WMS output formats

WMS returns images in a number of possible formats. This page shows a list of the output formats. The syntax for setting an output format is:

format=<format>

where <format> is any of the options below.

Note

The list of output formats supported by a GeoServer instance can be found by a WMS GetCapabilities request.

Format

Syntax

Notes

PNG

format=image/png

Default

PNG8

format=image/png8

Same as PNG, but computes an optimal 256 color (8 bit) palette, so the image size is usually smaller

JPEG

format=image/jpeg

JPEG-PNG

format=image/vnd.jpeg-png

A custom format that will decide dynamically, based on the image contents, if it’s best to use a JPEG or PNG compression. The images are returned in JPEG format if fully opaque and not paletted. In order to use this format in a meaningful way the GetMap must include a “&transparent=TRUE” parameter, as without it GeoServer generates opaque images with the default/requested background color, making this format always return JPEG images (or always PNG, if they are paletted). When using the layer preview to test this format, remember to add “&transparent=TRUE” to the preview URL, as normally the preview generates non transparent images.

JPEG-PNG8

format=image/vnd.jpeg-png8

Same as JPEG-PNG, but generating a paletted output if the PNG format is chosen

GIF

format=image/gif

TIFF

format=image/tiff

TIFF8

format=image/tiff8

Same as TIFF, but computes an optimal 256 color (8 bit) palette, so the image size is usually smaller

GeoTIFF

format=image/geotiff

Same as TIFF, but includes extra GeoTIFF metadata

GeoTIFF8

format=image/geotiff8

Same as TIFF, but includes extra GeoTIFF metadata and computes an optimal 256 color (8 bit) palette, so the image size is usually smaller

SVG

format=image/svg

PDF

format=application/pdf

GeoRSS

format=rss

KML

format=kml

KMZ

format=kmz

MapML

format=text/mapml

MapML HTML Viewer

text/html; subtype=mapml

OpenLayers

format=application/openlayers

Generates an OpenLayers HTML application.

UTFGrid

format=application/json;type=utfgrid

Generates an UTFGrid 1.3 JSON response. Requires vector output, either from a vector layer, or from a raster layer turned into vectors by a rendering transformation.
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