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Using Planet Tile Services in QGIS

Planet Basemaps can be integrated into QGIS using either WMTS or XYZ tile services. To get started, you’ll need QGIS v3.10 or later and your Planet API Key, which you can find here in your user settings.

For WMTS access, use the following endpoint:

https://api.planet.com/basemaps/v1/mosaics/wmts?api_key=<your-api-key>

For XYZ access, the tile URL format is:

https://tiles.planet.com/basemaps/v1/planet-tiles/<mosaic-name>/gmap/{z}/{x}/{y}.png?api_key=<your-api-key>

Add WMTS Tile Layers​

WMTS is widely supported in GIS platforms like QGIS, ArcGIS Pro, and others. It provides structured access to The Planet catalog of mosaics and series.

  1. Set your CRS to EPSG:3857

In the bottom right corner of QGIS, click on the displayed CRS (For example, “EPSG:4326”) to open the Coordinate Reference System selector, and choose EPSG:3857 (Web Mercator).

QGIS Project Properties dialog

QGIS Project Properties dialog

  1. Create a WMTS connection

To create a WMTS connection, open the Browser Panel, right-click on WMS/WMTS, and select New Connection. In the dialog that appears, enter a name such as Planet WMTS, and paste the following URL (replacing <your-api-key> with your actual API key):

https://api.planet.com/basemaps/v1/mosaics/wmts?api_key=<your-api-key>

Then click OK to save the connection.

  1. Add a mosaic layer

Expand the newly created Planet WMTS connection in the Browser Panel, then double-click on a mosaic layer to add it to the map.

note

WMTS layers may take several seconds to load, especially on first connection. Please be patient while QGIS fetches the available tiles.

WMTS mosaic layer

WMTS mosaic layer

Add XYZ Tile Layers​

XYZ tile services provide lightweight, fast-loading access to Planet basemaps and work seamlessly in QGIS.

  1. Set your CRS to EPSG:3857
    In the bottom right corner of QGIS, click on the current CRS (For example, “EPSG:4326”) to open the Coordinate Reference System dialog, and select EPSG:3857 (Web Mercator).

  2. Create an XYZ connection
    Open the Browser Panel, right-click on XYZ Tiles, and select New Connection. In the dialog, enter a name like Planet XYZ and use the URL format below (replacing <mosaic-name> and <your-api-key> with your values):

https://tiles.planet.com/basemaps/v1/planet-tiles/<mosaic-name>/gmap/{z}/{x}/{y}.png?api_key=<your-api-key>

Set the Max Zoom Level to 18, then click OK to save.

  1. Load the basemap
    Double-click the newly created XYZ entry to load the Planet basemap into your QGIS project.
XYZ tile layer

XYZ tile layer

Where do I find the <mosaic-name>?

You can retrieve available mosaic names using the Basemaps API.
For more on tile delivery and URL structure, see the Tiles API page.