Quality filter for OSM replication
Control the quality of your OpenStreetMap replication
Replicating OpenStreetMap data in a critical context? An unreviewed change can block an emergency route, distort a calculation, or engage your liability. Clearance is open source software that filters your replication feed before it reaches your systems.
The problem
How can you reuse OpenStreetMap data with confidence?
When OpenStreetMap data becomes critical for a service, a question arises: how do you ensure its quality?
OpenStreetMap is constantly evolving. Every day, millions of changes are made by a global community of contributors: volunteers, public institutions, and businesses. This dynamism is a strength, but how do you prevent errors — most often unintentional — from affecting your services?
Traditional tools are incomplete:
- replication tools don't include a quality filter.
- quality tools operate on data that has already been replicated.
The solution
Clearance: an OSM replication tool with a built-in quality filter
Clearance never modifies OpenStreetMap. Problematic data is simply held, and corrections are to be made directly in OSM at the source.
Clearance acts as a continuous improvement tool for your local copy, adapted to your business needs:
Compliant changes
Compliant changes are integrated automatically and immediately.
Sensitive modifications
Sensitive modifications are held for review and, if needed, correction in OSM. On the next check, if everything is compliant, modifications will pass the filter and be integrated into the local copy.
You get an up-to-date version of OpenStreetMap data, reliable for your needs and adapted to your quality requirements, while continuing to contribute to the OpenStreetMap commons.
In practice
Territory, theme and collaboration
Clearance lets you define territorial and thematic projects (OSM tags) on which your team collaborates to monitor and maintain data quality.
Rules adapted to your business
Clearance lets you apply controls adapted to your needs. For example:
- relocation of a defibrillator that could engage your liability
- modification of a road network segment likely to disrupt a route calculator
- addition of a public facility not yet operational, likely to cause premature use
- deletion of a reference that could break joins with a business database
These situations are common when OSM data is used in an operational context.
A quality proxy
Clearance uses standard OpenStreetMap ecosystem formats for both input and output. It integrates seamlessly into an OpenStreetMap data reuse process by producing extracts, diffs and an Overpass API on the local copy. Continue using your tools, or those from the OpenStreetMap ecosystem, with greater data confidence.
Use cases
Who is Clearance for?
Clearance is designed for organizations that regularly use OpenStreetMap data with quality requirements.
Mobility and transport operators
Emergency and security services
Local authorities
Natural park managers
Tourist destination management organizations
Territorial open data platforms
References
Over 40 organizations already use Clearance
To reuse OpenStreetMap data with greater confidence.
SNCF Réseau
Ensures the maintenance of track and signaling information.
Civil Protection of Navarre
Guarantees the quality of road and addressing data used for emergency response route calculation in Navarre, Spain. OSM data serves as the reference for intervention routing.
30 departmental agencies and tourism offices
Control quality and monitor OSM contributions across many themes in mainland and overseas France: leisure facilities, health, food shops, and more.
NLNet Foundation
Funds part of Clearance development through European grants.
Open-source software
Clearance is free and open-source software licensed under AGPL-3.0.
Service Offerings
Support tailored to your needs
We offer Clearance hosting as a SaaS solution, as well as assistance with deployment and configuration in your own environment.
In both cases, we support you in implementing the tool according to your business needs and technical constraints.
We can also evolve the project by developing or improving features based on your specific requirements.
Request a demonstration
During a demonstration, we discuss your context and needs, present how Clearance works, illustrate concrete use cases, and share our roadmap.