OpenAQ is an open-source platform that aggregates air quality data from monitoring stations, research-grade sensors, and reference-grade instruments worldwide. Its API provides programmatic access to air quality measurements and related metadata, including locations, sensors, parameters (such as PM2.5, PM10, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide), instruments, providers, and countries. Nexla connects to the OpenAQ API to ingest this data for environmental analysis, reporting, and integration with downstream systems.
Power end-to-end data operations for your OpenAQ API with Nexla. Our bi-directional OpenAQ connector is purpose-built for OpenAQ, making it simple to ingest data, sync it across systems, and deliver it anywhere — all with no coding required. Nexla turns API-sourced data into ready-to-use, reusable data products and makes it easy to send data to OpenAQ or any other destination. With comprehensive monitoring, lineage tracking, and access controls, Nexla keeps your OpenAQ workflows fast, secure, and fully governed.
Features
Type: API
SourceDestination
Seamless API Integration: Connect to any endpoint as source or destination without coding, with automatic data product creation
Visual Composition & Chaining: Build complex integrations using visual templates, chain API calls, and compose workflows with data validation and filtering
API Proxy: Expose curated slices of your data securely with a secure and customizable API proxy that validates and transforms data on the fly
Request optimization with intelligent batching, retry, and caching to minimize API calls and costs
Before creating an OpenAQ credential, you need an OpenAQ API key. OpenAQ uses API key authentication for all API requests, with the key sent in the X-API-Key request header.
To obtain your OpenAQ API key, follow these steps:
Click Sign up in the top navigation and register for an account, or sign in if you already have one.
After signing in, open your account Settings to locate your API key.
Copy the API key and store it securely for use when configuring your Nexla credential.
Treat your OpenAQ API key like a password, and do not share it with others. If your key is compromised, you can request a replacement from your OpenAQ account. For complete information about authentication and available endpoints, see the OpenAQ API Quick Start.
After selecting the data source type, click the Add Credential tile to open the Add New Credential overlay.
Enter a name for the credential in the Credential Name field and a short, meaningful description in the Credential Description field.
Enter your OpenAQ API key in the API Key field. This key authenticates Nexla with the OpenAQ API and is sent in the X-API-Key header for all requests. It should be kept confidential.
Click the Save button at the bottom of the overlay. The newly added credential will now appear in a tile on the Authenticate screen during data source creation.
To create a new data flow, navigate to the Integrate section, and click the New Data Flow button. Select the OpenAQ connector tile, then select the credential that will be used to connect to OpenAQ, and click Next; or, create a new OpenAQ credential for use in this flow.
Nexla provides pre-built templates that can be used to rapidly configure data sources to ingest data from common OpenAQ endpoints. Select the endpoint from which this source will fetch data from the Endpoint pulldown menu. Available endpoint templates are listed in the expandable boxes below.
Several endpoints require an identifier (such as a location, sensor, manufacturer, license, or parameter ID) to scope the request. Provide the required value when configuring the endpoint. You can obtain these identifiers from the corresponding list endpoints, such as List Locations, List Sensors, or List Manufacturers.
[Rest API] List Locations
This endpoint template retrieves a list of air quality monitoring locations from OpenAQ. Use it to discover monitoring stations, their coordinates, and the sensors associated with each location.
This endpoint returns location records, including location identifiers that can be used to scope other endpoints such as List Sensors and List Location Latest Measure. Results are paginated, and Nexla automatically follows pagination to fetch subsequent pages of data.
[Rest API] List Sensors
This endpoint template retrieves the sensors for a monitoring location from OpenAQ. Use it to identify which parameters a location measures and to obtain sensor identifiers for measurement endpoints.
This endpoint requires a Location Id to scope the request to a specific monitoring location. Results are paginated, and Nexla automatically follows pagination to fetch subsequent pages of data.
[Rest API] List Location Latest Measure
This endpoint template retrieves the latest measurements for a monitoring location from OpenAQ. Use it to access the most recent air quality readings across all sensors at a given location.
This endpoint requires a Location Id to scope the request to a specific monitoring location. Results are paginated, and Nexla automatically follows pagination to fetch subsequent pages of data.
[Rest API] List Sensor Measurements
This endpoint template retrieves measurements for a specific sensor from OpenAQ. Use it to access the raw air quality readings collected by an individual sensor.
This endpoint requires a Sensor Id to scope the request to a specific sensor. Results are paginated, and Nexla automatically follows pagination to fetch subsequent pages of data.
[Rest API] List Measurements Daily
This endpoint template retrieves daily aggregated measurements for a specific sensor from OpenAQ. Use it to access air quality readings rolled up to a daily interval for trend analysis and reporting.
This endpoint requires a Sensor Id to scope the request to a specific sensor. Results are paginated, and Nexla automatically follows pagination to fetch subsequent pages of data.
[Rest API] List Measurements Yearly
This endpoint template retrieves yearly aggregated measurements for a specific sensor from OpenAQ. Use it to access air quality readings rolled up to a yearly interval for long-term trend analysis.
This endpoint requires a Sensor Id to scope the request to a specific sensor. Results are paginated, and Nexla automatically follows pagination to fetch subsequent pages of data.
[Rest API] List Parameters
This endpoint template retrieves the air quality parameters tracked by OpenAQ, such as PM2.5, PM10, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide. Use it to obtain parameter identifiers and metadata.
This endpoint returns parameter records, including identifiers that can be used with the List Latest Parameters endpoint. Results are paginated, and Nexla automatically follows pagination to fetch subsequent pages of data.
[Rest API] List Latest Parameters
This endpoint template retrieves the latest measurements for a specific parameter across OpenAQ. Use it to access the most recent readings for a single air quality parameter.
This endpoint requires a Parameters Id to scope the request to a specific parameter. Results are paginated, and Nexla automatically follows pagination to fetch subsequent pages of data.
[Rest API] List Countries
This endpoint template retrieves the countries for which OpenAQ has air quality data. Use it to obtain country metadata and to understand geographic coverage.
This endpoint returns country records. Results are paginated, and Nexla automatically follows pagination to fetch subsequent pages of data.
[Rest API] List Providers
This endpoint template retrieves the data providers contributing to OpenAQ. Use it to understand the sources of the air quality data and their metadata.
This endpoint returns provider records. Results are paginated, and Nexla automatically follows pagination to fetch subsequent pages of data.
[Rest API] List Owners
This endpoint template retrieves the owners of the monitoring assets contributing to OpenAQ. Use it to obtain ownership metadata for locations and instruments.
This endpoint returns owner records. Results are paginated, and Nexla automatically follows pagination to fetch subsequent pages of data.
[Rest API] List Instruments
This endpoint template retrieves the instruments used to collect air quality measurements in OpenAQ. Use it to obtain instrument metadata and identifiers.
This endpoint returns instrument records. Results are paginated, and Nexla automatically follows pagination to fetch subsequent pages of data.
[Rest API] List Manufacturers
This endpoint template retrieves the manufacturers of the instruments cataloged in OpenAQ. Use it to obtain manufacturer identifiers and metadata.
This endpoint returns manufacturer records, including identifiers that can be used with the List Manufacturer Instruments endpoint. Results are paginated, and Nexla automatically follows pagination to fetch subsequent pages of data.
[Rest API] List Manufacturer Instruments
This endpoint template retrieves the instruments produced by a specific manufacturer in OpenAQ. Use it to identify the instruments associated with a given manufacturer.
This endpoint requires a Manufacturer Id to scope the request to a specific manufacturer. Results are paginated, and Nexla automatically follows pagination to fetch subsequent pages of data.
[Rest API] List Licenses
This endpoint template retrieves the licenses governing the use of OpenAQ data. Use it to obtain license identifiers and terms metadata.
This endpoint returns license records, including identifiers that can be used with the List License Instrument endpoint. Results are paginated, and Nexla automatically follows pagination to fetch subsequent pages of data.
[Rest API] List License Instrument
This endpoint template retrieves the instruments associated with a specific license in OpenAQ. Use it to understand which instruments are covered by a given license.
This endpoint requires a Licenses Id to scope the request to a specific license. Results are paginated, and Nexla automatically follows pagination to fetch subsequent pages of data.
Once the selected endpoint template has been configured, click the Test button to the right of the endpoint selection menu to retrieve a sample of the data that will be fetched. Sample data will be displayed in the Endpoint Test Result panel on the right, allowing you to verify that the source is configured correctly before saving.
OpenAQ data sources can also be manually configured to ingest data from any valid OpenAQ API endpoint, including endpoints not covered by the pre-built templates, chained API calls, or custom request parameters. Select the Advanced tab at the top of the configuration screen, and follow the instructions in Connect to Any API to configure the API method, endpoint URL, date/time and lookup macros, path to data, metadata, and request headers.
Once all of the relevant settings have been configured, click the Create button in the upper right corner of the screen to save and create the new OpenAQ data source. Nexla will now begin ingesting data from the configured endpoint and will organize any data that it finds into one or more Nexsets.
