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Adding an OS basemap

Follow the steps below to add an OS basemap:

1

Create a project on the OS Data Hub

Once logged in to the OS Data Hub website, select Data from the main menu, then select APIs > API Projects from the secondary navigation menu, then click the Create a new project button.

A screenshot of the OS Data Hub projects page showing the 'Create a new project' button in the upper right hand corner
Creating a new project in the OS Data Hub.
2

Name your project

For this example, the project has been named 'Power BI'.

A screenshot of the create project naming dialog box showing a text box and instructions for naming your OS Data Hub project.
Naming a project dialog in the OS Data Hub.
3

Add an API to the project

Select OS Maps API from the available OS APIs, then click the Add to project button on the right-hand side of the view.

A screenshot of the OS Maps API available to be added to the project, shown in the OS Data Hub view.
Selecting an API to add to a project in the OS Data Hub.

4

Copy the project API Key for use in Power BI

Navigate to the project page and open the project that was recently created for Power BI. The project view will have a project API Key available. Copy this API Key to the clipboard.

A screenshot of part of the project view of the OS Data Hub. An example API key is shown.
An example of a project API Key in the project view of the OS Data Hub.

5

Paste the OS Maps API Key into the OS Maps for Power BI Visual

Within the OS Visual setting menu in Power BI, open the Visualizations pane and navigate to Format visual > Map Settings. The first entry of the Map Settings menu is an input text box called 'OS API Key’. Paste in your project API Key from the OS Data Hub into this text box.

Once your project API Key has been added, an OS basemap should render automatically.

Map Settings menu in the Visualizations pane of Power BI showing the text box where you can enter an API Key.
Map Settings menu in the Visualizations pane of Power BI.

Using Premium data

Public Sector Organisations / PSGA (Public Sector Geospatial Agreement) Members

If you want to fully zoom into the map, please make sure that the ‘Use Premium data’ toggle setting located beneath the OS API Key input box (in the Visualizations pane) is switched to On. If you registered on the OS Data Hub using a Public Sector Plan account (i.e. you are a PSGA Member), then there is no additional charge for using Premium data.

Non-PSGA Members

For non-PSGA Members using the free OS OpenData plan, please note that the maximum zoom levels will incur a cost as they are classed as Premium data. You should ensure that the ‘Use Premium data’ toggle setting located beneath the OS API Key input box (in the Visualizations pane) is switched to Off.

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.

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