GDAL-VECTOR-FILTER(1)                GDAL                GDAL-VECTOR-FILTER(1)

NAME
       gdal-vector-filter - Filter a vector dataset

       Added in version 3.11.


SYNOPSIS

          Usage: gdal vector filter [OPTIONS] <INPUT> <OUTPUT>

          Filter a vector dataset.

          Positional arguments:
            -i, --input <INPUT>                                  Input vector datasets [required]
            -o, --output <OUTPUT>                                Output vector dataset [required]

          Common Options:
            -h, --help                                           Display help message and exit
            --json-usage                                         Display usage as JSON document and exit
            --config <KEY>=<VALUE>                               Configuration option [may be repeated]
            -q, --quiet                                          Quiet mode (no progress bar)

          Options:
            -l, --layer, --input-layer <INPUT-LAYER>             Input layer name(s) [may be repeated]
            -f, --of, --format, --output-format <OUTPUT-FORMAT>  Output format ("GDALG" allowed)
            --co, --creation-option <KEY>=<VALUE>                Creation option [may be repeated]
            --lco, --layer-creation-option <KEY>=<VALUE>         Layer creation option [may be repeated]
            --overwrite                                          Whether overwriting existing output is allowed
            --update                                             Whether to open existing dataset in update mode
            --overwrite-layer                                    Whether overwriting existing output is allowed
            --append                                             Whether appending to existing layer is allowed
                                                                 Mutually exclusive with --upsert
            --output-layer <OUTPUT-LAYER>                        Output layer name
            --skip-errors                                        Skip errors when writing features
            --active-layer <ACTIVE-LAYER>                        Set active layer (if not specified, all)
            --bbox <BBOX>                                        Bounding box as xmin,ymin,xmax,ymax
            --where <WHERE>|@<filename>                          Attribute query in a restricted form of the queries used in the SQL WHERE statement

          Advanced Options:
            --if, --input-format <INPUT-FORMAT>                  Input formats [may be repeated]
            --oo, --open-option <KEY>=<VALUE>                    Open options [may be repeated]
            --output-oo, --output-open-option <KEY>=<VALUE>      Output open options [may be repeated]
            --upsert                                             Upsert features (implies 'append')
                                                                 Mutually exclusive with --append

DESCRIPTION
       gdal vector filter can be used to filter a vector dataset from their
       spatial extent or a SQL WHERE clause.

       filter can also be used as a step of gdal vector pipeline.

   Standard options

       -f, --of, --format, --output-format <OUTPUT-FORMAT>
              Which output vector format to use. Allowed values may be given
              by gdal --formats | grep vector | grep rw | sort

       --co <NAME>=<VALUE>
              Many formats have one or more optional dataset creation options
              that can be used to control particulars about the file created.
              For instance, the GeoPackage driver supports creation options to
              control the version.

              May be repeated.

              The dataset creation options available vary by format driver,
              and some simple formats have no creation options at all. A list
              of options supported for a format can be listed with the
              --formats command line option but the documentation for the
              format is the definitive source of information on driver
              creation options.  See Vector drivers format specific
              documentation for legal creation options for each format.

              Note that dataset creation options are different from layer
              creation options.

       -lco <NAME>=<VALUE>
              Layer creation option (format specific)

       --overwrite
              Allow program to overwrite existing target file or dataset.
              Otherwise, by default, gdal errors out if the target file or
              dataset already exists.

       --active-layer <ACTIVE-LAYER>
              Set the active layer. When it is specified, only the layer
              specified by its name will be subject to the processing. Other
              layers will be not modified.  If this option is not specified,
              all layers will be subject to the processing.

       --bbox <xmin>,<ymin>,<xmax>,<ymax>
              Bounds to which to filter the dataset. They are assumed to be in
              the CRS of the input dataset.  The X and Y axis are the "GIS
              friendly ones", that is X is longitude or easting, and Y is
              latitude or northing.  Note that filtering does not clip
              geometries to the bounding box.

       --where <WHERE>|@<filename>
              Attribute query (like SQL WHERE).

   Advanced options

       --oo <NAME>=<VALUE>
              Dataset open option (format specific).

              May be repeated.

       --if <format>
              Format/driver name to be attempted to open the input file(s). It
              is generally not necessary to specify it, but it can be used to
              skip automatic driver detection, when it fails to select the
              appropriate driver.  This option can be repeated several times
              to specify several candidate drivers.  Note that it does not
              force those drivers to open the dataset. In particular, some
              drivers have requirements on file extensions.

              May be repeated.

GDALG OUTPUT (ON-THE-FLY / STREAMED DATASET)
       This program supports serializing the command line as a JSON file using
       the GDALG output format.  The resulting file can then be opened as a
       vector dataset using the GDALG: GDAL Streamed Algorithm driver, and
       apply the specified pipeline in a on-the-fly / streamed way.

EXAMPLES
   Example 1: Select features from a GeoPackage file that intersect the
       bounding box from longitude 2, latitude 49, to longitude 3, latitude 50
       in WGS 84

          $ gdal vector filter --bbox=2,49,3,50 in.gpkg out.gpkg --overwrite

AUTHOR
       Even Rouault <even.rouault@spatialys.com>

COPYRIGHT
       1998-2025

                               November 7, 2025          GDAL-VECTOR-FILTER(1)