QGIS

QGIS connects to Topolab over the OGC API - Features standard today, no plugin required. This page covers the working OGC connection (generally available), then the dedicated plugin that is in preview.

Connect over the OGC API (available today)

Topolab serves every collection through OGC API - Features, which QGIS reads natively. You need a key with the GIS_ACCESS addon; see Authentication.

1. Store the API key as an HTTP header

QGIS sends the key on every request through an authentication configuration.

1. Open Settings → Options → Authentication.
2. Add a new configuration and choose the Basic or HTTP header method that exposes custom headers. In recent QGIS versions, select the configuration type that lets you add request headers.
3. Add a header with name X-API-Key and value tlb_prod_....
4. Save the configuration and note its ID, you will attach it to the connection.

Storing the key in an authentication configuration keeps it out of the connection URL and out of saved project files.

2. Add the OGC API - Features connection

1. In the Browser panel, right-click OGC API - Features (older builds: WFS / OGC API - Features) and choose New Connection.

2. Set the URL to the OGC base:

   https://api.topolab.nl/v1/ogc
   

3. Under Authentication, select the configuration you created so the X-API-Key header is attached.

4. Save the connection.

You can verify the URL outside QGIS, the landing page is anonymous, but collections require the key:

curl -H "X-API-Key: tlb_prod_..." \
  "https://api.topolab.nl/v1/ogc/collections"

3. Add a collection as a layer

Expand the new connection in the Browser. QGIS lists the available collections, each one is a Topolab dataset, addressed by its table name such as transport_infrastructure_bushaltes. Double-click a collection, or drag it onto the canvas, to add it as a feature layer.

Geometry arrives in WGS84 (EPSG:4326). QGIS reprojects on the fly for display; use Layer → Export → Save Features As if you need the data in a projected CRS such as RD New (EPSG:28992).

To load only the features in your current view, enable the map-extent filter on the layer or set a bounding box, see BBox and filtering. The collection list and its contents are described in Collections.

Dedicated QGIS plugin (preview)

A dedicated Topolab plugin for the QGIS Plugin Repository is in preview. It will add one-click sign-in, dataset search inside QGIS, and credit-aware downloads, removing the manual authentication and connection setup above. Until it ships, use the OGC API - Features connection, which is generally available and fully supported.

Want early access to the plugin preview, or need GIS_ACCESS enabled? Contact us.

Next

• Collections, list the datasets available as feature collections.
• BBox and filtering, limit a layer to an area of interest.
• ArcGIS, the same OGC connection from ArcGIS Pro.