Q: What is Overpass QL used for?

A: Overpass QL is used to retrieve specific data from the OpenStreetMap database. It allows users to filter and extract map elements, such as roads, buildings, or points of interest, based on tags and location.

Q: How does Overpass QL differ from Overpass XML?

A: Both languages query the same Overpass API, but Overpass QL uses a syntax loosely based on C, making it more compact. Overpass XML uses a procedural, imperative XML structure, which is generally more verbose.

Q: What programming paradigm does Overpass QL follow?

A: It follows the imperative and procedural programming paradigms. This means users write a sequence of instructions or statements to define how the query should be executed step-by-step.

Q: Who developed Overpass QL?

A: The language and the associated Overpass API were developed by Roland Olbricht.

Overpass QL

procedural, imperative language loosely based on C syntax for querying OpenStreetMap data through the Overpass API

Place Query Language Q106847581

Facts

7 properties

Identity

Instance of: query language, procedural programming language, imperative programming language^[2]^[3]

More facts +6

Based on: Overpass XML, C^[5]^[6]
Facet of: Overpass API^[8]
Developer: Roland Olbricht^[7]
Named after: Overpass API^[4]
Programming paradigm: imperative programming, procedural programming^[10]^[11]
Used by: Overpass API^[9]

🏷️ Also known as

en OverpassQL en Overpass Query Language en Overpass QL de OverpassQL de Overpass Query Language fr OverpassQL fr Overpass Query Language nl OverpassQL nl Overpass Query Language

🔖 Identifiers · 1

Described at URL: wiki.openstreetmap.org

Report an error or request removal Lineage (PROV-JSON)

🔗 Connections

Instance of 3

query language, imperative programming language, procedural programming language

Programming paradigm 2

imperative programming, procedural programming

Based on 1

Overpass XML

← Readable file format 1

Ultra

Press Enter · cited answer in seconds

Summary

Overpass QL is a query language^[1].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

[2] ↑ Overpass QL — instance of (P31): procedural programming language. wiki.openstreetmap.org. wiki.openstreetmap.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
[3] ↑ Overpass QL — instance of (P31): imperative programming language. wiki.openstreetmap.org. wiki.openstreetmap.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
[4] ↑ Overpass QL — named after (P138): Overpass API. wikidata.org.
[5] ↑ Overpass QL — based on (P144): Overpass XML. wikidata.org.
[6] ↑ Overpass QL — based on (P144): C. wikidata.org.
[7] ↑ Overpass QL — developer (P178): Roland Olbricht. wikidata.org.
[8] ↑ Overpass QL — facet of (P1269): Overpass API. wikidata.org.
[9] ↑ Overpass QL — used by (P1535): Overpass API. wikidata.org.
[10] ↑ Overpass QL — programming paradigm (P3966): imperative programming. wiki.openstreetmap.org. Retrieved 2021-05-15. wiki.openstreetmap.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
[11] ↑ Overpass QL — programming paradigm (P3966): procedural programming. wiki.openstreetmap.org. Retrieved 2021-05-15. wiki.openstreetmap.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.

Class ancestry

[1] ↑ Overpass QL is an instance of query language (Q845739) [P31, primary]. Wikidata. wikidata.org.

📑 Cite this page

Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Overpass QL. Retrieved May 3, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/overpass-ql

MLA “Overpass QL.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 3 May. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/overpass-ql.

BibTeX

@misc{4ortxyz_overpass-ql_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Overpass QL}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/overpass-ql}, note = {Accessed: 2026-05-03}}

LLM prompt

According to 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph (aggregator of Wikidata, Wikipedia, and authoritative open-data sources): Overpass QL — https://4ort.xyz/entity/overpass-ql (retrieved 2026-05-03)

Canonical URL: https://4ort.xyz/entity/overpass-ql · Last refreshed: May 3, 2026