Data & trust
Your data stays where you already keep it, and who can open each map stays your call.
We read your source, we don't hold a copy
Every time a map opens, Groundwork reads live from wherever you already keep your data: a Dropbox or OneDrive folder, a public GitHub repository, a WFS server, a QGIS Server project, a STAC catalogue. It keeps no copy of your data and no database of it anywhere, so a change at the source is all it takes.
The one place your data passes through us
For Dropbox connections, file requests are relayed through Groundwork's own servers. Your files pass through in transit only. Nothing is written to a database, and nothing is kept once the transfer finishes. The Dropbox sign-in runs between your browser and Dropbox, and the token it returns is stored on your device.
OneDrive and SharePoint don't pass through us at all. The Microsoft sign-in and every file request are sent straight from your browser to Microsoft.
A public GitHub repository is read the same way, straight from your browser. There is no sign-in, because GitHub asks for nothing to read a public repository.
Who can open a map
A link points at your source. It holds no copy of the data, so the source decides who can open a map. A map on a OneDrive or SharePoint library opens for the people that library opens for, and for nobody else. There are no Groundwork permissions to administer, and nothing to update when someone joins or leaves.
The person sharing a map chooses how the link behaves: open to anyone as view-only, asking for sign-in first, or as a demo where everyone gets the editing tools and nothing is written back. Sign-in uses a Dropbox or Microsoft account your people already have, so there is no separate Groundwork account to create.
Open formats, on infrastructure you already chose
Your data keeps its shape and stays on the servers you chose before Groundwork was in the picture. See Open standards on the Features page, or Connecting a data source for how each source loads.
For organisations with jurisdiction-specific data rules
Some organisations need Groundwork's own hosting to stay within a particular region, for data residency or sovereignty requirements. We can discuss hosting in the region you need. Enquire about Teams →