OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap Ways API

OSM way (line/polygon) operations

GitHub OpenAPI

Operations 1

GET /way/{id} Get way by ID #

Documentation

📖
Documentation
https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/API_v0.6
📖
RateLimits
https://operations.osmfoundation.org/policies/api/
📖
Documentation
https://nominatim.org/release-docs/latest/api/Overview/
📖
RateLimits
https://operations.osmfoundation.org/policies/nominatim/

Specifications

⚙
OpenAPI
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/openstreetmap/refs/heads/main/openapi/openstreetmap-ways-api-openapi.yml

Schemas & Data

📊
JSONSchema
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/openstreetmap/refs/heads/main/json-schema/openstreetmap-node-schema.json

Other Resources

🔗
JSONLDContext
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/openstreetmap/refs/heads/main/json-ld/openstreetmap-context.jsonld

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OpenAPI Specification

openstreetmap-ways-api-openapi.yml Raw ↑ 
openapi: 3.2.0
info:
  title: OpenStreetMap API v0.6 Capabilities Ways API
  description: The OpenStreetMap main API v0.6 provides CRUD operations for map data editing including nodes, ways, relations, changesets, and notes. Requires OAuth 2.0 authentication for write operations. Maximum bounding box query area is 0.25 square degrees. Returns XML or JSON. Intended for editing, not high-volume read access.
  version: 0.6.0
  contact:
    name: OpenStreetMap Foundation
    url: https://osmfoundation.org/
  license:
    name: ODbL 1.0 (map data) / CC BY-SA 2.0 (tiles)
    url: https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright
servers:
- url: https://api.openstreetmap.org/api/0.6
  description: OpenStreetMap production API
- url: https://master.apis.dev.openstreetmap.org/api/0.6
  description: OSM development/sandbox API
security:
- {}
- OAuth2:
  - read_prefs
  - write_api
  - write_notes
tags:
- name: Ways
  description: OSM way (line/polygon) operations
paths:
  /way/{id}:
    get:
      operationId: getWay
      summary: Get way by ID
      description: Retrieve the current version of a way and its node references.
      tags:
      - Ways
      parameters:
      - name: id
        in: path
        required: true
        schema:
          type: integer
          format: int64
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Way data
          content:
            application/xml:
              schema:
                type: string
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Way'
        '404':
          description: Way not found
components:
  schemas:
    Way:
      type: object
      description: An OSM way (an ordered list of nodes forming a line or polygon)
      properties:
        type:
          type: string
          enum:
          - way
        id:
          type: integer
          format: int64
        nodes:
          type: array
          items:
            type: integer
            format: int64
          description: Ordered list of node IDs
        tags:
          type: object
          additionalProperties:
            type: string
        version:
          type: integer
        changeset:
          type: integer
          format: int64
        timestamp:
          type: string
          format: date-time
        user:
          type: string
        uid:
          type: integer
        visible:
          type: boolean
  securitySchemes:
    OAuth2:
      type: oauth2
      description: OAuth 2.0 — required for write operations
      flows:
        authorizationCode:
          authorizationUrl: https://www.openstreetmap.org/oauth2/authorize
          tokenUrl: https://www.openstreetmap.org/oauth2/token
          scopes:
            read_prefs: Read user preferences
            write_prefs: Modify user preferences
            write_diary: Create diary entries
            write_api: Modify the map (nodes, ways, relations, changesets)
            read_gpx: Read private GPS traces
            write_gpx: Upload GPS traces
            write_notes: Create, comment on, and close notes
externalDocs:
  description: OSM API v0.6 Wiki
  url: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/API_v0.6