Quick start

Get from signup to a live map view in a few steps.

flowchart LR
  A[Create account] --> B[Upload file]
  B --> C[Wait for processing]
  C --> D[View or share]
  D --> E[Optional: CLI or QGIS]

1. Create an account

Open the Sarkoa web app and create a free account (use Sign in or Get started on sarkoa.com). No credit card is required to start on Free. You get your own organization straight away, and can create or join team ones later.

2. Upload a file

In the web app, upload a supported geospatial file (for example GeoJSON or GeoTIFF). You can also upload with the CLI once you have an API key:

sarkoa config set token YOUR_API_TOKEN
sarkoa upload /path/to/file.geojson

See Concepts for supported formats and Authentication for API keys.

3. Wait for processing

Where cloud optimization is supported and the file is ≤ 10 GB, Sarkoa converts the upload for fast map viewing (vectors → PMTiles, rasters → COG). Anything larger has to be optimized on your own machine first (File optimization covers how). Status appears on the file row. If processing fails, open the failure details in the app and check the FAQ or Support.

Automating this? Do not poll in a loop. Register a webhook and Sarkoa tells you when the file is ready.

4. View your data

  • Open the file in Sarkoa’s built-in map viewer
  • Add it to a custom map, then share a link or embed
  • Copy a tile URL for an external client (MapLibre, Leaflet with a PMTiles plugin, QGIS, and similar)

5. Optional: desktop GIS

Install the QGIS plugin, enter your base URL and API token in Settings, refresh the list, and View or drag a layer onto the canvas.

Next steps