How to Use ConflictWatch Live
ConflictWatch Live is designed to be intuitive and straightforward. Follow these three steps to explore global conflict data effectively.
Step 1
Explore the Map
When you open ConflictWatch Live, you'll see a world map populated with colored markers representing recent conflict events. Zoom in by scrolling or pinching on mobile to see individual events. Click any marker to see event details including the type, date, location, actors involved, and reported fatalities. Clusters (circles with numbers) represent groups of nearby events — click them to zoom in and expand.
Step 2
Filter & Search
Click the Filters button in the header to narrow down events. You can filter by event type (battles, protests, violence against civilians, etc.), date range (last 7, 30, or 90 days), geographic region, and minimum fatality count. Use the search bar in the sidebar to find events by country name, location, or keyword. All filters update the map and event list simultaneously.
Step 3
Browse the Timeline & Event List
The timeline bar at the bottom shows event density per day — taller bars mean more events. Click any bar to filter the map and sidebar to that specific day. The sidebar (or bottom sheet on mobile) lists all events sorted by date. Click any event card to fly to its location on the map and see full details in a popup.
Tips for Power Users
- Share filtered views: Filter states are stored in the URL. Copy and paste the URL to share your exact view with colleagues.
- Dark mode: Click the moon/sun icon in the header to toggle dark mode. It follows your system preference by default.
- Keyboard navigation: Use Tab to navigate event cards and Enter to select them. The map supports standard keyboard controls.
- Data refresh: Data automatically refreshes every 30 minutes. The green dot and timestamp in the header show when data was last fetched.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Where does ConflictWatch get its data?
ConflictWatch Live uses data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), a globally recognized research organization that collects real-time data on political violence, protests, and conflict events in every country. ACLED's methodology involves coding events from thousands of local, national, and international sources, providing one of the most comprehensive conflict datasets available. When ACLED data is unavailable, the system falls back to ReliefWeb reports or displays sample data for demonstration purposes.
Q: How often is the data updated?
The dashboard fetches fresh data every 30 minutes from the API. ACLED itself publishes updated datasets weekly (typically on Fridays), though real-time data may have a 1-7 day lag depending on the region and the availability of source reporting. The "Last updated" indicator in the header shows when the most recent data fetch occurred.
Q: Is ConflictWatch Live free to use?
Yes, completely. ConflictWatch Live is free, open-source, and does not require any account or registration. The tool is supported by non-intrusive display advertising. We believe that access to conflict data is essential for informed public discourse, education, and research — and should not be gatekept behind paywalls.
Q: Can I use ConflictWatch data in my research or reporting?
ConflictWatch Live is a visualization and exploration tool. The underlying data belongs to ACLED and is subject to their terms of use. For academic research or professional reporting, we strongly recommend citing ACLED directly and verifying data through their official platform at
acleddata.com. ConflictWatch is best used for initial exploration, trend identification, and visual reference — not as a primary citation source.
Q: What do the different marker colors mean?
Markers are color-coded by event severity and type: Red represents battles and explosions/remote violence (the most severe events). Orange indicates violence against civilians. Yellow marks protests and riots. Blue represents strategic developments such as arrests, agreements, or troop movements. Cluster circles use similar color coding — larger red clusters indicate areas with high concentrations of severe events.
Q: Why do I see "Showing sample data" instead of real events?
If you see a banner saying "Showing sample data," it means the ACLED API key has not been configured or the API is temporarily unavailable. The sample data provides a realistic preview of how the dashboard works with 200 procedurally generated events across known conflict zones. For live data, the site operator needs to configure a valid ACLED API key in the application settings.
Q: Does ConflictWatch work on mobile devices?
Yes. The dashboard is fully responsive and optimized for mobile use. On smaller screens, the sidebar becomes a draggable bottom sheet, and the map takes the full viewport height. You can pinch to zoom on the map, swipe the bottom sheet to browse events, and use the search and filter features just as you would on desktop.