# OS Maps for Power BI Visual FAQs
## FAQs
Is the visual free to use?
During its beta phase, OS Maps for Power BI Visual is free to use; however, to get an OS basemap to generate in the visual, which is needed to make it work, an appropriate API Key is needed (see the [Installation](https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/upcoming-products/beta-products-information/os-maps-for-power-bi-visual-beta-product/os-maps-for-power-bi-visual-getting-started-guide/installation) page of the Getting Started Guide for more information).
For public sector customers who have signed up to the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA), all zoom levels of the basemap that this API Key generates are free; however, for non-public sector customers who are not signed up to the PSGA, the maximum zoom levels will incur a cost as they are classed as Premium data. A Premium data toggle is present within the visual to control this, so you can choose whether to use Premium data or stick to free OS OpenData.
For more information on which zoom levels are OS OpenData and which are Premium data for the OS Maps API, please see the tables on the [OS Maps API Layer and Styles page](https://docs.os.uk/os-apis/accessing-os-apis/os-maps-api/layers-and-styles).
You can [check if your organisation is a member of the PSGA on the OS website](https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/customers/public-sector/psga-member-finder).
How many points/polygons can be displayed on a map?
Power BI allows up to 30 000 individual points and / or polygons to be displayed on a map at any one time. However, attempting to display even this number will likely cause performance issues.
How many layers can be displayed on a map?
The map contains up to two data-driven layers, and optionally a separate reference layer. See [Core Concepts](https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/upcoming-products/beta-products-information/os-maps-for-power-bi-visual-getting-started-guide/adding-data-to-the-map#core-concepts) for details.
What’s a GSS identifier?
Government Statistical Service (GSS) codes are nine-character codes which correspond to geographies for which national statistics are published, such as Middle Layer Super Output Areas (MSOAs) and Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs). You might also see them referred to as Census or Administrative boundary codes.
Is there a list of boundaries supported by Government Statistical Service (GSS) codes?
| Boundary | GSS Code Prefix |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Census Output Area (OA) | England - E00, Northern Ireland - N00, Scotland - S00, Wales - W00 |
| Lower layer Super Output Area (LSOA) | England - E01, Wales - W01 |
| Middle layer Super Output Area (MSOA); Intermediate Zone (S) | England - E02, Wales - W02 |
| Civil Parish (E/S); Community (W) | England - E04, Wales - W04, Scotland - S35 |
| Ward or Electoral Division | England - E05, Northern Ireland - N08, Scotland - S13, Wales - W05 |
| Unitary Authority | England - E06, Scotland - S12, Wales - W06 |
| Non-Metropolitan District (two-tier) | England - E07 |
| Civil Parish (E/S); Community (W) | England - E04, Wales - W04, Scotland - S35 |
| Ward or Electoral Division | England - E05, Northern Ireland - N08, Scotland - S13, Wales - W05 |
| Unitary Authority | England - E06, Scotland - S12, Wales - W06 |
| Non-Metropolitan District (two-tier) | England - E07 |
| Metropolitan Borough | England - E08 |
| London Borough | England - E09 |
| County | England - E10 |
| Metropolitan County | England - E11 |
| English Region | England - E12 |
| Westminster Parliamentary Constituency | England - E14, Northern Ireland - N06, Scotland - S14, Wales - W07 |
| European Electoral Region | England - E15, Northern Ireland - N07, Scotland - S15, Wales - W08 |
| Community Safety Partnerships | England - E22, Wales - W14 |
| Police Force Areas | England - E23, Northern Ireland - N23, Scotland - S23, Wales - W15 |
| National Parks | England - E26, Scotland - S21, Wales - W18 |
| Registration Districts | England - E28, Wales - W20 |
| Travel to Work Areas | England - E30, Northern Ireland - N12, Other - K01, Scotland - S22, Wales - W22 |
| Fire and Rescue Authorities | England - E31, Northern Ireland - N31, Scotland - S38, Wales - W25 |
| London Assembly | England - E32 |
| Welsh Assembly | Wales - W09, Wales - W10 |
| Scottish Parliament Constituency | Scotland - S16 |
| Workplace Zones | England - E33, Northern Ireland - N19, Scotland - S34, Wales - W35 |
| Census Merged Wards | England - E36, Wales - W39 |
| Local Enterprise Partnerships | England - E37 |
| Clinical Commissioning Groups | England - E38 |
| NHS England Regions | England - E40 |
| Census Merged Local Authority Districts | England - E41, Wales - W40 |
| Non-Civil Parished Areas | England - E43 |
| Public Health England Centres | England - E45 |
| Public Health England Regions | England - E46 |
| Combined Authorities | England - E47 |
| Integrated care boards (formerly Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships) | England - E54 |
| Strategic Clinical Networks | England - E55 |
| Cancer Alliances | England - E56 |
| County Electoral Divisions | England - E58 |
| Local Planning Authorities | England - E60, Northern Ireland - N13, Scotland - S44, Wales - W43 |
| Local Resilience Forums | England - E48 |
| Greater London Authority | England - E61 |
| 2022 Built Up Areas | England - E63, Other - K08, Scotland - S45, Wales - W45 |
| Scottish Parliament Electoral Region | Scotland - S17 |
| Local Health Boards | Wales - W11 |
Why aren't all of my ONS polygons displaying on the map?
The visual only supports the latest Government Statistical Service (GSS) codes from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This means that historical codes are not supported, and the polygons for those geographies therefore won’t display on the map. Please [check on the ONS website](https://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/) if the codes being used are historical ones.
Is Northern Ireland base mapping provided?
No, Northern Ireland base mapping is not supported by the visual.
Will GSS codes for Northern Ireland render on the map?
Some Government Statistical Service (GSS) codes for Northern Ireland are supported and the visual will display the appropriate polygon (for example, Police Force Areas). Please check which boundaries are supported by the visual, which can be found under the FAQ – [Is there a list of boundaries supported by Government Statistical Service (GSS) codes](#is-there-a-list-of-boundaries-supported-by-government-statistical-service-gss-codes)?
Does the visual work offline?
No. As the visual relies on external OS and Office for National Statistics (ONS) APIs, it won’t work offline. If using the visual where an internet connection is unreliable, it may not perform adequately.
I can’t get access to Dropbox to download the installation file. What should I do?
Please speak with your IT team about getting an exception made for OS’s secure Dropbox as there is currently no other way to get access to the visual.
I can’t get access to the OS Data Hub to get an API Key. What should I do?
If your organisation already has an OS Data Hub account, then your organisation’s OS Data Hub Administrator needs to approve your access. Your OS Data Hub Administrator is probably within your GIS / Geospatial Team. If you want to know the contact details of your OS Data Hub Administrator, please reach out to or your OS Account Manager.
Do you store any of my data?
OS doesn’t store any of your organisational data that you use within the visual or send to our external services. We log information such as the API Key you use, the time you make a request to an external service, the volume of points you require to be geocoded, and the number if OS map tiles you use. This is done to ensure that we can identify anyone abusing these services so that other customers don’t experience any disruption.
Does the visual use any external services?
There are three external services involved:
* The first external service uses OS Maps API to render the basemap. The API Key is created via the OS Data Hub and used within the OS Maps for Power BI Visual.
* The second external services uses an API from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to get boundary polygon data (for example, if you wanted to display Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) / Middle Layer Super Output Areas (MSOAs) polygons or any other ONS-supported boundary on the map). The only bit of data exchanged with the ONS is the nine-digit code they use to categorise the polygons. This service is powered by ESRI’s ArcGIS Online and uses a US-based server for operations.
* The third external service is for geocoding postcode centroids or Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs). Here, the only data sent is the postcode or UPRN in return for x / y coordinates to be displayed on the map. Even if a user tried to send non-postcode / UPRN data, the visual would detect this and NOT send the data externally – so it's only ever possible to send a postcode / UPRN. We don’t store any of the data you send us. This service is powered by ESRI’s ArcGIS Online and uses an EU-based server for operations.