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Quickstart: 5-Minute Tutorial

Ready to start publishing data with GeoServer? This quick tutorial walks you through the entire process — from uploading your dataset to viewing it on a map.


Step 1: Upload Data

Before GeoServer can serve your data, it needs to be available in the File Browser.

  1. In the GHS Dashboard, open your Product Details page and click Filebrowser.

  2. Log in using the credentials provided on the Product Details page.

  3. Double-click the geoserver_user_data folder to open it.

  4. Click Upload in the top-right corner.

  5. Choose Folder and upload the folder containing your shapefile.


Your data will now be available in the GeoServer Web Administration Interface.


File Browser


Step 2: Create Workspace

A workspace is a container that groups related layers together — perfect for keeping projects organized.

  1. In the GeoServer Homepage, go to Data → Workspaces.

  2. Click Add New workspace.

  3. Enter a Name and a Namespace URI.

  4. Click Save.


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Choose a short, descriptive name — 10 characters or fewer — without spaces.


Workspace
Image credit: GeoServer


Step 3: Add Data Store

A data store tells GeoServer how to connect to your dataset.

  1. On the GeoServer Homepage, go to Data → Stores.

  2. Click Add New Store.

  3. Choose Shapefile from the list of data sources.

  4. Select you Workspace and enter a Data Source Name.

  5. Under Shapefile location, click Browse....

  6. Navigate to /files/geoserver_user_data and select your .shp file.

  7. Click Save.


Store
Image credit: GeoServer


Step 4: Publish Layer

With the store in place, it’s time to make your data available as a layer.

  1. On the New Layer page, click Publish next to your layer name.

  2. Fill in the Name and Title fields.

  3. In Bounding Boxes, click Compute from data and then Compute from native bounds.

  4. Click Apply to save without closing the page.

  5. Open the Publishing tab.

  6. Under WMS Settings, set the Default Style to your shapefile.

  7. Click Save to publish the layer.


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While GeoServer supports flexible naming, many external systems prefer short, simple layer names.


Layer
Image credit: GeoServer


Step 5: Preview Layer

TNow let’s confirm your layer is working.

  1. In Data → Layer Preview, find your layer.

  2. In the Common Formats column, click OpenLayers.

  3. A new tab will open, displaying your shapefile with the default style.


View Layer
Image credit: GeoServer


Next up: Learn how to navigate and use the GeoServer Dashboard, unlocking tools and features that make managing your spatial data faster and easier.