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Microsoft Planetary Computer Pro offers APIs and connectors that enable developers to build applications that can access, analyze, and visualize large-scale geospatial datasets. This article provides an overview of the application development options available with Planetary Computer Pro and key concepts for integrating with its services.
Prerequisites
- An Azure account and subscription Create an account for free.
- Access to a Microsoft Planetary Computer Pro GeoCatalog resource
Application integration approaches
Planetary Computer Pro supports multiple integration approaches depending on your application's requirements. You can build applications that access Planetary Computer Pro's data and services in several ways:
Direct API integration
The primary way to integrate with Planetary Computer Pro is through its REST APIs. Planetary Computer Pro provides a comprehensive set of APIs to build applications. These APIs are summarized in the next table:
| API Name | Description |
|---|---|
| STAC API | Search, discover, and access geospatial data using the SpatioTemporal Asset Catalog (STAC) specification. |
| Tiler API | Serve map tiles and imagery for visualization in web maps and GIS apps. |
| SAS API | Generate secure, time-limited access tokens for sharing geospatial data. |
| Ingestion API | Ingest and transform new geospatial datasets into the GeoCatalog. |
These APIs support standard authentication through Microsoft Entra ID, enabling secure access to your resources. Integrating your web application requires the use of application authentication. Once your app is registered with Microsoft Entra, it can securely use the APIs to access all data inside a GeoCatalog.
The REST API is detailed in the API reference.
Fist Party Application Support
Planetary Computer Pro has a built-in application called Explorer which allows users to visualize ingested data in a GeoCatalog resource from their browser. Once the data is configured for visualization, it can be used in the explorer.
In more, by using the API services, data in Planetary Computer Pro can be integrated with first party Microsoft applications such as Fabric and Azure Machine Learning.
GIS application connectivity
Planetary Computer Pro integrates directly with the ESRI ArcGIS Pro desktop GIS application.
Integrating Microsoft Planetary Computer Pro with ESRI ArcGIS Pro provides a seamless workflow for geospatial professionals who rely on industry-standard desktop GIS tools. By connecting Planetary Computer Pro data directly to ArcGIS Pro, users can:
- Access and analyze large-scale, cloud-hosted geospatial datasets without complex data transfers.
- Use ArcGIS Pro’s advanced visualization, editing, and analysis capabilities on authoritative data from Planetary Computer Pro.
- Streamline collaboration by combining enterprise GIS workflows with the latest planetary-scale datasets.
- Accelerate decision-making by integrating cloud-based data with local projects, enabling richer insights and more informed outcomes.
For more information on how to connect ArcGIS Pro to a GeoCatalog resource, see the Configure ArcGIS Pro to access a GeoCatalog.
Authentication and authorization
All applications that interact with Planetary Computer Pro must authenticate properly using Microsoft Entra ID.
Authentication options and recommendations:
| Application Hosting Environment | Access Type Required | Recommended Identity Type | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Running on Azure (VM, App Service, Functions, Container Apps, etc.) | App-Only (Application acts as itself) | Managed Identity (User-assigned recommended) | Security & Manageability: Eliminates the need to store and manage credentials (secrets/certificates) in code or configuration. Azure handles credential rotation automatically. User-assigned is preferred for sharing across multiple resources. |
| Running on Azure (VM, App Service, Functions, Container Apps, etc.) | Delegated (Application acts on behalf of a user) | Managed Identity (User-assigned recommended) | Leverages Azure Integration: Combines the security benefits of Managed Identity for the application itself with standard user authentication flows. Simplifies infrastructure setup within Azure. |
| Running Outside Azure (On-premises, other cloud, developer machine) | App-Only (Application acts as itself) | Service Principal | Standard for External Apps: The established method for non-Azure applications to authenticate with Microsoft Entra ID. Requires managing credentials (secrets/certificates) securely. |
| Running Outside Azure (On-premises, other cloud, developer machine) | Delegated (Application acts on behalf of a user) | Service Principal | Standard for External Apps: Enables standard OAuth 2.0 flows for user sign-in and consent for applications outside Azure, using the application's registered identity in Entra ID. |
| Running Outside Azure (Alternative) | App-Only or Delegated | Managed Identity | Brings Azure Benefits: By hosting the application in an Azure compute service (like a VM or Container App), it can use the enhanced security and manageability of Managed Identities, avoiding credential management even though the origin might be considered non-Azure. |
For detailed authentication guidance, see Set up application authentication for Planetary Computer Pro.