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Geospatial Data Imports and Exports

Use Geospatial Data in Manager to review location data imports, start approved import workflows, inspect import logs, and download organization exports.

Geospatial Data has two sections:

  • Imports: uploaded GeoJSON files and their import status.
  • Exports: generated organization data exports.

Data Guidebook

Open Organization > Geospatial Data > Data Guidebook to review the current import contract and database-backed location taxonomy. The page shows accepted geometry, required and optional field mappings, generated properties, tag values, and Point of Interest types. Use Print or Save as PDF for a dated snapshot of the live guide.

Description rows use a contentMappings manifest entry. Each entry must name its sourceField and declare sourceFormat as html or plain_text; the import API does not guess the format. Preview converts supported content to OuterSpatial Blocks, shows normalized samples, and reports unsupported markup against the source record. Content mappings cannot be committed through the new importer yet.

Imports

Open Organization > Geospatial Data > Imports to review uploaded files.

The Imports table shows:

  • Date: when the file was uploaded.
  • Name: the uploaded file name.
  • Type: the location type detected from the file geometry.
  • # of Features: the number of features found in the uploaded file.
  • Status: the current state of the upload or import.
  • Importer: Classic, v1, or v2 for completed imports.

Import types are based on geometry:

  • LineString files import as Trail Segments.
  • Point files import as Points of Interest.
  • Polygon files import as Areas.

Common statuses include:

  • Uploading or Processing: Manager is preparing the uploaded file.
  • Uploaded: Manager received the file.
  • Ready to Import: the file is ready to configure and review.
  • Errors: the upload has errors that need to be resolved before import.
  • Failed: Manager could not prepare or import the file.
  • Imported: the import completed.

If you do not see actions to upload a file, start an import, or delete an upload, that is expected for most organizations. Import creation and destructive import actions are currently limited to OuterSpatial staff.

Upload a File

When upload access is available, select Upload a GeoJSON File, then drag and drop or choose the GeoJSON file to upload.

After the file is uploaded, Manager saves it to the Imports table with the Uploaded status.

Configure an Import

For an uploaded file with no errors, open the actions menu and select Start Import.

The Configure step lets you choose how the uploaded file should map to OuterSpatial:

  • Update existing geometries?: choose whether matching locations should have their geometry updated when the import has the same u_id.
  • Additional Name Fields: for trail segment imports, provide extra name fields when needed.
  • Replace trail sections?: choose whether incoming trail segments should replace existing trail sections.
  • Update existing properties?: for area and point imports, choose whether matching existing locations should have their properties updated.
  • Owner Organization IDs, Manager Organization IDs, and Partner Organization IDs: set stewardships for locations created by the import.
  • Properties: match fields from the uploaded file to required and optional OuterSpatial properties.

Required properties are marked with an asterisk. If the import property dropdowns do not populate immediately, refresh the page and try again.

Select Save Configuration & Continue to Review Import after the mappings and options are ready.

Preview and Commit With the New Importer

When New Importer is available, use it to validate the complete uploaded GeoJSON. Confirm the source dataset and publisher, map the source properties, choose the update behavior, and continue to Preview. The OuterSpatial organization where you opened the import remains the destination steward.

The new importer can commit Area and Point of Interest data. A trailhead is imported as a Point of Interest with the Trailhead type; it is not a separate location type. Trail Segment commits remain unavailable. The classic importer remains available separately.

Use the same Stable source key for every later release of a dataset. Manager suggests a lowercase key from the upload name, and the import service uses it to keep the dataset and its version history together.

Add any known license, attribution, terms, redistribution, or evidence links in License and attribution. These fields are optional. Select Not documented when the publisher does not provide enough information; missing license detail does not prevent a preview or import. A later preview that omits license detail does not erase known information from the dataset's current source profile.

The map distinguishes records that would be created, existing ID matches, and possible duplicates. Possible source duplicates appear in orange, and existing OuterSpatial locations use dashed cyan outlines.

Review every possible duplicate. For Areas, Manager shows matching names, shared geometry, how much of each boundary is covered by the other, and the distance between representative points. For Points of Interest, Manager shows matching names and the distance between locations. A low shared-geometry percentage does not always mean two Areas are different; an older boundary may cover only a small portion of the current source boundary.

For each possible duplicate, choose one resolution. The labels use Area or Point of Interest based on the import:

  • Link to this location: keep the existing Area or Point of Interest unchanged and record the source relationship.
  • Update this location: apply the configured property and geometry updates to the existing location.
  • Create a separate location: keep both locations.
  • Skip this source record: do not create or link a location.

Select Save Duplicate Decisions after every source record has a resolution. A saved decision can carry to a later version of the same source only while the same candidate still qualifies. After commit, the durable source relationship prevents the same source record from being reviewed as a new duplicate on every update.

After the service generates a preview, Source history recorded shows the stable source key, source version, preview run, and recorded license and redistribution statuses. Repeating a preview records a new run. An unchanged artifact and source profile reuse the existing source version; changed source or license metadata creates a new version.

Commit becomes available when the preview is valid, every duplicate decision is saved, and no capability blocker remains. Manager asks for confirmation and applies the exact preview in one transaction. Changing a mapping, source field, license field, or update option makes the preview outdated; run it again before committing.

After commit, View Import opens the saved Results step directly. Results identifies who created the upload, previewed it, processed the commit, and rolled it back when applicable. Human actions use the person’s Manager account information. Agent actions show the agent identity and run ID recorded by the import service. A completed import cannot return to Configure or Preview. Upload a new version of the source file when you need to run another import.

From Results, Roll back this import can restore updated Areas or Points of Interest and remove source links created by that commit. Newly created locations are hidden instead of deleted. Rollback stops without changing anything if an imported record has been edited since commit.

Review and Run an Import

The Review Import step shows:

  • Location Type
  • Keys found in the uploaded file
  • Feature Count
  • Preview counts for locations that will be created, updated, or skipped

For trail segment imports, the preview also shows how many trails will be created, updated, or skipped.

Select Start Import & Go to Logs when the preview looks correct.

View Logs

The Logs step shows timestamped messages from a Classic or Importer v1 import. Refresh the page if the import is still running and the latest messages have not appeared yet.

You can also return to the Imports table and open the actions menu for a completed import. Select View Logs for a Classic or v1 import. Select View Import for a v2 import to return to its Results step.

Download or Delete Imports

Available actions depend on the import status and your access:

  • Download GeoJSON downloads the uploaded source file.
  • Delete removes an upload that has not been imported.

Use delete carefully. This action cannot be reversed from Manager. For an Importer v2 run, open its Results step and use Roll Back This Import to reverse the transaction safely.

Exports

Open Organization > Geospatial Data > Exports to review and download organization exports.

Select Create an Export to request a new export. Manager adds the export to the table while it is being prepared.

When an export is complete, use the actions menu to download:

  • JSON
  • FileGDB

You can also delete export records from the actions menu.

Troubleshooting

If an uploaded file shows Errors, review the error tooltip in the Status column and correct the source file before trying again.

If a required property is missing during configuration, match every required OuterSpatial property to a field in the uploaded file.

If an export is still marked Pending, wait for processing to finish before downloading. The download actions appear after the export is ready.