TileJSON Tileset Metadata (3.0.0)
Open BetaTileJSON is a compact open JSON specification from Mapbox describing a tileset: where to fetch tiles (a URL template), within what geographic bounds they exist, the minimum and maximum zoom, attribution, and layer descriptions. It is not the tiles themselves but a machine-readable manifest wrapper that MapLibre, Mapbox GL JS and OpenLayers recognize automatically, configuring bounds, zoom and attribution on their own. On osm2cdr.ru the export generates a single 3.0.0 JSON file for the chosen area: bounds come from the bbox, center is computed automatically, and vector_layers lists the layer names. The tile URL template is configurable via a parameter.
Key Features
About TileJSON Format
TileJSON is a small JSON file that answers the client's questions: where to take tiles from, within which bounds they exist, at which zooms and whom to credit in the attribution. The specification was invented by Mapbox and is now a de facto standard: MapLibre, Mapbox GL JS and OpenLayers understand such a manifest out of the box.
The point is the separation: tiles sit in storage and are cached for a long time, while the lightweight manifest is served separately and updated when the bounds or the zooms change. One link to the JSON is enough for the client — it will set the bounds, the center, the zoom range and the attribution itself.
The export returns a single file of version 3.0.0: the bounds are taken from the selected area, the center is computed from them, the layer names are listed, the addressing scheme is xyz, and the tile URL template is set by a parameter. The tiles themselves are not inside — they are exported separately as MVT, PMTiles or raster XYZ tiles.
What Program Opens TileJSON Files
The following programs and applications can open, edit, and work with TileJSON Tileset Metadata (3.0.0) (.json) files exported from OSM2CDR:
Format specifications
- Open standard
- 2D only
- Lossless (no quality loss)
- No attributes
- Output: 1 file
- A single TileJSON 3.0.0 manifest (bounds, center, min/maxzoom, vector_layers, configurable {z}/{x}/{y} URL); a descriptor of a tileset, not the tiles themselves.
Who Uses TileJSON Maps
How to Export TileJSON
How to Open After Export
- MapLibre GL JS or Mapbox GL JS — add a source with a url field pointing to this JSON; the engine will read the bounds, zooms and attribution itself.
- OpenLayers — the ol/source/TileJSON source takes the file address and configures itself from it with no extra code.
- Storage — put the JSON next to the tiles on S3, R2, GitHub Pages or your own server; it must be served with the application/json type.
- Editing the address — replace the tile template with the real path to your set, otherwise the client will keep requesting tiles that do not exist.
- Checking — open the file in a browser: it is plain JSON, all the fields are visible to the eye, and a mistake in the address is spotted immediately.
Popular maps in TileJSON
Get TileJSON Tileset Metadata (3.0.0) map exports
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