# Global Forest Watch

WRI's map and data platform for tracking forest loss, deforestation alerts and land use worldwide from satellite data, with a public Data API; globalforestwatch.org now redirects to Global Nature Watch.

- Category: Live planet · by World Resources Institute (WRI)
- Website: https://globalnaturewatch.org/ (status: changed)
- Live data: yes
- Checked on the official pages: 2026-10-23

## API

- Official API: yes, docs https://data-api.globalforestwatch.org/
- Key needed: yes
- Price: Free
- Base URL: https://data-api.globalforestwatch.org/
- Formats: json, csv, geotiff, shp, gpkg

Example request:

```
https://data-api.globalforestwatch.org/datasets
```

## Data and license

- Download: https://data-api.globalforestwatch.org/datasets (json, csv, geotiff, shp, gpkg)
- License: per-dataset licences (many CC BY 4.0) + WRI terms (https://globalnaturewatch.org/terms/); covers Datasets served through the site and Data API; each dataset has its own licence
- Commercial use with conditions
- Credit required
- Embedding unclear
- Quote (commercial): "each dataset carries its own license and restrictions." (https://globalnaturewatch.org/terms/)
- Quote (attribution): "If You use Our APIs in Your own products, please credit Us." (https://globalnaturewatch.org/terms/)
- Quote (api_key): "each request to an API must include one of Your Account's unique API keys." (https://globalnaturewatch.org/terms/)
- Quote (api_official): "Use GFW DATA API to explore, manage and access data." (https://data-api.globalforestwatch.org/openapi.json)
- Quote (dataset_license_example): ""license":"[CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)"" (https://data-api.globalforestwatch.org/openapi.json)
- Quote (status): "Our name has changed, but our commitment remains the same and your workflows will continue to be supported." (https://globalnaturewatch.org/)
- Quote (operator): "owned and operated by the World Resources Institute" (https://globalnaturewatch.org/terms/)

## Rules for an agent

- Dataset listings (GET /datasets) work without a key; data queries and downloads need an x-api-key header from POST /auth/apikey (keys last one year). Check each dataset's metadata for its own licence.
- Credit WRI / Global Forest Watch when using the APIs, and follow each dataset's own licence and citation.
- Send your API key with every data request; keys expire after a year.
- globalforestwatch.org now redirects to globalnaturewatch.org; the Data API still lives at data-api.globalforestwatch.org.

Human page: https://agentgid.com/resources/global-forest-watch/
Source: AgentGid (agentgid.com). Facts are quoted from the site's own pages; check the license page before you ship.