Access WMS with ArcMap and QGIS

SoilGrids layers are provided as Web Map Service (WMS) layers and Web Coverage Service (WCS), which load dynamically in a GIS software. The page https://maps.isric.org provides an overview of the SoilGrids layers, the layer names and the WMS/WCS link.

This tutorial will show how to access SoilGrids using Web Map Services and the GIS softwares ArcMap and QGIS, followed by how to use the Web Coverage Service with QGIS.

Load SoilGrids layers to ArcMap through WMS

Step 1: Getting Started

Start ArcMap and click the ‘Add Data’ icon .

Step 2: Select GIS Servers

In the Add Data window, click the ‘Look in:’ drop down menu. Scroll down and double click GIS Servers.

Step 3: Add WMS Server

In the GIS Servers window, double click Add WMS Server to open the Add WMS Server window.

Step 4: Connect the WMS Server to the SoilGrids WMS

In the Add WMS Server window, copy the URL of the SoilGrids Layer you wish to add to your GIS and paste the URL in the ’URL:’ box.

For instance the WMS link for the layer pH in water (phh2o) is: https://maps.isric.org/mapserv?map=/map/phh2o.map .

Choose a Version e.g. 1.3.0, then click Get Layers. Click OK.

Step 5: Add SoilGrids layers to ArcMap/ArcGIS project

In the Add Data window you now see that this WMS is added to the GIS Servers folder. In the example of the pH-H2O layers the WMS appears as SoilGrids property_pH water in maps.isric.org.

Click Add, make sure your chosen SoilGrids property is selected and then once more click Add.

The SoilGrids layers are loaded to Table of Contents within ArcMap/ArcGIS.

Select the soil property layer for the depth (0-5, 5-15, 15-30, 30-60, 60-100, 100-200cm) and prediction (Q0.05, mean, Q0.5, Q0.95) that you wish to evaluate.

Step 6: Accessing the map legend

To access the legend, double click a layer. The Layer Properties window opens. Select Styles.

The URL can be copied and pasted into a browser to obtain the legend in png format (right click and selected ‘Save As’ or Ctrl+S)

Loading SoilGrids layers to QGIS through WMS

Step 1: Adding WMS in QGIS

Start QGIS, in QGIS go to the Layer tab and navigate to the Add WMS/WMTS option (or Ctrl+Shift+W).

You can also directly access by clicking the Data Source Manager icon in the left panel of your QGIS window and then selecting WMS/WMTS in the menu on the left of the Data Source Manager window.

Step 2: Creating a New WMS/WMTS Connection

In the Data Source ׀ WMS/WMTS window, click the New button.

The following window will appear.

Fill in a Name and copy/paste a URL of a SoilGrids WMS in the URL box. For instance, fill in phh2o.map in the Name box, and copy and paste: https://maps.isric.org/mapserv?map=/map/phh2o.map in the URL box.

The WMS URLs can be obtained from https://maps.isric.org

Click OK. The WMS is added to the Data Source ׀ WMS/WMTS window.

Step 3: Connect the URL of SoilGrids to QGIS

Click Connect (ignore a possible SSL warning). Provide your credentials if requested. The layers now appear in the Data Source ׀ WMS/WMTS window.

Step 4: Connect the URL of SoilGrids to QGIS

Select the layer you wish to add. Under Image Encoding ensure ’PNG’ is selected, then click Add. Note that layers can only be added one at a time.

Your chosen layer is added to the map:

Loading SoilGrids layers to QGIS through WCS

The steps for using WCS in QGIS are much the same as those for WMS.

Step 1: Adding WCS in QGIS

Navigate to the Data Source Manager window using (`Ctrl+L`) or clicking the icon. Select WCS in the menu on the left.

Alternatively select the Layer tab, then hover over Add Layer so that the drop down menu appears and here select WCS.

Step 2: Create a new WCS connection

As with the WMS, click the New button. In the pop up window name your connection and enter the URL of your soil property found on the SoilGrids website and click Okay

Click Connect and select the layer you would like to add to the map and then click Add. Once all the desired layers are added to the map click close to close the window and view the added layers.

Soilgrids CRS

The CRS for all SoilGrids products should be Geode homolosine (ESRI:54042). This can be set by right clicking the layer in the layers panel and selecting properties. In the properties window select source from the menu on the left. Here the CRS can be set under Assigned Coordinate Reference System.

Acknowledgements:

Zhanguo Bai and Bas Kempen wrote this tutorial.

Last updated on 2025-10-16