Frequently Asked Questions
If you didn’t find the answer to your question here please let us know.
General
Q: What am I buying?
A: By placing an order you get an access to data.nextgis.com service which generates easy-to-use spatial datasets. As a result you receive an archive with geodata in a selected format. You can check your order status and download the result on the Orders page - to access it, sign in / create an account at my.nextgis.com using the email you provided during checkout.
Q: Why do I need it? I can download OpenStreetMap data myself.
A: Our service saves the time you’d have to spend on data extraction and conversion. The advantages of the datasets generated at data.nextgis.com are described here.
Data Samples
Q: Where can I see the samples of the resulting datasets?
A: You can download samples of the resulting datasets in different formats from “About”.
Q: Can I see a sample of a dataset for a specific country/region/city?
A: Unfortunately we don’t provide data samples for custom areas. Data samples available at “About” page fully reflect data structure, composition and styles which you will receive after placing your order.
Multiple Languages and Transcriptions
Q: Will the ordered dataset contain names of objects and points of interest in English?
A: Yes, it will.
Q: Will the ordered dataset contain names of objects and points of interest in my local language?
A: Yes, it will.
Q: Will ALL objects in the dataset have English/local names?
A: We can not guarantee that the original data is complete, up-to-date or accurate.
Q: In which language are the names displayed?
A: They are displayed in the local language of the region. For example, for Athens - in Greek.
Q: Can I choose a different language?
A: Yes, you can modify the display of labels in your GIS. If you need to display names in English, in the layer properties select 'NAME_EN' field to be used for labels instead of 'NAME'.
Warranties and Limitation of Liability
Q: Is information from your database officially verified?
A: At data.nextgis.com you can order spatial datasets generated from different sources. We try to ensure that our datasets contain all data available at the original source. But we can not guarantee that the original data itself is complete, up-to-date or accurate.
Q: I bought a dataset from you, now can you explain to me how to work with it using my software?
A: We try to keep our prices as affordable as possible, and they don’t include the cost of our consulting services on how to use the data. We presume that you understand what you are buying, and we recommend to download and work with data samples prior to purchasing a dataset. If you need additional consultating or tutorial, we can provide them additionally for a fee.
Q: Will the resulting dataset contain the objects I need?
A: Yes, it will, but only if the original database from which the data is extracted contains them.
Q: Can you check beforehand if the resulting dataset would contain the objects I need?
A: Unfortunately, no. To check if a specific object exists or not is a manual procedure which significantly increases the cost of the order processing. You can check it yourself by accessing the original database at osm.org
Q: What is the date of the satellite data?
A: Images for cloudless composite are selected from a set of images for 12 months, starting from the order date. Preference is given to more up-to-date cloudless and snowless images. In rare cases, the time period may be extended due to the lack of suitable images. The date of the most recent satellite image is indicated in the name of the result file.
Q: How long will the download link for my order work?
A: We keep the resulting datasets for 6 months after the order is fulfilled.
Q: Why are there topological errors in the data I received?
A: Our service extract data from various sources. These sources may contain such errors or have data model that generate errors upon conversion into a given format. Due to a low-cost model of our service we can't offer fixing of such errors. In most cases they shouldn't be a critical problem.
Ordering Data
Q: When will I receive my order?
A: Our orders are processed on average within 60 minutes. The processing time may increase due to the large volume of the ordered dataset.
Q: Are data updates included in my order?
A: For the Base Map product, regular updates are available at the time of purchase. You can specify the frequency and quantity of updates to be included in your order. For other datasets, the purchase is one‑time, i.e. you do not receive updates. If you need regular updates for other products, please contact us.
Q: Can I order the whole country?
A: Yes, you can order data for any country in the world.
Q: When I purchase data for a country, does it include separate datasets for each country region or is it a single dataset for the whole country?
A: If you purchase data for a country, you receive a single dataset with all layers generated for the whole country. Separate datasets for each subdivision are not included.
Q: I want to order data for a few regions and I don’t want to place a separate order for each of them. Can I purchase them all at once?
A: Yes, please write to us, we’ll issue an invoice for all the data you need and will prepare all datasets from your list.
Q: I want to have a dataset compiled from a number of regions or representing a complex area. Can you do that?
A: Yes, please write to us, we’ll issue an invoice for all the data you need and will prepare a compiled dataset.
Q: I want to receive regular updates for my dataset, is it possible?
A: For the Base Map product, regular updates are available at the time of purchase. You can specify the frequency and quantity of updates to be included in your order. For other products, updates are not provided automatically — please contact us to get information about available options.
Q: I want to receive a dataset for my city (county, town, village, etc.) but they are not in the list. How can I place an order?
A: Visit Custom area tool and enter the name of your city, county or region in a search box. Select your region from the list of results. If the boundary is ok, you can proceed with an order. See video of the process here. Also you can draw your area on the map. If none of these options are suitable - write to us.
Q: I paid for a dataset in one format, can I receive the same dataset in a different format?
A: Unfortunately, our service isn’t able to do this. 1 order means 1 data extract in 1 format. If you need the same data in a different format you’ll have to place a new order.
Payments
Q: What payment methods are available?
A: We accept card payments via Stripe (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, China UnionPay, Diners Club, Discover, Cartes Bancaires and JCB are supported). You can use credit and debit cards. The final success of the transaction will depend on your bank. You will automatically receive a payment receipt from Stripe after your payment is processed.
Q: Which information do I need to provide to receive an invoice?
A: If you’re purchasing data on behalf of the organisation, we can issue an invoice addressed to this organisation. To receive the invoice, please send us a request with:
- Organisation’s legal name
- Organisation’s legal address (including country)
- Organisation’s VAT number
- Contact email(s)
You’ll also need to specify order id (for the data already purchased) or details for the order you want to place (region, data source, data format, etc.).
Data parameters
Q: What’s the coordinate system of the data?
A: Data is in lat/lon WGS84 (EPSG: 4326). For ready-made GIS projects we use Mercator (EPSG: 3857).
Q: Can you reproject the result to another coordinate system?
A: Yes we can output data in other CRS. We charge additional €10 for this service per dataset.
Data parameters - Basemap
Q: What’s the scale of your maps?
A: Our service provides data from OpenStreetMap (OSM). OSM is created by thousands of iindividuals using different data source: satellite images, tracks, open data. There is no single scale that you can assign to the result. However, as you get vector data, you can use it at any scale you like.
Q: Can you add more attributes to Basemap product layers?
A: Yes, we can add more attributes. We charge additional €30 for this service. New attributes will be added to the standard Basemap data structure and will be available in all future orders.
Q: How actual is the data?
A: There is no single date. Each layer is made of features and each feature is created by OpenStreetMap editor at some day. We update synchronize with OpenStreetMap daily. So if your object was created yesterday it will become available through our service today.
Q: Can I have data for a different year?
A: Yes, you can indicate needed month and year while ordering. We can output data starting May, 2009. Note that we don’t guarantee the completeness.
What can I do with the data
Q: Can I edit resulting data?
A: Yes. The resulting data is editable.
Troubleshooting
Q: I ordered and paid for the data, but I can't sign in with the email address I used during the purchase. The system says the user doesn't exist. What should I do?
A: We do not create user accounts automatically. To access the service results, please follow these steps:
- Go to my.nextgis.com by clicking “Sign In” in the top right corner of data.nextgis.com.
- Create account (this is a one-time action; your account will work for future orders as well) with the same email address you used during the purchase - this is important, as using a different email will make the order result unavailable to you.
- Go to the Orders page and download your data.
Q: I’ve placed and paid for an order, but after signing in, I can’t find it on the Orders page. What should I do?
A: If you received an email confirmation that your order has been processed but don’t see the purchased dataset on the Orders page, it’s likely that you signed in / created account at my.nextgis.com using a different email. Try to sign in / create account with the same email address you used during the purchase. If you haven’t received a confirmation email, you may have made a mistake in email during checkout. To resolve this issue, please contact our support team.
Q: Some features are missing in the result I received. Is it a bug?
A: Not necessarily. Our service extracts data from OpenStreetMap and features you miss might be missing from the source database. You can make sure of that by looking at osm.org. If the feature is missing here — there is nothing we can do. If the feature is present in the source but missing in our results - let us know.
Q: Feature X in layer Y is shown incorrectly. Is it a bug? Can you fix that?
A: As a rule, we can’t fix errors in source data if they are unrelated to the conversion process. Additionally:
- You can fix the feature yourself at osm.org and order an extract again
- You can fix the feature yourself in the resulting dataset using your GIS (For example, if the format is ESRI Shape or GeoJSON - you can use QGIS)
Q: Layer X is missing some attributes, is this a bug?
A: No. We don’t output all possible attributes as there are unlimited number of them. You can see the list of layers and attributes here. Click details after the attribute to see its description and possible additional attributes.
Q: I've ordered data, but the attributes are mangled. What can be done?
A: We recommend that you check the following:
- Make sure that GIS you are using does not ignore the encoding of vector layers. For QGIS this option is configured via “Settings”> “Options”> “Data Sources”. If next to "Ignore shapefile encoding declaration" is checked, uncheck it.
- Checking the encoding of a layer, whose attributes are not displayed correctly. Source encoding options are listed on this page and depend on the format in which you ordered the data. The encoding of the layer is usually displayed under its properties.
Q: I purchased a data package from you two years ago. The link I previously used to download it no longer works. I also can't find it on the Orders page. What should I do?
A: We store orders for 6 months from the date of purchase. During this period, they’re available for download on the Orders page under the Actual tab. After 6 months, the order is removed from our storage and moved from the Actual tab to the Archive tab. You can click the Repeat Order button to purchase the data again.
Q: I have purchased historical data, but it does not reflect the actual situation in the region on my chosen date. Why?
A: This is possible. When ordering historical data, you receive information relevant to the beginning of the selected month. Please note that historical data is updated and added to the system monthly after the 15th. The OpenStreetMap database is updated gradually by users, so it may not fully reflect the situation on a specific date.