> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.holace.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Get Directions

> One-tap handoff from any HoLaCe assignment to the investigator's native maps app.

Field investigators don't want to copy-paste an address into a separate app. HoLaCe has a uniform **Get Directions** affordance everywhere a property address shows up — assignment cards, the SP request queue, the journey investigation panel — and it always lands the user in their phone's native maps app with directions already loaded.

\[Screenshot: Assignment card on a phone showing the static map thumbnail, the address, and a prominent "Get Directions" button beneath]

## How the button works

The integration is intentionally simple — no Google Maps SDK, no app-specific deep link, no native app install. HoLaCe builds a universal Google Maps URL of the form:

```
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=<urlencoded-address>
```

That URL behaves correctly on every major platform:

| Device                          | What opens                                                                                         |
| ------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **iOS** (iPhone/iPad)           | Tapping the link prompts iOS to open the user's preferred maps app (Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze) |
| **Android**                     | Opens Google Maps directly with the destination preloaded                                          |
| **Desktop** (Mac/Windows/Linux) | Opens `maps.google.com` in a new browser tab with directions ready                                 |

No JavaScript runs on tap; it's a plain `<a>` tag with `target="_blank"`. Even on a flaky network, as long as the page rendered, the button works.

## Where it appears

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Contractor assignment card" icon="hard-hat">
    Right under the property address on every card on the [contractor dashboard](/portals/contractor/dashboard).
  </Card>

  <Card title="SP request queue" icon="grid">
    Inline on every row of the SP admin's [investigation requests table](/portals/sp-admin/dashboard).
  </Card>

  <Card title="Investigation detail page" icon="file-magnifying-glass">
    Top of the per-request page that opens when an SP admin clicks **View Investigation**.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Journey investigations panel" icon="briefcase">
    On the firm side, embedded in the journey's Investigations tab so the requesting attorney can quickly verify the address.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## The static map thumbnail

Adjacent to the **Get Directions** button on most surfaces is a **static map thumbnail** — a small Google Static Maps preview. The thumbnail itself is also tappable: tapping the image is identical to tapping the button. Investigators with strong visual memory ("I've been to this corner before") get an extra cue before driving out.

The thumbnail uses Google Static Maps API. Images are fetched server-side so the API key never reaches the browser, and the key is referrer-locked to `*.holace.io/*` for defense in depth.

## When the address is missing

Both the button and the thumbnail handle the no-address case gracefully:

* **Button**: renders disabled with the tooltip *No address available*.
* **Thumbnail**: renders a dashed placeholder with a map-pin icon and "No address available" caption.

## Privacy note for investigators

Tapping **Get Directions** opens an external maps app. Your maps app may use your location and search history per its own privacy policy — HoLaCe doesn't track that hand-off beyond logging which assignment was opened. The address itself is the firm's record of the property; it is not your personal navigation history.

<Note>
  Shipped in [PR #67](https://github.com/Team-Sem/holace-io/pull/67). If you spot a row that doesn't have the button yet, tell the HoLaCe team — every place an address renders should carry the affordance.
</Note>