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Subscriptions

A subscription represents your connection to a specific dataset from a specific data source. When you enable a subscription, Geo Data Connector retrieves the dataset and makes the results available for download. You can run a subscription once (on-demand), or on a recurring schedule (paid tier).

The Subscriptions screen

Click Subscriptions in the navigation to see all your subscriptions.

Subscriptions listSubscriptions listSubscriptions list — status, schedule, download availability, and actions for each subscription.

The table columns are:

ColumnWhat it shows
IDA short identifier for this subscription (click to copy the full ID)
NameThe dataset name or title
TypeThe data source type (WFS, WCS, etc.)
SourceThe data source name or URL
StatusCurrent status (see Status values below)
ScheduleOn-demand, Daily, Weekly, or Monthly
DownloadWhether downloaded data is currently available and the time remaining
Next RunWhen the next retrieval is scheduled (recurring subscriptions)
Last RunTimestamp of the most recent run
CreatedWhen the subscription was created
EnabledToggle to enable or suspend the subscription
ActionsRun Now, Delete, and service health indicator

Click any row to open Subscription Details.

Status values

StatusMeaning
CREATEDSubscription just created; the first run is starting.
IN PROGRESSGeo Data Connector is actively retrieving the dataset. Hover the info icon for the current phase.
SUCCESSThe last run completed successfully. Data files are available to download.
FAILEDThe last run failed. The subscription is automatically suspended; see the info icon for details. Resume it to retry.
RETRYINGA run did not complete on the first attempt; Geo Data Connector is retrying automatically. The info icon shows the retry count and next attempt time.
SKIPPEDThe run was skipped (for example, the daily limit was reached for the day).
INACTIVEThe subscription is suspended. No new runs will start until you enable it again.

Creating a subscription

Subscriptions are created from the Dataset Details page. Toggle the Ingestion switch to ON, choose a schedule, and Geo Data Connector creates the subscription and starts the first run immediately.

You can also create subscriptions programmatically using the API — including scoped subscriptions, which are API-only today.

Scoped subscriptions

For a dataset that's larger than you need — either because you only care about one region, or because its full size exceeds your tier's row limit — you can create a scoped subscription instead: one limited to a smaller geographic area and/or a coarser resolution, rather than the dataset's full extent. Scoped subscriptions are currently available for coverage-family sources (WCS, OGC API Coverages), image-family sources (WMS, OGC API Maps), tile sources (OGC API Tiles vector tiles; WMTS and OGC API Tiles map tiles — scoped by area and zoom level), and vector-family sources (WFS, OGC API Features — scoped by area; vector data always keeps its full precision). Map and vector tiles are supported on the standard web-mapping tile grids (WGS 84 geographic, EPSG:4326, and Web Mercator, EPSG:3857); a tile dataset published on a different or unrecognized tile grid returns a "not yet available … for this dataset's tile grid" response. Other source types return a "not yet available for this source type" response, with support for further source types and tile grids planned.

Scoped subscriptions are created via the API today. The Ingestion toggle on the Dataset Details page always creates a subscription for the dataset's full extent; a scope picker in the web app is planned for a future release. To scope a subscription now, use the scope field on subscription creation — see Using the API and the API Reference for the request shape (a bounding area, and optionally a target resolution). A scoped subscription still shows up on this screen and behaves like any other subscription once created — the difference is only in what it retrieves.

When you create a scoped subscription, Geo Data Connector verifies the request and locks in ("freezes") the area and resolution for that subscription's lifetime — this takes a few seconds longer than an unscoped subscription, and you may see a "Verifying dataset size…" message while it completes.

A scope can't be edited once set. If you need a different area or resolution later, create a new subscription with the new scope — the original subscription and any data you've already downloaded from it are unaffected.

If your selected area contains no data (for example, it covers only cells the dataset has no values for), the run completes as SKIPPED with an explanatory reason — not as a failure — and the subscription stays enabled. To get data, create a new subscription with a different area, or subscribe to the full dataset.

"Needs re-scope"

A scoped subscription can occasionally outgrow the size budget it was created with — for example, if the source dataset grows over time, or if your account moves from the paid tier to the free tier. When this happens:

  • The subscription shows a Needs re-scope badge next to its status, and Geo Data Connector automatically suspends it (status becomes INACTIVE).
  • Data already retrieved is preserved and stays downloadable until its download link expires.
  • To keep receiving this data, create a new subscription with a smaller area or a coarser resolution (or upgrade, if the cause was moving to the free tier).

See Subscription Didn't Run for the specific reasons behind the badge and what to do next.

Free tier rules for scoped subscriptions

  • A scoped subscription is checked against the free tier's 10,000-row limit using the estimated size of the requested area/resolution, not the dataset's full size — so a small scope can succeed even on a dataset that's much larger overall.
  • You can have up to 3 scoped subscriptions per dataset on the free tier. Each one also counts toward your overall 10-subscription limit.

Running a subscription immediately

To run a subscription outside its regular schedule, click the Run Now icon (download arrow) in the Actions column. Geo Data Connector starts a run immediately.

The Run Now action is available when:

  • The subscription is enabled.
  • No run is currently in progress.
  • The daily run limit has not been reached (free tier).

If a subscription is FAILED and auto-suspended, use the Enabled toggle to resume it before running.

Changing the schedule

Click the Enabled toggle to open the subscription, or navigate back to the Dataset Details page and change the schedule selector. The change takes effect immediately.

On the free tier, only On-demand is available. Attempting to set a recurring schedule returns an error.

Enabling and suspending

The Enabled toggle in the table enables (ON) or suspends (OFF) a subscription.

  • Suspending a subscription stops new runs from starting. Existing run results remain available until their download links expire.
  • Resuming (re-enabling) a subscription makes it eligible for runs again. For an on-demand subscription, use Run Now to trigger the next run.
  • On the free tier, you can have at most 10 enabled subscriptions at a time. Suspending a subscription frees a slot.

Deleting a subscription

Click the Delete icon in the Actions column. Confirm in the dialog. Deletion is permanent and removes all run history.

Subscription Details

Click any subscription row to open its detail page. Subscription Details shows:

  • Metadata cards — Source Type, Data Source, Dataset, Status, Schedule, Enabled state, and (if a run is complete) the last row count.
  • Run history table — A record of all runs, each with its status, start time, completion time, duration, trigger type (auto or manual), and rows loaded.
  • Download section — File download links when a completed run has results available.

Subscription detailsSubscription detailsSubscription Details — metadata cards and run history.

Run history

Each row in the run history table represents one retrieval attempt:

ColumnWhat it shows
StatusSUCCESS, FAILED, IN PROGRESS, SKIPPED, RETRYING
StartedWhen the run began
CompletedWhen the run ended (or "—" if still in progress)
DurationHow long the run took
TriggerWhether the run was started automatically (by schedule) or manually (Run Now)
Rows loadedNumber of rows retrieved in this run

Failed runs show an error message explaining what went wrong, in plain language. See Subscription Didn't Run for guidance on common failures.

Data responsibility

Data retrieved through your subscriptions originates from third-party services. You are responsible for reviewing and complying with any licensing terms or access restrictions that apply. Smart Data Hub retrieves and delivers the data; it does not grant any rights to the underlying data.

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