Sample rows

Pull a small slice of a dataset to inspect its schema and real values. Samples are public and cost no credits, so use them throughout development before spending credits on a full download.

Endpoint

GET /v1/dataset/:table/sample/:format

Public, costs no credits. Supported format values: json, csv, geojson, kml. (SHP is not offered as a sample; use the JSON or GeoJSON sample to inspect geometry.)

Path parameters

Parameter	Description
table	Dataset identifier, for example transport_infrastructure_bushaltes.
format	One of json, csv, geojson, kml.

Request

curl "https://api.topolab.nl/v1/dataset/transport_infrastructure_bushaltes/sample/json"

Response

A sample returns representative rows from a dataset that ships one. Sample size depends on the dataset (small datasets may return all rows; very large datasets are capped). The sample is enough to confirm field names, types, and coordinate values before committing to a paid pull. The response Content-Type matches the requested format (application/json, text/csv, application/geo+json, or application/vnd.google-earth.kml+xml).

The json format returns a raw array of row objects, no wrapper, no metadata. Each object is one record with the dataset's real columns:

[
  {
    "location": "Stationsplein",
    "street": "Stationsplein",
    "city": "Amsterdam",
    "postal_code": "1012 AB",
    "country_code": "nl",
    "category": "public_transport",
    "sub_category": "bus_stop",
    "geo_type": "point",
    "admin_level_1": "Noord-Holland",
    "admin_level_2": "Amsterdam",
    "harvest_date": "2026-05-01",
    "tags": ["bus", "public_transport"]
  },
  {
    "location": "Kruisplein",
    "street": "Kruisplein",
    "city": "Rotterdam",
    "postal_code": "3012 CC",
    "country_code": "nl",
    "category": "public_transport",
    "sub_category": "bus_stop",
    "geo_type": "point",
    "admin_level_1": "Zuid-Holland",
    "admin_level_2": "Rotterdam",
    "harvest_date": "2026-05-01",
    "tags": ["bus", "public_transport"]
  }
]

The csv format returns the same rows as comma-separated text with a header row. The geojson and kml formats return the rows as features in WGS84 (EPSG:4326).

curl "https://api.topolab.nl/v1/dataset/transport_infrastructure_bushaltes/sample/geojson"

{
  "type": "FeatureCollection",
  "features": [
    {
      "type": "Feature",
      "geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [4.9003, 52.3789] },
      "properties": { "location": "Stationsplein", "city": "Amsterdam" }
    }
  ]
}

GeoJSON coordinates are ordered [longitude, latitude] and are always WGS84 (EPSG:4326).

When to use samples

• Confirm field names and types before mapping them in your code.
• Verify coordinate ordering and reference system.
• Develop and test parsers without consuming your monthly credit allowance.

For a structured field profile (types, null ratios, distinct counts) without downloading rows at all, see fieldAnalysis on Get a dataset.

Errors

Status	Meaning
404	Unknown table or unsupported sample format.
429	Rate limited, see Rate limits & credits.

Next

• Download files, full exports once the schema looks right.
• Get a dataset, metadata, quality grade, and field analysis.