diff --git a/maps_dashboards/public/components/layer_config/layer_basic_settings.tsx b/maps_dashboards/public/components/layer_config/layer_basic_settings.tsx
index 7b3553c1..fe8189ae 100644
--- a/maps_dashboards/public/components/layer_config/layer_basic_settings.tsx
+++ b/maps_dashboards/public/components/layer_config/layer_basic_settings.tsx
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
   EuiFormRow,
   EuiRange,
   EuiFormLabel,
+  EuiTextArea,
 } from '@elastic/eui';
 import { MapLayerSpecification } from '../../model/mapLayerType';
 import {
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ import {
   MAP_LAYER_DEFAULT_MAX_OPACITY,
   MAP_LAYER_DEFAULT_OPACITY_STEP,
 } from '../../../common';
+import { layersTypeNameMap } from '../../model/layersFunctions';
 
 interface Props {
   selectedLayerConfig: MapLayerSpecification;
@@ -39,12 +41,24 @@ export const LayerBasicSettings = ({ selectedLayerConfig, setSelectedLayerConfig
     setSelectedLayerConfig({ ...selectedLayerConfig, name: String(e.target.value) });
   };
 
+  const onDescriptionChange = (e: any) => {
+    setSelectedLayerConfig({ ...selectedLayerConfig, description: String(e.target.value) });
+  };
+
   return (
     <EuiForm>
+      <EuiFormRow label="Type">
+        <EuiFieldText name="layerType" value={layersTypeNameMap[selectedLayerConfig.type]} readOnly={true} />
+      </EuiFormRow>
       <EuiFormRow label="Name">
         <EuiFieldText name="layerName" value={selectedLayerConfig.name} onChange={onNameChange} />
       </EuiFormRow>
-      <EuiFormRow label="Zoom">
+
+      <EuiFormRow label = "Description">
+        <EuiTextArea placeholder="Enter description" value={selectedLayerConfig.description} onChange={onDescriptionChange} />
+      </EuiFormRow>
+
+      <EuiFormRow label="Zoom levels">
         <EuiDualRange
           min={MAP_DEFAULT_MIN_ZOOM}
           max={MAP_DEFAULT_MAX_ZOOM}
diff --git a/maps_dashboards/public/model/layersFunctions.ts b/maps_dashboards/public/model/layersFunctions.ts
index ba85847e..6ea5aa6c 100644
--- a/maps_dashboards/public/model/layersFunctions.ts
+++ b/maps_dashboards/public/model/layersFunctions.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
 
-import { DASHBOARDS_MAPS_LAYER_TYPE } from '../../common';
+import { DASHBOARDS_MAPS_LAYER_NAME, DASHBOARDS_MAPS_LAYER_TYPE } from '../../common';
 import { OSMLayerFunctions } from './OSMLayerFunctions';
 import { DocumentLayerFunctions } from './documentLayerFunctions';
 
@@ -11,3 +11,8 @@ export const layersFunctionMap: { [key: string]: any } = {
   [DASHBOARDS_MAPS_LAYER_TYPE.OPENSEARCH_MAP]: OSMLayerFunctions,
   [DASHBOARDS_MAPS_LAYER_TYPE.DOCUMENTS]: DocumentLayerFunctions,
 };
+
+export const layersTypeNameMap: { [key: string]: string } = {
+  [DASHBOARDS_MAPS_LAYER_TYPE.OPENSEARCH_MAP]: DASHBOARDS_MAPS_LAYER_NAME.OPENSEARCH_MAP,
+  [DASHBOARDS_MAPS_LAYER_TYPE.DOCUMENTS]: DASHBOARDS_MAPS_LAYER_NAME.DOCUMENTS,
+};
diff --git a/maps_dashboards/public/model/mapLayerType.ts b/maps_dashboards/public/model/mapLayerType.ts
index 6cce78bd..8d26662b 100644
--- a/maps_dashboards/public/model/mapLayerType.ts
+++ b/maps_dashboards/public/model/mapLayerType.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ export type OSMLayerSpecification = {
   name: string;
   id: string;
   type: 'opensearch_vector_tile_map';
+  description: string;
   zoomRange: number[];
   opacity: number;
   visibility: string;
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ export type DocumentLayerSpecification = {
   name: string;
   id: string;
   type: 'documents';
+  description: string;
   zoomRange: number[];
   opacity: number;
   visibility: string;