> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://helpdesk.smaply.app/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://helpdesk.smaply.app/journey-maps/lanes/how-to-add-and-manage-lanes.md).

# How to add and manage lanes

A lane is a horizontal row of a journey map, holding one dimension of the experience across every step. To add one, click **+ Add lane** and pick a type from the picker. To manage an existing lane, open its three-dot menu for pinning, recolouring, reordering, duplicating, and deleting.

***

#### How to add a lane

Each lane has a **+ Add lane** button above it, and there is one below the last lane, so you can insert a row exactly where you want it. Clicking it opens the picker.

<figure><img src="/files/P3h8IrdPZ9VYWfJAccDs" alt="The Add lane picker open below the + Add lane button. A search box reads Type to search with Text as the Enter quick-select. BASIC LANES lists Image, Stage, Icons, Grid, Flow, a greyed Freeform, Divider, and Emotion chart. ADVANCED LANES lists Embed, Planning, Metric, and Linked maps. CUSTOM LANES lists Opportunity, Pain point, Solution, Goals, and Risk. A + Quick add content button is pinned at the bottom."><figcaption><p>The Add lane picker, grouped into Basic, Advanced, and Custom lanes</p></figcaption></figure>

Start typing in the search box to filter the list, or pick a type from one of three groups:

* **BASIC LANES** - Image, Stage, Icons, Grid, Flow, Freeform, Divider, and Emotion chart.
* **ADVANCED LANES** - Embed, Planning, Metric, and Linked maps.
* **CUSTOM LANES** - the portfolio item types in your account: Opportunity, Pain point, Solution, Goals, and Risk.

{% hint style="info" icon="tag" %}
The lane types you see depend on your plan, so the picker may not show every option above.
{% endhint %}

**Text** is the default. Press Enter to add a text lane without leaving the keyboard, or click it in the picker. A text lane holds one text card per step, which makes it the row to reach for first when you're laying out narrative content like steps, actions, or thinking.

{% hint style="info" %}
The lane type only sets the *default* card for that row. You can still drop any card type into most lanes. The two exceptions are emotion chart lanes and divider lanes, which hold their own content and don't take arbitrary cards. See [How to add and edit cards](/journey-maps/cards/how-to-add-and-edit-cards.md).
{% endhint %}

***

#### Quick add content

The **+ Quick add content** button pinned at the bottom of the Add lane picker builds several lanes at once, instead of adding them one row at a time. It opens the **Quick add journey content** dialog, which has two tabs.

<figure><img src="/files/ZnbNSPMLcBY6nHdLy7Iq" alt="The Quick add journey content dialog on its File import tab. Three source cards sit at the top: Image or screenshot with an AI icon (selected), Excel, and JSON. Below them a dropzone reads Upload or paste an image or screenshot, supporting .svg, .png, .jpg, .jpeg, and .webp, with Cancel and Import buttons."><figcaption><p>Quick add content, File import tab</p></figcaption></figure>

* **File import** - build lanes from a file. Pick **Image or screenshot** to have AI read a picture of a journey or framework and draft lanes from it, **Excel** to map a spreadsheet's rows and columns into lanes, or **JSON** to bring in a map exported from Smaply. This adds lanes to the map you're in. To import a whole map as a new journey instead, use the **Import** button on the journey maps list. See [How to import from image](/migration/how-to-import-from-image.md), [How to import from Excel](/migration/how-to-import-from-excel.md), and [How to import from JSON](/migration/how-to-import-from-json.md).
* **Lane templates** - tick the common lanes you want and add them in one go: Journey stages, Quotes, Emotion chart, Storyboard images, Channels, Sentiment, and Gantt project. Then click **Add journey content**.

<figure><img src="/files/4DR2bYdzHfWT9ZzPKrrb" alt="The Quick add journey content dialog on its Lane templates tab. A checklist offers Journey stages (pre-selected), Quotes, Emotion chart, Storyboard images, Channels, Sentiment, and Gantt project, each with a short description."><figcaption><p>Quick add content, Lane templates tab</p></figcaption></figure>

***

#### How to manage a lane

Every lane has a three-dot menu next to its title. Open it to rename, recolour, reorder, pin, duplicate, or delete the lane.

<figure><img src="/files/5Cj9vjL2u2J6ocas4MLf" alt="A lane three-dot menu open on a text lane labelled Steps. The menu lists Pin lane, Edit lane description, Change color, Select all cards, Paste content, Copy lane, Paste lane below (greyed out), Duplicate lane below, Move lane up, Move lane down, and Delete lane."><figcaption><p>The three-dot menu on a text lane</p></figcaption></figure>

The menu holds these options:

* **Pin lane** - keep the lane in view while you scroll the map vertically. Useful for a Stages or Steps row you want as a constant reference.
* **Edit lane description** - add a short note describing what the lane captures.
* **Change color** - set the lane's accent colour, which its cards pick up by default.
* **Select all cards** - select every card in the lane at once, ready for a bulk action. See [How to bulk edit cards](/journey-maps/how-to-bulk-edit-cards.md).
* **Paste content** - paste copied content into the lane. Pasting a list or spreadsheet here fans it out into one card per row. See [How to use enhanced paste](/journey-maps/how-to-use-enhanced-paste.md).
* **Copy lane** and **Paste lane below** - copy the whole lane, then paste a copy below another lane. **Paste lane below** stays greyed out until you've copied a lane.
* **Duplicate lane below** - drop a copy of the lane, with its cards, directly beneath it.
* **Move lane up** and **Move lane down** - reorder the lane one row at a time. You can also drag a lane by its title to reposition it.
* **Delete lane** - remove the lane and everything in it.

{% hint style="warning" %}

#### **Important: Deleting a lane removes its cards too**

Deleting a lane takes every card in it with it. To keep the cards, move them to another lane first by dragging them across.
{% endhint %}

Some lane types show a shorter menu. Emotion chart and divider lanes drop the card and clipboard options (they don't hold ordinary cards) and add one type-specific option instead. Those live in the lane-type articles below.

***

#### Related topics

<table data-column-title-hidden data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th>Title</th><th>Description</th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref">Target</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>How to add and manage columns</strong></td><td>Add, remove, and reorder the step columns that cross your lanes.</td><td><a href="/pages/WNBA1RdaCt3rMhxOcLHD">/pages/WNBA1RdaCt3rMhxOcLHD</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>How to add and edit cards</strong></td><td>Add cards to a lane and edit the shared toolbar, details panel, and colours.</td><td><a href="/pages/DI00pTOdaJmOwltHKgIa">/pages/DI00pTOdaJmOwltHKgIa</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>How to use emotion chart lanes</strong></td><td>Plot a sentiment curve across the journey on a fixed five-point scale.</td><td><a href="/pages/MSglvHiirbEdJK3Ivwqu">/pages/MSglvHiirbEdJK3Ivwqu</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>How to use grid lanes</strong></td><td>Build multi-row lanes for tables, channels, or matrices.</td><td><a href="/pages/lZD6w7ZNrPaXH8F0kQNn">/pages/lZD6w7ZNrPaXH8F0kQNn</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>How to use divider lanes</strong></td><td>Separate sections of a journey with a labelled horizontal line.</td><td><a href="/pages/zzJGjcbYJh57GoelmXzE">/pages/zzJGjcbYJh57GoelmXzE</a></td></tr></tbody></table>


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