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Ordering Overview

Ordering is where you define what imagery should be produced for your area and time window.
It is separate from downloading: ordering spends order credits, while downloading later spends processing units.

Where Ordering Fits​

  1. Define area, model, and timing.
  2. Create order (or estimate first).
  3. Wait for data availability.
  4. Download/process imagery with your retrieval settings.

If you are new to the terminology, see Key concepts.

What an Order Defines​

  • Order mode: Polygon, tile, or minitile.
  • Area of interest (AOI): Submitted geometry or selected tile/minitile IDs.
  • Time behavior: Historical (From + To) or recurring (From only).
  • Model configuration: Model and satellite constellation inputs (this also influences required source attribution notices for external sharing).
  • Cadence controls: ImageFrequency and ReferenceDate.
  • Retention and access pattern: StorageMonths and API request strategy.
  • Tile deduplication (tile/mini-tile orders): optional setting to avoid re-ordering previously ordered tile/mini-tile coverage when settings remain consistent.

Order Lifecycle​

  1. Choose order type and AOI strategy.
  2. Estimate and create the order (API or dashboard).
  3. Monitor status and date-level availability.
  4. Download only when data is available for your exact request.

Commonly Confused Points​

  • Coverage vs availability: Coverage means your area is included in orders; availability means data is actually ready for a specific date/settings combination.
  • Order status vs availability: Status tells you lifecycle progress (Completed / UpToDate), while availability confirms date-level download readiness.
  • Order credits vs processing units: Order credits are used at order creation; processing units are used when retrieving outputs.
  • Ordering vs downloading: Ordering reserves/produces data over time; downloading fetches files in chosen output settings.

Attribution Reminder​

If outputs are published or shared outside your internal organization, preserve and pass through the required source attribution notice for the source inputs used in that output. See Source attribution and external use.

For billing context, see Pricing overview and Order credits vs processing units.

Next Steps​