How can I prevent the highlighted areas in my Webflow image map from being darkened along with the rest of the image?
TL;DR
- Use separate absolutely positioned hotspot elements over a background image instead of relying on image maps.
- Apply darkening effects only to the image layer, not its container, and assign higher z-index to hotspots to ensure they stay visible.
- Use SVG overlays or precise interactions to control where effects apply and avoid covering hotspots.
When using image maps in Webflow, applying a dark overlay or hover effect to the entire image can unintentionally affect the highlighted hotspot areas as well. To prevent this, you need to isolate the hover or filter effects so they don’t apply to the hotspots.
1. Use Separate Elements for Hotspots
- Don’t rely on a single image element with clickable areas using
<map>tags; instead, position hotspot elements absolutely on top of the image usingdivblocks orlinks. - Make the base image a background image in a
div, then layer hotspots over it using CSS positioning.
2. Avoid Applying Filters/Opacity to Parent Elements
- If the image darkens on hover using a filter, opacity, or overlay div, ensure that these effects are not applied to the parent container that also contains the hotspots.
- Apply effects only to the image layer, not its container. For example, avoid setting
opacityorfilteron a wrapper div that contains both the image and the hotspot elements.
3. Position Hotspots Above the Darkened Layer
- Assign a higher z-index to the hotspot elements so they remain visible above any overlays or filter effects.
- For example, if your overlay has
z-index: 1, give your hotspotsz-index: 2or more.
4. Make Overlay Selective or Transparent Around Hotspots
- If you're using a semi-transparent overlay layer to darken the image, you can give it transparent circles or paths in SVG to expose the image underneath. This requires creating a custom SVG shape as the overlay.
5. Use Webflow Interactions Carefully
- If you’re using Hover interactions to darken an image, apply the interaction to the image specifically, not to a larger container that impacts the hotspots.
- In the Interactions panel, make sure the hover-in/out action targets only the background or image element.
Summary
To avoid darkening the highlighted areas in your Webflow image map, design the hotspots and background image as separate layers, ensure darkening effects aren’t applied to the hotspots, and use z-index or transparency properly to keep them visually clear.