Reference · Getting Started

Getting Started

Welcome to the Oolel Maps API. This guide walks you through creating your account, obtaining an API key, and making your first request.

Overview

Oolel Maps provides a RESTful API for geocoding, search, and navigation across West Africa. All endpoints live under the /api/v1 prefix, return JSON, and support French, Arabic, and English via a language parameter.

Base URL

https://api.oolelmaps.com/api/v1
1

Create your account

Head to the registration page and create a free developer account. You will need to provide your email address, password, and optionally your company name.

2

Generate an API key

After logging in, navigate to the API Keys section of your dashboard. Click "Create New Key" and give it a descriptive name (e.g. "Production" or "Development"). Copy and store your key securely — you will not be able to see it again after creation.

3

Make your first request

Use your API key in the Authorization header with a Bearer prefix. Here is a simple forward geocoding request:

cURLbash
curl -X GET "https://api.oolelmaps.com/api/v1/geocode/forward?address=Tevragh+Zeina+Nouakchott" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Authentication

All API requests must include your API key in the Authorization header:

Header Formattext
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

Requests without a valid API key will receive a 401 Unauthorized response.

Rate Limits

Each API key is throttled globally to prevent abuse. If you exceed the limit, the API responds with 429 Too Many Requests. Contact support if your production workload needs higher throughput.

Rate Limit Headerstext
X-RateLimit-Limit: 100
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 97
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1709683200

Error Handling

The API uses standard HTTP status codes. Error responses include a JSON body with a descriptive message:

Error Responsejson
{
  "statusCode": 400,
  "message": "Query parameter 'address' is required",
  "error": "Bad Request"
}
Status CodeDescription
200Request succeeded
400Bad request (missing or invalid parameters)
401Unauthorized (missing or invalid API key)
429Rate limit exceeded
500Internal server error

Language Support

Most endpoints accept a language query parameter to control the response language. Supported values:

fr

French (default)

ar

Arabic

en

English