What is TomTom's Map Display API?

The Map Display API is a suite of web services designed for developers to create web and mobile applications around mapping. These web services can be used via RESTful APIs.

The offering includes:

• Raster: Raster provides map images of the TomTom high-quality world map in raster graphics formats (png or jpg).
  • Map images are tiles available in 23 zoom levels.
  • Satellite images are tiles available in 20 zoom levels.
  • Hillshade images are tiles available in 14 zoom levels.
  • You can use the images provided in the Map Display API Raster Tile endpoint response to display maps in your own web or mobile application.
• Vector: Vector provides map images in vector format.
  • You can use the images provided in the Map Display API Vector Tile endpoint response combined with your own custom style to draw them as you like.
  • Vector tiles are fully customizable on the client side: you can switch on/off single layers or change style without sending another request.

For detailed geographic coverage information, please see TomTom's Map Display API Market Coverage page. The Map Display API consists of the following services with their endpoints:

Getting started

1. To get your API Key, you first need to be registered for the TomTom Developer Portal. If you don't have an account, no worries! Register / Sign in now before continuing.
2. Once you are registered, go to your Dashboard and locate the API Key that you would like to use (we've created the first one for you, it's called My first API Key).
3. Read the documentation and start coding.
4. Consider using the TomTom Maps SDK for Web , for iOS , and for Android.
5. Check related Blog articles for further information.

Common use cases you can implement

Display a map

• Of the whole world with zooming and panning.
• Of a specific country.
• At the given location, and show its detailed surroundings.

Raster API

The Maps Raster API renders map data that is divided into gridded sections called tiles.

• Map tiles are square images (png or jpg format) in various sizes which are available at 23 different zoom levels, ranging from 0 to 22.
• Satellite tiles are square images (jpg only format) with a size of: 256 x 256 pixels and are available at 20 different zoom levels, ranging from 0 to 19.
• Hillshade tiles are square images (png only format) with a size of: 514 x 514 pixels and are available at 14 different zoom levels, ranging from 0 to 13.
• For zoom level 0, the entire earth is displayed on one single tile, while at zoom level 22, the world is divided into 2⁴⁴ tiles.

Raster features

• Attractive raster street map images.
• Satellite map images.
• Map tiles are pre-rendered at 23 zoom levels, ranging from one global tile down to 9.5m x 9.5m detailed map images.
• Satellite tiles are available at 20 zoom levels, ranging from one global tile down to 76m x 76m detailed map images.
• Hillshade map images.
• Each image corresponds with a position on an established zoom level grid system used by the WMS-C standard.
• Multiple shields per road.
• Country-specific shields for all covered regions.
• Toll roads marking.

Vector API

Similar to the Maps Raster API, the Maps Vector API serves data on different zoom levels ranging from 0 to 22. For zoom level 0, the entire earth is displayed on one single tile, while at zoom level 22, the world is divided into 2⁴⁴ tiles. The Maps Vector Service delivers geographic map data packaged in a vector representation of squared sections called vector tiles.

• Each tile includes pre-defined collections of map features (points, lines, road shapes, water polygons, building footprints, etc.) delivered in one of the specified vector formats.
• The format of the tile is formally described using the protobuf schema.

Vector features

• Attractive vector street map images.
• Served at 23 zoom levels, ranging from one global tile down to 9.5m x 9.5m detailed map images.
• Each image corresponds with a position on an established zoom level grid system used by the WMS-C standard.
• Toll roads marking.
• All labels in country national languages.