# Libraries and APIs

## Libraries

### `deck.gl`

**deck.gl** is an open source JavaScript (and TypeScript) based visualization library designed for large-scale geospatial datasets. It's powered by WebGL2 and WebGPU, achieving incredible visual results with high performance. It's part of the vis.gl framework, integrated into the [OpenJS Foundation](https://openjsf.org/). CARTO is a lead contributor as well as a member of the technical steering committee of deck.gl.

To visualize geospatial data from CARTO in a custom web application, you need to use deck.gl.

* [deck.gl Documentation](https://deck.gl/docs)
* [deck.gl on Github](https://github.com/visgl/deck.gl)
* [deck.gl on NPM](https://www.npmjs.com/package/deck.gl)

```bash
npm install deck.gl
```

### `@deck.gl/carto`

Inside deck.gl, we maintain our **CARTO module**, which provides all the necessary layers and styling functions to create and style [deck.gl](#deck.gl) layers from your CARTO connections.

* [@deck.gl/carto Documentation](https://deck.gl/docs/api-reference/carto/overview)
* [@deck.gl/carto on Github](https://github.com/visgl/deck.gl)
* [@deck.gl/carto on NPM](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@deck.gl/carto)

```bash
npm install @deck.gl/carto
```

### `@carto/api-client`

**@carto/api-client** is a JavaScript (and TypeScript) client library for CARTO APIs and framework-agnostic [CARTO + deck.gl](https://docs.carto.com/carto-for-developers/carto-for-deck.gl) web applications.

* [@carto/api-client Documentation](https://docs.carto.com/carto-for-developers/reference)
* [@carto/api-client on Github](https://github.com/CartoDB/carto-api-client)
* [@carto/api-client on NPM](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@carto/api-client)

```bash
npm install @carto/api-client
```

### `@carto/agentic-deckgl`

**@carto/agentic-deckgl** is a framework-agnostic TypeScript library for building AI-powered map experiences on top of CARTO and deck.gl. It provides tool definitions, system prompt generation, and SDK converters that allow an LLM to control a deck.gl map through natural language — adding layers, navigating, placing markers, and applying spatial filters.

* [@carto/agentic-deckgl Documentation](https://docs.carto.com/carto-for-developers/reference/agentic-deckgl)
* [@carto/agentic-deckgl on Github](https://github.com/CartoDB/carto-agentic-deckgl)
* [@carto/agentic-deckgl on NPM](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@carto/agentic-deckgl)

```bash
npm install @carto/agentic-deckgl
```

***

## APIS

### `SQL API`

CARTO SQL API v3 lets you run arbitrary queries in external data warehouses using an existing connection in your CARTO organization.

[Link to API Reference](https://api-docs.carto.com/#95aa64ca-128c-4c2c-b156-aa417260050e)

### `Tokens API`

The CARTO Tokens API allows the creation API Access Tokens that grant access to specific tables, tilesets and arbitrary queries using a specific connection in your CARTO organization.

An API Access Token allows to create map layers and fetch data from tables, tilesets or arbitrary SQL queries in public applications.

[Link to API Reference](https://api-docs.carto.com/#b060994a-8dc2-4c87-8358-d3b6a7d08c5e)

### `Connections API`

CARTO Connections API allows for programmatically managing (create, list, delete, or update) your connections to an external Data Warehouse

[Link to API Reference](https://api-docs.carto.com/#b6f716d5-40b4-464f-b16c-6ed5aff01d23)

### `Imports API`

CARTO Imports API allows the creation of geospatial tables in an organization's CARTO Data Warehouse by importing files via URL. Once a file is imported, the resulting table can be previewed in Data Explorer and used in Builder and external applications to create maps.

When using the `carto_dw` connection in your CARTO organization it will create tables in your organization's data shared folder. Learn more about CARTO Data Warehouse [here](https://docs.carto.com/carto-user-manual/connections/carto-data-warehouse/).

Currently, supported file formats are CSV, GeoJSON, GeoParquet and Shapefile; This last one needs to be packaged in a .zip file.

Other supported Data Warehouses are BigQuery, Snowflake, Amazon Redshift and PostgreSQL

There is a size limit to the files that can be imported. It's currently set at 1GB. [Let us know](mailto:support@carto.com) if you need a higher limit.

[Link to API Reference](https://api-docs.carto.com/#d8fea1d4-2f80-4270-a684-75fd83b10426)

### `Location Data Services (LDS API)`

CARTO Location Data Services API provides access to the following services:

* Geocoding: Get coordinates from a street address
* Batch geocoding: Get coordinates from a list of street addresses
* Reverse geocoding: Get a street address from a pair of coordinates
* Isolines: Get isoline geometries for different methods of transportation.
* Routing: Get routing geometries for different methods of transportation

[Link to API Reference](https://api-docs.carto.com/#f70786a4-8d69-46f3-9794-4e021ab43df8)

### `Maps API`

{% hint style="info" %}
The **Maps API** is an API designed to be used by the [CARTO module in deck.gl](#deck.gl-carto) ([@deck.gl/CARTO](https://deck.gl/docs/api-reference/carto/overview)). It is used to retrieve map tiles using CARTO in your deck.gl applications.

As a developer you don't need to integrate this API manually in your application.
{% endhint %}

### API rate limits

Our SaaS platform is protected with a web application firewall (WAF) that will automatically and temporarily block any IP that exceeds our API rate limits. Said API rate limits are:

* **Maps API:** 3500 requests/minute
* **SQL API:** 2500 requests/minute
* **LDS API:** 3000 requests/minute
* **Import API:** 500 requests/minute
* **Tokens API**: 300 requests/minute
* **Connections API:** 100 requests/minute

Cached requests (answered by our CDN) do not count towards this rate limit.

CARTO APIs will send a `429` HTTP response if the API request is over this limit.