Search the physical world

Retrieve physical features, visual conditions, places, incidents, permits, and events as points and areas.

Overview

Search is the retrieval layer for the world outside the screen. Describe the feature or event you need and the geographic area that matters.

Queries can cover visible features such as road damage, tree canopy, storefront activity, and construction, as well as events and records such as crimes, permits, closures, and inspections.

Create a search

POST /search

curl "$OUTERVIEW_API_URL/search" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $OUTERVIEW_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "query": "damaged sidewalks near transit stops",
    "area": "Toronto, Canada",
    "limit": 25
  }'

querystring

A natural-language description of the physical feature, condition, or event to find.

areastring | geometry

A named place, bounding box, GeoJSON geometry, or saved Outerview area.

limitinteger

The maximum number of direct results to return.

Search results

Each result includes a stable identifier, coordinates or geometry, observation time, and the evidence used to support the match.

Response

{
  "id": "search_01J...",
  "answer_status": "complete",
  "results": [
    {
      "id": "feature_01J...",
      "label": "Visible sidewalk damage",
      "coordinates": [-79.3832, 43.6532],
      "observed_at": "2026-06-12T14:20:00Z",
      "evidence": [{ "type": "image", "url": "https://..." }]
    }
  ]
}