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For the complete documentation index, see llms.txt. This page is also available as Markdown.

URLs

Connect to external map services and data sources by adding data directly from URLs.

No files? No problem! You can add any of the supported file formats directly as a URL by clicking Upload Anything in the tools section of the toolbar or by directly pasting the URL onto your map (Cmd+V / Ctrl+V).

Felt supports adding data from publicly accessible URLs such as:

For example, simply paste the following URL to add country data from Natural Earth to your Felt map:

ESRI MapServer, FeatureServer & ImageServer

Ever found yourself on a page like this without knowing what to do? Many public data sources are only available as ESRI MapServers or FeatureServers, which are hard to work with. Fortunately, you can simply paste the URL into Felt and let us do the work. Felt supports two kinds of ESRI server URLs:

  • URLs ending in a number (like /MapServer/0) point to a single layer in the server and will result in a single-dataset layer inside Felt. Example.

  • URLs ending in /MapServer (or /FeatureServer or /ImageServer) point to the whole server, which may contain many layers. Uploading one of these to Felt will result in a multi-dataset layer. Example.

To add services that require an API token, you can access it via the ESRI Feature Server cloud source.

Tip: For publicly available feature servers simply copy the URL then paste it directly on your map. Felt will automatically recognize and add the data as a layer.

Streaming services

This feature is only available to customers on the Enterprise plan. To upgrade, contact sales.

If you are connecting to large ESRI Map or Feature services, enable Streaming for optimal performance. When enabled, Felt loads only the data visible within the current map view which significantly improves performance for large, complex, or global-scale services. Learn more about styling streaming services here.

Data table views, statistics, filters, and dashboard components are not available for streaming vector data layers.

External vector tiles

You can add external vector tile sources directly into your maps using TileJSON URLs to stream data from external hosts and visualize large, global, or frequently updating datasets — a way to go well beyond the browser-upload Limits. You can also set refresh intervals to keep your map current with the latest data.

This feature is only available to customers on the Enterprise plan. To upgrade, contact sales.

Adding vector tile layers

When adding a TileJSON source, you'll need to manually specify whether your data contains points, lines, or polygons. This step is necessary for proper rendering and styling of your vector tile layers.

  • Click in the tools section of the toolbar and choose the option From URL...

  • Paste in a valid TileJSON endpoint and click Next. Felt will automatically read the Min zoom level, Max zoom level, Bounds and Layer IDs from the source

  • Next, select which tileset Layer IDs to add and the Geometry type for each and click Add to map

Data table views, statistics, filters, and dashboard components are not available for streaming vector data layers.

Google MyMaps

Add all the layers in your MyMaps directly into a Felt map by just copying and pasting the MyMaps link!

Tips:

  • Make sure that your MyMaps share permissions have been updated so Anyone with this link can view is turned ON

  • Copy and paste the link directly in onto the map in Felt and click the Add to map option in the popup

Google Sheets

Links to Google Sheets will behave just like regular spreadsheets and CSV files provided they are public. This means they must be viewable by anyone with the link.

SharePoint & OneDrive

Links to spreadsheets and other supported files stored in SharePoint or OneDrive behave just like regular file uploads. Copy the file's share link and paste it onto your map, or add it with Upload Anything — Felt reads the file directly from Microsoft and names the layer after it.

Tips:

  • Share the file so that "Anyone with the link" can view it. Links restricted to people in your organization require signing in, and Felt will ask you to update the file's sharing settings.

  • Use "Share" → "Copy link" on a single file. Links to folders or document library views aren't supported — share the individual file instead.

  • Company SharePoint links (yourcompany.sharepoint.com) and personal OneDrive links (1drv.ms, onedrive.live.com) both work.

WMS, WMTS and WFS

Felt supports OGC URLs that point to public services from the following Open Geospatial Consortium standards:

  • Web Map Services (WMS) and Web Map Tile Services (WMTS): added as raster layers.

  • Web Feature Services, added as vector layers.

  • WMS are similar to raster XYZ sources but are not pre-tiled, which means Felt creates tiles when adding a WMS service. This counts toward the Felt data processing limits.

  • WMTS are similar to raster XYZ sources and are pre-tiled sources, so Felt skips the tile creation process when adding a WMTS source and these sources do not count toward data processing in Felt.

  • WFS serve vector features (similar to ESRI Feature Services) and can be styled in Felt like any other vector layer. Adding these services does count toward data processing in Felt.

XYZ raster tiles

Tiled raster services in XYZ (slippy maps) can also be added as URLs. However, they must be added as template URLs, which means the URL must contain the following parts: {z} (zoom), {x} (row) and {y} (column). Instead of the {y} parameter, {-y} may also be used to indicate that tiles are served in TMS format. They must also end in .png, .jpg or .jpeg.

Here’s an example raster URL of the city of Aberdeen from the National Library of Scotland:

Learn more in the Raster & Imagery page.

Troubleshooting

Supported coordinate reference systems

Felt displays tiles in the Web Mercator projection (code EPSG:3857). For tiles from a WMS or WMTS server to be displayed in Felt, they must be served from a compatible TileMatrixSet, usually called GoogleMapsCompatible.

Users do not need to specify which TileMatrixSet needs to be used. However, if Felt does not find any compatible ones in the server, an error will be returned.

Maximum layers per upload

Felt will automatically try to parse and upload all layers from the service. However, Felt has a maximum of 50 layers per upload (see Limits). If the service hosts more than that amount, an error will be returned.

For OGC services, users can work around this by specifying which layers to request in the URL query parameters:

  • WMTS and WFS: a single layer in the form of ?layer=X

  • WMS: one or more layers in the form of ?layers=X,Y

Frequently asked questions

What types of URLs can I upload to Felt?

You can add data from publicly accessible URLs including ESRI services (FeatureServer, MapServer, ImageServer), external vector tiles, Google MyMaps, Google Sheets, SharePoint, XYZ raster tiles, and OGC Web Services (WMS, WMTS, WFS). You can also add any of Felt's supported file formats that are hosted at a URL.

How do I add URL data to my map?

Click the upload icon in the toolbar and select From URL, or simply paste the URL directly onto your map using Cmd+V (Mac) or Ctrl+V (Windows). Felt will automatically recognize and add the data as a layer.

What's the difference between ESRI URLs ending in a number versus those ending in /MapServer?

URLs ending in a number (like /MapServer/0) point to a single layer and will create one dataset layer in Felt. URLs ending in /MapServer, /FeatureServer, or /ImageServer point to the entire server containing multiple layers and will create a multi-dataset layer in Felt. Note that Felt has a maximum of 50 layers per upload.

How can I connect to ESRI services that require authentication or an API token?

For services that require an API token or authentication, you'll need to connect them as a cloud source in Felt rather than using the direct URL method. This allows you to securely provide your credentials. See ESRI Feature Server for more details.

What is streaming and when should I use it?

Streaming is an Enterprise-plan feature that loads only the data visible in your current map view, which significantly improves performance for large, complex, or global-scale ESRI Map or Feature services. However, note that data table views, statistics, filters, and dashboard components are not available for streaming vector data layers.

Can I add external vector tiles to my map?

Yes, and this feature is only available on the Enterprise plan.

You can add external vector tile sources using TileJSON URLs. When adding them, you'll need to manually specify whether your data contains points, lines, or polygons. Keep in mind that data table views, statistics, filters, and dashboard components are not available for streaming vector data layers.

How do I get all my data from Google MyMaps into Felt?

Make sure your MyMaps share permissions are set so "Anyone with this link can view" is turned ON. Then copy and paste the MyMaps link directly onto your map in Felt and click Add to map in the popup.

What requirements do Google Sheets have to work when added as a URL?

Google Sheets must be public and viewable by anyone with the link. Once they meet this requirement, they'll behave just like regular spreadsheets and CSV files in Felt.

What requirements do SharePoint and OneDrive links have to work when added as a URL?

The file must be shared so anyone with the link can view it, and the link must point to a single file rather than a folder. Once that's set, SharePoint and OneDrive files behave just like regular spreadsheets and CSV files in Felt. Links that require signing in to a Microsoft account will show an error asking you to update the file's sharing settings.

What coordinate reference system does Felt support for tile services?

Felt displays tiles in the Web Mercator projection (EPSG:3857). For tiles from WMS or WMTS servers to display properly, they must be served from a compatible TileMatrixSet, usually called GoogleMapsCompatible. Felt will automatically detect compatible tile sets, but will return an error if none are found.

Is there a limit to how many layers I can upload from a service at once?

Yes, Felt has a maximum of 50 layers per upload. If your service hosts more than 50 layers, you'll receive an error. For OGC services, you can work around this by specifying which layers to request in the URL query parameters (e.g., ?layer=X for WMTS/WFS, or ?layers=X,Y for WMS).

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