---
path: docs/upload-anything/urls
title: "URLs"
desc: "Add a layer from a web service, a tile source, a live feed or a hosted file."
date: "Oct 21, 2026"
---

# URLs

Add a layer from a web service or a hosted file without downloading it first. In **Add a layer**, pick the kind of link, paste the URL and add it.

## What you can link to

| Link | What it adds |
| --- | --- |
| Link to a file | Any [supported file](/docs/upload-anything/files) hosted on the web, including a public Google Sheet |
| ArcGIS layer | One FeatureServer or MapServer layer |
| ArcGIS map or image service | A whole MapServer or ImageServer |
| ArcGIS portal | Browse a portal's catalogue and pick its layers |
| OGC API – Features | A feature collection |
| WMS | Map images from a WMS endpoint |
| Vector tiles | A vector tile source or its TileJSON |
| Raster tiles | An XYZ template such as `https://tiles.example.com/{z}/{x}/{y}.png` |
| PMTiles | A PMTiles archive on any static host or CDN |
| Cloud-optimized GeoTIFF | A COG, read in place |
| Terrain | An elevation source, drawn as hillshade |

Live feeds have their own links: bike share (GBFS), transit vehicles (GTFS-Realtime), river gauges (WaterML 2.0), satellites (CelesTrak), aircraft (adsb.lol), vessels (AIS), radio stations and GeoRSS or Atom feeds.

WFS, WMTS and STAC catalogues come in through the [Data Hub](/datahub).

## Public services only

GISOwl adds services that anyone can read. A service that needs a token, a login or an API key can't be added yet.

## Next steps

- [Files](/docs/upload-anything/files): the formats you can upload.
- [Spreadsheets](/docs/upload-anything/spreadsheets): how a table is placed on the map.