Import Data from an HTTPS URL

Note: The URL must be publicly accessible. Private URLs requiring authentication (tokens, cookies, signed requests) are not supported through direct URL loading — use the Cloud Source flow for S3 or MotherDuck instead.

FSQ Spatial Desktop can load data directly from any publicly accessible HTTP or HTTPS URL, without downloading the file first. This works through DuckDB's built-in httpfs support, meaning remote files can be queried in the SQL Editor just like local tables.

Basic Syntax

Use DuckDB's read_csv_auto() function with the URL as the argument:

SELECT *
FROM read_csv_auto('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/keplergl/kepler.gl-data/refs/heads/master/earthquakes/data.csv');

read_csv_auto() automatically detects the file's structure, column names, and data types.

Saving to a Table

To make the remote data persistent inside your project, save it as a table:

CREATE TABLE earthquakes AS
SELECT *
FROM read_csv_auto('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/keplergl/kepler.gl-data/refs/heads/master/earthquakes/data.csv');

The table earthquakes is now stored in your .spatial project file and available for querying, filtering, and
visualization.

Querying Without Saving

You can also query the remote file directly without importing it:

SELECT Magnitude, Latitude, Longitude
FROM read_csv_auto('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/keplergl/kepler.gl-data/refs/heads/master/earthquakes/data.csv')
WHERE Magnitude > 5.0;

Useful for quick previews or filtered imports.

Supported Remote Formats

The same pattern works for other formats hosted at an HTTPS URL:

Steps in the App

1. Open the SQL Editor panel.
2. Paste a query that references your URL (see examples above).
3. Press Run (or Cmd/Ctrl + Enter).
4. Optionally wrap the query in CREATE TABLE ... AS to save the data locally.
5. Add the resulting table as a map layer from the Layers panel.