Solutions / Overpass queries

OpenStreetMap queries with Overpass QL

Select roads, buildings, amenities, boundaries and other mapped features without importing or operating an Overpass database.

Live map example

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Request / Response

Find cafés with Overpass QL

Request tagged OSM elements and geometry inside a bounded Seattle viewport.

API call

curl --fail-with-body "https://api.mapsource.io/interpreter" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MAPSOURCE_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: text/plain" \
  --data '[out:json][timeout:30];nwr["amenity"="cafe"](47.60,-122.34,47.62,-122.31);out geom 100;'

Example response

{"version":0.6,"generator":"Overpass API","osm3s":{"timestamp_osm_base":"2026-09-22T12:00:00Z"},"elements":[{"type":"node","id":1234567890,"lat":47.6101,"lon":-122.3344,"tags":{"amenity":"cafe","name":"Example Café"}}]}

Ask precise questions of OSM

Use tags, bounding boxes, areas, recursion and geometry output to retrieve the features an application needs. Current-data requests run against the actively replicated OpenStreetMap dataset.

Keep query operations out of your stack

Mapsource manages the database, replication and interpreter capacity. Your application keeps its query logic and handles the documented time, memory, response and concurrency limits.

Service details

Built around a published contract

Inputs, outputs and limits remain inspectable in the generated API reference.

Primary endpoint: POST /api/interpreter
Input: Bounded Overpass QL
Output: OSM JSON, XML or CSV
Best for: Tagged features and topology