# Global entity map

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**Added in** `eventcatalog@5.10.0`

The Global Entity Map shows every entity in your catalog on one diagram, with the references between them. Where an [entity map](/docs/development/guides/resources/entities/entity-maps.md) shows the entities of one domain or service, the Global Entity Map shows the data model of the whole organization.

Use it to answer questions like:

* Which entities does each domain own?
* Which entities are referenced from other domains?
* Which entities are shared by more than one domain?
* Which entities don't belong to anything yet?

![Global Entity Map showing every entity grouped into its domain](/assets/images/global-entity-map-17fda62046dcfc0b432738ab50e2c403.png)

## Open the Global Entity Map[​](#open-the-global-entity-map "Direct link to Open the Global Entity Map")

When your catalog has entities, a **Global Entity Map** link appears in the **Top level diagrams** section of the visualizer sidebar. You can also open it at:

```
/visualiser/entity-map
```

The map shows the latest version of every entity.

If you've [customized your sidebar](/docs/development/customization/documentation-sidebar.md#custom-groups-and-links), you can add a custom link to this URL.

## How entities are placed in domains[​](#how-entities-are-placed-in-domains "Direct link to How entities are placed in domains")

[Entities can be added to domains, systems, and services](/docs/development/guides/resources/entities/add-entities-to-resources.md). The Global Entity Map works out which domain each entity belongs to from any of them:

| Entity listed by     | Belongs to                                             |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| A domain             | That domain.                                           |
| A system             | The system, and the domain the system is in.           |
| A service            | The service's system (if it's in one), and its domain. |
| More than one domain | **Shared across domains**, a group of its own.         |
| Nothing              | No domain. It's shown outside every group.             |

A resource that pins an older version of an entity doesn't own the latest version. For example, if a domain lists `customer` at version `1.0.0` and the latest is `2.0.0`, that domain doesn't own the `customer` shown on the map.

An entity's team is its own owner, or else the owner of the domain, system, or service that lists it.

## Group entities[​](#group-entities "Direct link to Group entities")

The map opens with entities grouped by their domain. Use **Group by** at the top right of the diagram (or press `G`) to group them another way:

| Group by                | What it shows                                                                                 |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Domain**              | A box for each domain, and one for entities shared across domains.                            |
| **System**              | A box for each system. Only entities listed by a system, or by a service in one, are grouped. |
| **Team**                | A box for each owning team.                                                                   |
| **Domain, then system** | Systems nested in their domain.                                                               |
| **Nothing**             | No groups.                                                                                    |

Groups can be shown as **Boxes** placed around their entities, or as **Lanes** stacked from top to bottom.

![The Group by menu, with entities grouped by domain](/assets/images/global-entity-map-group-by-0e1b36e3956d47d604c5ba4ad15684f9.png)

## Filter what's shown[​](#filter-whats-shown "Direct link to Filter what's shown")

The panel on the left of the diagram lists each domain, with how many entities it has and how many references cross into other domains.

* Click a domain to show or hide its entities.
* Hover over a domain and click the button that appears beside it (**Only show**) to show just that domain. Click it again to show everything.
* Use **Show all** and **Hide all** to change every domain at once, and **Filter domains** to find a domain in a long list.
* Turn on **Only references across domains** to show only the entities that reference, or are referenced by, an entity in another domain. This is a quick way to see the dependencies between domains.

![The Global Entity Map with two domains hidden and only references across domains shown](/assets/images/global-entity-map-filters-588a98712615fb1b14c55aaaf2c6cda5.png)

To give the diagram more room, collapse the panel with the button at its top right (or press `[`). The collapsed panel shows how many filters are on, so hidden domains aren't forgotten. The map remembers whether the panel is open in your browser.

## Share a view[​](#share-a-view "Direct link to Share a view")

The domains you've hidden, the **Only references across domains** filter, and the grouping are all kept in the URL. Copy the URL to share exactly what you're looking at. For example:

```
/visualiser/entity-map?hide=reviews,shopping&crossDomain=true&group=team
```

## Find an entity[​](#find-an-entity "Direct link to Find an entity")

Use **Search nodes** at the top of the diagram to find an entity. Picking one moves the diagram to it and selects it.

## Next steps[​](#next-steps "Direct link to Next steps")

* [Add entities to resources](/docs/development/guides/resources/entities/add-entities-to-resources.md)
* [Model entity relationships](/docs/development/guides/resources/entities/model-entity-relationships.md)
* [Entity maps](/docs/development/guides/resources/entities/entity-maps.md)