What is the difference between a dataset and a product?
These two concepts get confused. A dataset is the data artifact; a product is the commerce wrapper that sells it. Understanding the split makes the whole platform click into place.
1. A dataset is the data artifact
A dataset is the thing of value: the records, schema, sample and metadata. It is identified by a stable table name (for example nl-domino-poi) and lives at /datasets/[table]. Every dataset Topolab operates has one, and in the REST API you address data by its table.
GET /v1/dataset/nl-domino-poi
GET /v1/dataset/nl-domino-poi/files/geojson2. A product is the commerce wrapper
A product wraps one or more datasets with price, license and checkout, and lives at /products. A dataset has zero or one product. Products matter when you buy; for data access you work with datasets. The dataset page is the authoritative surface — product pages link out to it rather than re-rendering dataset internals.
3. And a collection in the OGC API
In the OGC API, each dataset you can access is exposed as a collection of features (GET /v1/ogc/collections). So the same underlying data is a dataset in the REST API and a collection in the OGC API — use whichever interface fits your tooling: REST and the SDKs for application code, OGC for GIS clients.
The one-line ruleDataset = the data (records, schema, metadata). Product = the way it is sold (price, license, checkout). A dataset can exist with no product; a product always bundles datasets.
Laatst bijgewerkt 25 juli 2026