| name | axiom-location |
| description | Use when implementing location services, maps, geofencing, or debugging location/MapKit issues. Covers Core Location, CLMonitor, MapKit, annotations, directions. |
| license | MIT |
Location & Maps
You MUST use this skill for ANY location services, mapping, geofencing, or Core Location / MapKit work.
Quick Reference
| Symptom / Task | Reference |
|---|
| Authorization strategy (When In Use vs Always) | See skills/core-location.md |
| Monitoring approach (continuous, significant-change, CLMonitor) | See skills/core-location.md |
| Accuracy selection, background location | See skills/core-location.md |
| CLLocationUpdate, CLMonitor, CLServiceSession APIs | See skills/core-location-ref.md |
| Authorization API patterns, geofencing API | See skills/core-location-ref.md |
Compass heading, heading reference body (headingBody) | See skills/core-location-ref.md (Part 12) |
| Location updates never arrive | See skills/core-location-diag.md |
| Background location stops working | See skills/core-location-diag.md |
| Authorization always denied, geofence failures | See skills/core-location-diag.md |
| SwiftUI Map, annotations, markers, clustering | See skills/mapkit.md |
| MKMapView vs SwiftUI Map decision | See skills/mapkit.md |
| Search, directions, routing | See skills/mapkit.md |
| MapKit API: Marker, Annotation, MKLocalSearch, MKDirections | See skills/mapkit-ref.md |
| Look Around, MKMapSnapshotter, MKMapItem | See skills/mapkit-ref.md |
| Annotations not appearing, region jumping | See skills/mapkit-diag.md |
| Clustering not working, search failures | See skills/mapkit-diag.md |
| Overlay rendering, user location not showing | See skills/mapkit-diag.md |
Decision Tree
digraph location {
start [label="Location / Maps task" shape=ellipse];
domain [label="Core Location or MapKit?" shape=diamond];
cl_type [label="Need what?" shape=diamond];
mk_type [label="Need what?" shape=diamond];
start -> domain;
domain -> cl_type [label="Core Location"];
domain -> mk_type [label="MapKit / Maps"];
cl_type -> "skills/core-location.md" [label="authorization, monitoring\nstrategy, accuracy,\nbackground location"];
cl_type -> "skills/core-location-ref.md" [label="API syntax\n(CLLocationUpdate,\nCLMonitor, CLServiceSession)"];
cl_type -> "skills/core-location-diag.md" [label="something broken\n(no updates, denied,\ngeofence not firing)"];
mk_type -> "skills/mapkit.md" [label="patterns, decisions\n(SwiftUI Map vs MKMapView,\nannotations, search)"];
mk_type -> "skills/mapkit-ref.md" [label="API syntax\n(Marker, Annotation,\nMKLocalSearch, MKDirections)"];
mk_type -> "skills/mapkit-diag.md" [label="something broken\n(annotations missing,\nregion jumping, clustering)"];
}
- Authorization strategy, monitoring approach, accuracy? →
skills/core-location.md
1a. Need specific API syntax (CLLocationUpdate, CLMonitor, CLServiceSession)? → skills/core-location-ref.md
1b. Location not working? → skills/core-location-diag.md
- Adding a map, annotations, search, directions? →
skills/mapkit.md
2a. Need specific MapKit API syntax (Marker, MKLocalSearch, MKDirections)? → skills/mapkit-ref.md
2b. Map display broken? → skills/mapkit-diag.md
- Location draining battery? → See axiom-performance (skills/energy.md)
- Background task scheduling for location? → See axiom-integration
- Privacy manifest for location? → See axiom-integration
Conflict Resolution
location vs axiom-performance: When location is draining battery:
- Try location FIRST — Excessive accuracy or continuous updates are the #1 cause.
skills/core-location.md covers accuracy selection and monitoring strategy.
- Only use axiom-performance if location settings are already correct — Profile after ruling out obvious over-tracking.
location vs axiom-integration: When implementing background location:
- Background location configuration (Info.plist, capabilities, CLServiceSession) → use location
- BGTaskScheduler for periodic location processing → use axiom-integration
location vs axiom-data: When storing or syncing location data:
- Getting location updates, geofencing → use location
- Persisting location history, CloudKit sync → use axiom-data
location vs axiom-build: When location permissions fail in simulator:
- Authorization dialogs, Info.plist keys → use location (
skills/core-location-diag.md)
- Simulator GPS simulation,
simctl location → use axiom-build
Critical Patterns
Core Location (skills/core-location.md):
- Authorization escalation strategy (When In Use first, Always later)
- Monitoring decision tree (continuous vs significant-change vs CLMonitor)
- Accuracy selection with battery impact
- Background location configuration
- Anti-patterns with time costs (premature Always authorization, unnecessary continuous updates)
Core Location API (skills/core-location-ref.md):
- CLLocationUpdate AsyncSequence (iOS 17+)
- CLMonitor condition-based geofencing (iOS 17+)
- CLServiceSession declarative authorization (iOS 18+)
- Authorization API patterns, background mode configuration
Core Location Diagnostics (skills/core-location-diag.md):
- Location updates never arrive
- Background location stops working
- Authorization always denied
- Geofence events not triggering
- Location accuracy unexpectedly poor
MapKit (skills/mapkit.md):
- SwiftUI Map vs MKMapView decision tree
- Annotation patterns (Marker, custom Annotation)
- Search (MKLocalSearch, autocomplete)
- Directions and routing
- Anti-patterns (annotations in view body, no view reuse, setRegion loops)
MapKit API (skills/mapkit-ref.md):
- SwiftUI Map API (MapCameraPosition, content builders, controls)
- MKMapView delegate patterns
- MKLocalSearch, MKDirections
- Look Around, MKMapSnapshotter
- Clustering configuration
MapKit Diagnostics (skills/mapkit-diag.md):
- Annotations not appearing (lat/lng swapped, missing delegate)
- Map region jumping/looping (updateUIView guard)
- Clustering not working (missing clusteringIdentifier)
- Search returning no results (resultTypes, region bias)
- Overlay rendering failures
Anti-Rationalization
| Thought | Reality |
|---|
| "Just request Always authorization upfront" | 30-60% denial rate. Request When In Use first, escalate later. skills/core-location.md covers the strategy. |
| "Continuous updates are fine for my use case" | Continuous updates drain battery even when the app doesn't need sub-second location. Use significant-change or CLMonitor. |
| "I'll use MKMapView, it's more flexible" | SwiftUI Map covers most use cases since iOS 17. MKMapView means UIViewRepresentable boilerplate. skills/mapkit.md has the decision tree. |
| "Annotations in the view body is fine for a few items" | Annotations recreate on every view update. Even 50 items cause hitches. Move to model with @State or @Observable. |
| "I know how geofencing works" | CLMonitor (iOS 17+) replaces legacy region monitoring with conditions. The API changed significantly. |
| "Background location just needs the capability" | It needs Info.plist keys, capability, CLServiceSession (iOS 18+), AND correct authorization level. Missing any one silently fails. |
| "I'll handle location errors later" | Authorization denial is not an error — it's the default state. Handle it from the start. |
Example Invocations
User: "How do I request location permissions?"
→ Read: skills/core-location.md
User: "What's the CLLocationUpdate API?"
→ Read: skills/core-location-ref.md
User: "My location updates never arrive"
→ Read: skills/core-location-diag.md
User: "How do I add a map with pins?"
→ Read: skills/mapkit.md
User: "What's the SwiftUI Map API?"
→ Read: skills/mapkit-ref.md
User: "My annotations aren't showing on the map"
→ Read: skills/mapkit-diag.md
User: "How do I implement geofencing?"
→ Read: skills/core-location.md then skills/core-location-ref.md
User: "Location is draining battery"
→ Read: skills/core-location.md, then See axiom-performance (skills/energy.md)
User: "How do I add search to my map?"
→ Read: skills/mapkit.md then skills/mapkit-ref.md
