New BGS GeoIndex viewer released for user testing
The premium map-viewing application has been given a major upgrade and made available as a beta release.
24/09/2025 By BGS Press
First launched in July 2000, the BGS GeoIndex is a professional digital geological map application and receives over one million views each year.
The current iterations of the GeoIndex Onshore and GeoIndex Offshore applications are now 10 years old and approaching the end of their technical lifespans. The transition to the updated viewer has allowed us to unify the platforms into a single, streamlined tool and increase awareness of the geological data available from BGS.
Alongside the integration of onshore and offshore data, the new GeoIndex beta release includes a number of other notable additions. The refreshed and upgraded user interface has been designed to enhance the user experience, with improved find and filter tools to make it easier to access the relevant data. Direct links to full Discovery Metadata records have been added to provide deeper insights and there are expanded basemap options, including the latest Ordnance Survey maps and high-resolution satellite imagery.
The beta release also includes core geological data layers, such as 625K- and 50K-scale digital geological mapping and borehole datasets, to allow for focused user testing. We are looking at eventually streamlining some of the other currently available data layers as part of the review, to ensure the new platform is as user friendly as possible.
The BGS GeoIndex is our flagship map viewer and we’ve spent the last few years planning how we can improve the application for our users.
We are excited to share this beta version for testing and to gauge users’ reactions and hope the updated interface will bring many welcome usability improvements.
Steven Richardson, BGS Geospatial Applications Developer.
We would welcome user feedback during this beta phase, and comments can be submitted through the GeoIndex online feedback form.
Please note: commercial, research and public good level users should continue to use the existing BGS GeoIndex (onshore) and GeoIndex (offshore) applications for professional use until the new platform is formally launched.
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