Opendatasoft Explore API
✓ Official Vendor SpecData EnrichmentData TransformationapiKey12 EndpointsREST
For Agents
Search a customer's open-data portal, query records with ODSQL filters, and export datasets in multiple formats through one REST API.
Use for: Search a portal for datasets containing a keyword and return their IDs and titles, List the schema fields for a specific dataset before querying it, Retrieve the first 100 records of a dataset filtered by a date range, Export the full contents of a dataset as CSV
Not supported: Does not handle dataset creation, schema modification, or user management — use for read-only catalog search, record queries, and exports only.
The Opendatasoft Explore API v2 is a read-only REST surface that gives developers structured access to every dataset hosted on a customer's Opendatasoft portal. It exposes the catalog (datasets, facets, records) and per-dataset queries with a consistent ODSQL filter language, plus export endpoints that stream results in CSV, GeoJSON, GPX and other formats. Suited to data-product teams that want one search and export pattern across hundreds of datasets without coding around per-dataset schemas.
Install Jentic One Beta
Connect the Explore API to your agent
Jentic One is a self-hosted execution layer for AI agents. It lets your agent call the Explore API, or any other public or private API you need. You set the rules, the agent never sees your credentials, and every call is logged.
Two steps, two machines. Install the instance in a safe environment, then register your agent from wherever it runs.
1
Step 1: Jentic One Host machine
# On the machine that will host your Jentic One instance:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jentic/jentic-one/main/tools/install.sh | sh2
Step 2: Agent machine
# On the machine where your agent runs (keep this separate from the instance):
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jentic/jentic-one/main/tools/install.sh | sh
jentic register # connects your agent to your Jentic One instanceJentic One is in public beta. The setup above keeps your agent separate from the instance, which is what you want before using real credentials: an agent running as the same OS user as Jentic One can read its stored keys directly. Just evaluating? A single local install is fine to start. See the secure deployment guide for the tiers.
Capabilities
What an agent can do with Explore API.
Search and paginate through every dataset on the portal via /catalog/datasets with full-text and ODSQL filters
Inspect dataset metadata and schema fields through /catalog/datasets/{dataset_id}
Query records inside any dataset with /catalog/datasets/{dataset_id}/records using ODSQL where, select, and group_by clauses
Stream catalog or dataset exports in CSV, GeoJSON, GPX, and other formats via /catalog/exports/{format} and /catalog/datasets/{dataset_id}/exports/{format}
Aggregate dataset facets across the portal through /catalog/facets and per-dataset facets through /catalog/datasets/{dataset_id}/facets
Build self-service portals where end users can preview, filter, and download datasets without bespoke integration per source
Use Cases
Patterns agents use Explore API for, with concrete tasks.
★ Self-Service Dataset Portal Frontend
Build a public-facing dataset browser on top of an Opendatasoft portal that lets users search the catalog, inspect schemas, preview records, and export in multiple formats. The Explore API v2 covers all four operations with consistent pagination and ODSQL filtering, removing the need to build a separate query layer per dataset.
Call /catalog/datasets with where="theme like 'transport'" and return the top 20 dataset titles and IDs.
Geospatial Data Export
Export records from any geo-enabled dataset directly as GeoJSON or GPX through /catalog/datasets/{dataset_id}/exports/{format}. Mapping applications can fetch ready-to-render features without building a transformation layer, and ODSQL where clauses limit the export to the bounding box or time window required.
Export dataset bicycle-counters as GeoJSON via /catalog/datasets/bicycle-counters/exports/geojson with where="date >= '2026-01-01'".
Catalog-Wide Analytics
Run analytics over an entire portal — counts of datasets per theme, per publisher, per modification month — using /catalog/facets and dataset metadata endpoints. Useful for portal owners producing monthly reports on coverage and freshness without exporting the catalog to a separate database.
Call /catalog/facets with facet="publisher" and return the top 10 publishers by dataset count.
Agent-Driven Open Data Lookups
An AI agent answering questions about a city or organisation's open data can use Jentic to discover the Explore API record-query operation, then run an ODSQL query against the matching dataset to ground its answer. Jentic returns the input schema so the agent constructs valid ODSQL where clauses without trial-and-error.
Through Jentic, search for "query records in an open data dataset" then call /catalog/datasets/{id}/records with a where clause supplied by the agent.
Key Endpoints
12 endpoints — the opendatasoft explore api v2 is a read-only rest surface that gives developers structured access to every dataset hosted on a customer's opendatasoft portal.
METHOD
PATH
DESCRIPTION
GET
/catalog/datasets
Search the dataset catalog
GET
/catalog/datasets/{dataset_id}
Get dataset metadata and schema
GET
/catalog/datasets/{dataset_id}/records
Query records in a dataset using ODSQL
GET
/catalog/datasets/{dataset_id}/exports/{format}
Export dataset records in CSV, GeoJSON, GPX, etc
GET
/catalog/exports/{format}
Export the entire catalog in a chosen format
GET
/catalog/facets
Aggregate facets across the catalog
GET
/catalog/datasets/{dataset_id}/facets
Aggregate facets within a dataset
GET
/catalog/datasets
Search the dataset catalog
GET
/catalog/datasets/{dataset_id}
Get dataset metadata and schema
GET
/catalog/datasets/{dataset_id}/records
Query records in a dataset using ODSQL
GET
/catalog/datasets/{dataset_id}/exports/{format}
Export dataset records in CSV, GeoJSON, GPX, etc
GET
/catalog/exports/{format}
Export the entire catalog in a chosen format
GET
/catalog/facets
Aggregate facets across the catalog
GET
/catalog/datasets/{dataset_id}/facets
Aggregate facets within a dataset
Why Jentic?
Three things that make agents converge on Jentic-routed access.
Credential isolation
Opendatasoft API keys are stored encrypted in the Jentic vault (MAXsystem). Jentic injects the apikey query parameter at execution so the raw key never reaches the agent's context, even when calling private portals.
Intent-based discovery
Agents query Jentic with intents like "export an open data dataset" or "search a portal catalog" and receive the matching Explore API operations with their input schemas, including ODSQL parameter hints.
Time to first call
Direct integration: 1-2 days to learn ODSQL, pagination, and export streaming. Through Jentic: under 1 hour.
Related APIs
Alternatives and complements available in the Jentic catalogue.
FAQs
Specific to using Explore API through Jentic.
What authentication does the Opendatasoft Explore API use?
The Explore API uses an apikey query parameter for portals that require authentication; public portals can be queried without a key. Jentic stores the apikey encrypted in MAXsystem and injects it at execution, so the value never enters the agent's prompt context.
Can I filter records with SQL-style queries on the Explore API?
Yes. The /catalog/datasets/{dataset_id}/records endpoint accepts an ODSQL where clause, plus select, group_by, order_by, limit, and offset. ODSQL is Opendatasoft's SQL dialect designed for the portal's record store and is the same language used by /catalog/datasets for catalog-level filtering.
What are the rate limits for the Opendatasoft Explore API?
Limits are portal-specific. Default public portal limits are documented by Opendatasoft (typically a few thousand calls per day for anonymous use, higher with an API key). Watch for HTTP 429 and back off; for heavy export jobs, prefer /exports/{format} which streams a single response over many record-page requests.
How do I export a dataset as CSV with the Explore API through Jentic?
Use the Jentic search query "export an open data dataset as CSV". Jentic returns /catalog/datasets/{dataset_id}/exports/csv with the input schema; the agent supplies the dataset ID and any ODSQL where clause and Jentic streams the CSV response. Sign up at https://app.jentic.com/sign-up.
Is the Opendatasoft Explore API free?
Public portals expose the API for free with default rate limits. Customer-hosted portals charge based on the underlying Opendatasoft subscription; the API access itself is included in the platform tier the customer is paying for.
Does the Explore API support write operations?
No. The Explore API v2 is read-only — only HTTP GET methods are supported. Dataset publishing and updates use the separate Opendatasoft Management API, which is not part of this spec.
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