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Overpass (OpenStreetMap) API

Free Overpass API with no key: query OpenStreetMap for any feature — shops, roads, amenities — by tag and bounding box. Immensely powerful. Tested example.

No API key requiredHTTPSFree tier

Endpoint tested and returned HTTP 200 on 2026-08-20

What is the Overpass (OpenStreetMap) API?

The Overpass API is a free, key-free query engine for OpenStreetMap data, letting you extract any mapped feature — shops, restaurants, roads, buildings, amenities — filtered by tags and geographic area.

Overpass turns OpenStreetMap from a map you look at into a database you can query. Want every pharmacy in a city, every bench in a park, or every building with solar panels? Overpass answers that, and no commercial API offers comparable coverage for free.

The cost is its query language, Overpass QL, which is genuinely unlike anything else. It is worth learning if you need OSM data at all, but expect the first few queries to be frustrating — and always constrain by bounding box, since unbounded queries will time out.

Quick facts

Base URL
https://overpass-api.de/api/interpreter
Authentication
No API key required.
Rate limit
Shared public instance with a query timeout and slot system; heavy users should self-host.
Pricing
Free. OSM data is ODbL licensed, requiring attribution and share-alike for derived databases.
CORS
Not enabled — call it from your server
Official docs
Read the docs

How to use the Overpass (OpenStreetMap) API

Every request below was executed against the live API on 2026-08-20, and the response shown is the real body it returned — not an illustration.

1. Query OpenStreetMap features in an area

GET https://overpass-api.de/api/interpreter?data=%5Bout%3Ajson%5D%3Bnode%5Bamenity%3Dfuel%5D(31.5%2C74.3%2C31.52%2C74.35)%3Bout%201%3B

curl
curl 'https://overpass-api.de/api/interpreter?data=%5Bout%3Ajson%5D%3Bnode%5Bamenity%3Dfuel%5D(31.5%2C74.3%2C31.52%2C74.35)%3Bout%201%3B'
JavaScript (fetch)
const res = await fetch("https://overpass-api.de/api/interpreter?data=%5Bout%3Ajson%5D%3Bnode%5Bamenity%3Dfuel%5D(31.5%2C74.3%2C31.52%2C74.35)%3Bout%201%3B");
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${res.status}`);
const data = await res.json();
console.log(data);
Python (requests)
import requests

res = requests.get("https://overpass-api.de/api/interpreter?data=%5Bout%3Ajson%5D%3Bnode%5Bamenity%3Dfuel%5D(31.5%2C74.3%2C31.52%2C74.35)%3Bout%201%3B", timeout=20)
res.raise_for_status()
print(res.json())
Response — HTTP 200
{
  "version": 0.6,
  "generator": "Overpass API 0.7.62.11 87bfad18",
  "osm3s": {
    "timestamp_osm_base": "2026-08-19T21:09:30Z",
    "copyright": "The data included in this document is from www.openstreetmap.org. The data is made available under ODbL."
  },
  "elements": [
    {
      "type": "node",
      "id": 272369604,
      "lat": 31.5199163,
      "lon": 74.3253966,
      "tags": {
        "amenity": "fuel"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Parameters

ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
datastringRequiredAn Overpass QL query, URL-encoded. [out:json];node[amenity=fuel](31.5,74.3,31.52,74.35);out 1;
[out:json]syntaxOptionalOutput format directive at the start of the query. [out:json]
[timeout:n]syntaxOptionalQuery timeout in seconds. [timeout:25]
(bbox)syntaxOptionalBounding box as south,west,north,east. (31.5,74.3,31.52,74.35)

Response fields

version / generatornumber|string
Overpass API version information.
osm3s.timestamp_osm_basestring
How current the underlying OSM data is.
elementsarray
Matching OSM features.
elements[].typestring
node, way or relation.
elements[].idinteger
OSM object id.
elements[].lat / lonnumber
Coordinates, on nodes.
elements[].tagsobject
All OSM tags on the feature — name, opening_hours and so on.

What you can build with the Overpass (OpenStreetMap) API

  • Find all amenities of a type within an area
  • Extract points of interest for a local guide
  • Analyse urban infrastructure and accessibility
  • Build custom maps with filtered OSM features

Common errors and how to fix them

504 or timeout

The query is too broad or has no bounding box.

Fix: Always constrain with a bounding box and set [timeout:25]; unbounded queries hit the global dataset.

429 too many requests

The public instance uses a slot system.

Fix: Wait and retry, or self-host Overpass for sustained use.

Empty elements array

Wrong tag key or value.

Fix: OSM tagging is conventional, not enforced — check the OSM wiki for the correct tag, e.g. amenity=fuel not amenity=petrol.

Overpass (OpenStreetMap) API — frequently asked questions

Is the Overpass API free?

Yes, free with no API key. OSM data is ODbL licensed, so attribution is required and derived databases must be shared alike.

What can I query with it?

Anything mapped in OpenStreetMap — shops, restaurants, roads, buildings, benches, cycle paths, power lines. Coverage is far broader than any commercial POI API offers for free.

Why do my queries time out?

Almost always because there is no bounding box, so the query runs against global data. Always constrain geographically and set an explicit [timeout:25].

Is Overpass QL hard to learn?

It is unlike SQL or any common query language, so expect a learning curve. The OSM wiki has good examples, and Overpass Turbo provides an interactive query builder.

Tools that pair with this API

JSON Formatter

Format, beautify and minify JSON online with 2-space, 4-space or tab indentation. Sort keys alphabetically and catch syntax errors instantly — free and private.

URL Encoder

Percent-encode text for URLs instantly. Switch between encodeURIComponent and encodeURI modes, see live output and copy the result. Free URL encoder.

Overpass (OpenStreetMap) is an independent third-party service and is not affiliated with ByteTools or ByteVancer. Details on this page were verified on 2026-08-20; always check the official documentation before relying on this API in production, as terms and limits can change.