it is a point