So you're developing an app. We've got maps for that.
Nearmap APIs allow developers to build custom applications with our library of rich, high resolution imagery and location content. Our APIs are consistent, secure, and easy to manage, with a wide range of use cases and platforms. More importantly, Nearmap content is dynamically updated so you can confidently develop applications and technology solutions with access to the latest data from a single source of truth.
Check out our list of application partners on our website, and don't forget to share your creation with us so that we can showcase your work, too. Browse Nearmap API specifications
What is Nearmap API?
Nearmap APIs give you programmatic access to Nearmap's high-resolution aerial imagery, 3D content, and AI-generated property data. All APIs share a common authentication model and follow consistent design standards, so once you have integrated one you can quickly adopt others. Before calling any API, you will need a Nearmap API key.
To consume Nearmap content using an API or WMS, you must authenticate using API Key Authentication, and obtain either a Simple WMS URL or a Custom WMS URL to load in the application.
Available APIs
API | What it does | Typical Use Cases |
|---|
Tile API | Retrieves Vertical and Panorama imagery tiles using Web Mercator (XYZ/Slippy) coordinates | Map viewers, basemap integration, bulk imagery download |
Coverage API | Returns survey metadata (dates, resolution, content types) for a given location | Date-pickers, coverage checks, survey listing |
DSM & True Ortho API | Provides Digital Surface Model and True Ortho tiles for small residential/commercial areas | 3D visualization, elevation analysis, solar assessment |
AI Feature API | Returns vector AI features (roofs, trees, pools, etc.) and Rollup summaries for a query AOI. Also provides RSI (Roof Spotlight Index) and Peril Scores | Insurance underwriting, property assessment, damage detection |
Transactional Content API | Unified platform delivering imagery and AI content charged per transaction. | Property workflows, multi-dataset retrieval, address-based lookups |
Roof Age API | Returns estimated roof installation date using AI and third-party data (US only) | Insurance policy rating, claims, portfolio risk |
Properties API | Searches for properties by address, parcel, or geometry; returns coverage and property insights | Address lookup, parcel boundary retrieval, property intelligence |
WMS API | OGC-compliant Web Map Service for loading imagery in GIS and CAD applications | ArcGIS, QGIS, AutoCAD, non-tile-based applications |
Betterview API | Provides data including RSI (Roof Spotlight Index), Peril Vulnerability Scores, and PartnerHub data graphs (third-party data) | Insurance underwriting and claims |
Choosing the right API
If you are building a map viewer or need to stream tiles, start with the Tile API in combination with the Coverage API to retrieve available survey dates.
If you need structured property data or AI-derived attributes for specific addresses, the Transactional Content API or the AI Feature API are the right starting points with the Transactional Content API being preferred for workflows where imagery and AI data need to be precisely co-registered.
If you need estimated roof installation data, the Roof Age API is suitable. For property insights via address and parcel lookup, use the Properties API.
For off-the-shelf GIS applications, use the WMS API.
Common prerequisites
- A valid Nearmap account with an active subscription.
- An API key generated from the Nearmap MyAccount.
- Familiarity with the Nearmap API Standard, which describes versioning, rate limiting, and error response formats common to all APIs.
Generating an API key
As a Nearmap user, you can create your own API key in MyAccount so you can use Nearmap imagery in other applications. Nearmap APIs come with in-built API Key authentication, which means you do not have to provide your Nearmap username and password as authentication credentials.
If there is no application in the drop-down list, or the API Application you want is not there, contact your organization's Nearmap administrator. Alternatively, learn how to create or manage an API application as a Nearmap Administrator.
Overview of Nearmap APIs
Tile API
WMS 2.0 is great for consuming Nearmap Vertical content on-demand pretty much out-of-the-box. You can also use our Tile API out-of-the-box in ArcGIS Online by adding a Tile Layer from the Web.
However, if you’re looking to use Nearmap content as a basemap in your own application, or if you want to use Nearmap imagery for analysis rather than display, then you need to integrate our Tile API into your development. To do this you would most likely use a third-party framework such as OpenLayers or Google SDK.
Tile API uses Google Maps Tile Coordinates to map our survey photos into a pyramid of 256x256-pixel map tiles at multiple zoom levels. Applications developed with Tile API typically download a collection of adjacent tiles to cover a given region.
The Tile API lets you access Nearmap Vertical and Obliques depending upon your subscription. You can also use Tile API to access Panorama Imagery. LEARN MORE
Coverage API
If you want to use Nearmap imagery as the base map in a web application, with the ability to pan, zoom and change dates, use our Tile API in conjunction with our Coverage API.
Coverage API tells you whether your area has coverage and what types of image are available for that location. LEARN MORE
DSM and True Ortho API
Let’s say you are building a solar or roofing application and you want to automatically extract data like building height and roof features?
The DSM and True Ortho API is ideal for applications like these, providing the critical truth on the ground that allows calculation of solar irradiance, shadowing, or roof complexity at scale.
Available in North America and Australia, Nearmap’s DSM (Digital Surface Model) is a data set that includes the elevation of all the built and natural objects on the Earth’s surface. It is a product of our 3D content, and is therefore high resolution, wide-scale and updated regularly.
Nearmap True Ortho is a seamless 2D image of the Earth’s surface that has been “orthorectified” (that is, all building lean has been removed). True Ortho is perfectly aligned with Nearmap DSM, allowing you to view, edit and analyze features from the DSM using the True Ortho as a visual guide. The result is a fabulously fast and accurate way to automate jobs on a massive scale.
This API is designed to work with smaller areas, such as typical residential and small commercial properties. The initial API call generates a Transaction Token which is valid for a specified coverage area. Your Transaction Token is valid for 30 days, during which time you can construct any number of image type requests for the same coverage area. LEARN MORE
AI Feature API
The AI Feature API allows you to retrieve a small Area of Interest (AOI) from our vector map that exists for our AI content. You can use your Nearmap AI export credits to extract a single building at a specific location to the AOI enclosed by a property, or even a small neighborhood. Where the AI Feature API returns a vector map of all geospatial features relating to a request, the Rollup API further processes this to return a summarized, single row result per request. LEARN MORE
Transactional Content API
The Nearmap Transactional Content API is a single API platform that delivers majority of Nearmap content types, including Vertical, Panorama, DSM, DTM, and AI Packs and charges for them in "Transactional Credits". Several products such as Roof Condition Assessment, Damage Classifications AI and Damage Detections AI use the Transactional Content API in conjunction with the AI Feature API to deliver AI-based insights. LEARN MORE
Roof Age API
The Roof Age API is a Nearmap product available for properties in the US which predicts the roof installation date and age of both residential and commercial roofs. The prediction uses Nearmap imagery, Gen 6 AI data and additional third party data including climate data, building permits and assessor year-built data to arrive at an accurate age estimation. More details on how roof age is calculated are available here.
You can use this API to retrieve roof age data that includes roof instances, age and type. You can augment this with information about roof condition, materials, objects and so on, using Roof Age API in conjunction with the AI Feature API. LEARN MORE
Properties API
The Properties API enables you to search for and retrieve properties using:
- an address to retrieve a property
- the AOI to retrieve a parcel
- the geometry to retrieve parcel boundaries
Use this API to gain deeper insight, including imagery, property and parcel data. LEARN MORE
Every property/parcel accessed consumes one property credit, and subsequent calls for the same property do not incur additional credits for the same request. Property insights are returned in JSON or CSV format as specified in the API request. The Properties API returns:
- Coverage information - Checks whether coverage information is available for the specified property.
- Transaction token - A unique token to access resources, which is valid for 1 hour.
- Property details - Data based on the address or the Area of Interest (AOI) supplied
- Resource links - Additional references related to the property.
WMS 2.0
Nearmap’s WMS 2.0 is a GIS industry standard Web Mapping Service API. For most GIS and CAD applications, it’s a simple as pasting in your Nearmap WMS 2.0 key – and you’re up and running with on-demand Nearmap Vertical imagery.
Nearmap’s WMS 2.0 gives you:
- the ability to select the dates you want
- a wide selection of projections. In fact, all other Nearmap APIS only support the Web Mercator projection, so we recommend Nearmap’s WMS 2.0 if you need projections other than Web Mercator.
- the ability to restrict your imagery by area and by time (You can set this by generating a custom WMS 2.0 service)
LEARN MORE
Getting Started with WMS 2.0
WMS 2.0 Integration
Betterview API
Betterview's API is an on-demand product that runs machine learning upon a request coming into the API. PropertyInsights has a vast output of data, including Betterview's RSI (Roof Spotlight Index), Peril Vulnerability Scores, and PartnerHub data graphs (third-party data). LEARN MORE