tak-server

TAK Server API

TAK (Team Awareness Kit) Server provides situational awareness through real-time position tracking (CoT), mission-based data sharing, and federated server connectivity. The API is a REST interface (OpenAPI 3.1.0) served over HTTPS on port 8446 (TLS/mTLS) or HTTP on port 8080.

When to consult references

This skill is organized into focused reference files. Read the one that matches what the user needs:

Reference	When to read
references/endpoints.md	Looking up any specific API endpoint, path, method, or parameters
references/mission-api.md	Working with missions, data sync, subscriptions, content, or mission packages
references/webcop-api.md	Building browser-based SA, WebSocket/STOMP messaging, chat, or COP views
references/schemas.md	Configuration schemas, response formats, or data types
references/connections-auth.md	Connecting to TAK Server, authentication methods, CoT XML format, certificate management, input configuration

Core Concepts

Authentication

TAK Server supports two auth methods:

• Client certificates (mTLS) on port 8446 -- the primary method. The server infers identity from the client cert.
• Username:password basic auth on port 8080 -- used for development and non-TLS setups.

API Response Format

All JSON responses follow a standard envelope:

// Success
{"version": "1.0.0", "type": "<ResourceType>", "data": [...]}

// Error (404, 400, etc.)
{"status": "NOT_FOUND", "code": 1, "message": "Human-readable error"}

• Timestamps are ISO-8601 with milliseconds: 2016-04-22T15:26:17.260Z
• Content-Type is application/json;charset=UTF-8 unless returning binary files
• REST verbs follow HTTP semantics: GET=read, PUT=create/update, DELETE=delete
• Many PUT operations are idempotent (e.g., creating a mission that already exists succeeds)

CoT (Cursor on Target)

CoT is the XML-based messaging format used across all TAK products. Key fields:

• uid -- unique identifier for a device/entity (e.g., ANDROID-48:5A:3F:52:29:78)
• type -- hierarchical code describing the entity (e.g., a-f-G-U-C = friendly ground unit combat)
• callsign -- human-readable name
• lat/lon/hae -- WGS84 position and altitude
• time/start/stale -- event timestamps controlling display lifecycle

Missions

Missions are the primary collaboration mechanism. They contain:

• CoT tracks (by UID) -- real-time position data
• Enterprise sync resources (by hash) -- files like images, KML, GRGs
• Mission logs -- free-form text entries ("Recce Logs")

Content is referenced by deterministic hash of binary content. Clients subscribe to missions and receive change notifications. Mission roles control access: MISSION_OWNER, MISSION_SUBSCRIBER, MISSION_READONLY_SUBSCRIBER.

API Groups Overview

The TAK Server API is organized into these groups:

Core Data:

• mission-api -- CRUD for missions, content, subscriptions, invitations, layers, keywords, feeds, external data
• cot-api -- Query CoT events by time/bounding box
• cot-query-api -- Saved CoT searches
• metadata-api -- Set metadata, keywords, and expiration on sync resources
• file-manager-api -- File download, delete, metadata, HEAD
• file-configuration-api -- File storage configuration

Real-time / Browser:

• cop-view-api -- COP mission listing and hierarchy
• contacts-api -- Connected TAK clients and their callsigns
• contact-manager-api -- Client endpoint discovery

Administration:

• security-authentication-api -- Security and auth configuration, config verification
• cert-manager-admin-api -- Certificate lifecycle (issue, revoke, download, list)
• cert-manager-api -- TLS certificate signing, key store generation
• file-user-account-management-api -- User CRUD, groups, passwords, user listing
• config-api -- Core server configuration
• submission-api -- Input/output management, data feeds, store-forward chat
• retention-api -- Data retention policies, schedules, mission archive restore

Collaboration:

• federation-api -- Inter-server federation connections, groups, certificates, JWT tokens, hop limits
• federation-config-api -- Federation configuration
• ex-check-api -- Execution checklists with tasks, templates, mission references
• map-layers-api -- Map layer CRUD
• data-feed-api -- Data feeds and predicate-based data feeds

Server Management:

• version-api -- Server version, config, node ID
• home-api -- User roles, admin check
• groups-api -- User groups lookup
• plugin-manager-api -- Plugin start/stop/enable/archive/listing
• injection-api -- CoT injector configuration CRUD
• repeater-api -- Repeater period and listing

Other:

• subscription-api -- Client subscriptions, filters, active groups, incognito toggle
• properties-api -- Per-UID key-value storage
• plugin-data-api -- Plugin data submission
• qo-s-api -- Quality of Service rate limiting and active limits
• video-connection-manager-v-2 -- Video feed connections (single and collection)
• iconset-icon-api -- Icon resolution and iconset upload
• token-api -- Token listing and revocation
• registration-api -- User registration, invites, confirmation
• locate-api -- Geospatial locate queries
• ci-trap-report-api -- CI trap reports and attachments
• vbm-configuration-api -- VBM config and classification
• profile-admin-api -- Device profile management and sending
• profile-api -- Profile retrieval and enrollment
• uid-search-api -- UID search by date range
• sequence-api -- Sequence key generation
• xmpp-api -- XMPP file transfer
• o-auth-api -- OAuth login, logout, token access, OpenID config