Fix BlenderGIS ‘Get OSM’ Not Working (2026)
You pressed Get OSM in the BlenderGIS panel, waited, and got… nothing. No buildings, no roads, or an error message instead. This is one of the most reported BlenderGIS problems, and the good news is that most failures come down to a handful of causes you can work through in a few minutes.
Get OSM pulls live data from the Overpass API, a public service that queries the OpenStreetMap database. BlenderGIS does not control that service — so when it throttles you, times out, or is overloaded, BlenderGIS looks like the broken part when it really is not. Follow this checklist top to bottom.
Common causes of Get OSM failures
Before changing anything, match your symptom to the cause:
- Timeout or empty result on a large area: The most common cause. Your query rectangle (bbox) is too big, and the Overpass server cuts you off before the data arrives. This looks like a silent failure or a “request timed out” message.
- “Too many requests” / 429-style throttling: Overpass rate-limits heavy users. If you ran several queries in a row, you may be temporarily blocked. GitHub issues on the domlysz/blendergis repository reflect users hitting this after repeated queries.
- Overpass endpoint down or overloaded: The default server can be unreachable during peak hours or maintenance windows.
- Blender 5.x errors: On Blender 5.2, some users report Get OSM throwing errors even with a working Overpass connection. See Blender 5 compatibility fixes for that specific branch.
- Elevation import failing separately: If buildings import but terrain elevation fails, the problem is not OSM at all — it is the elevation service. Handle OSM and elevation as two separate pipelines.
- Specific 406 errors: An HTTP 406 from the Overpass query has its own fix — see how to fix the Overpass 406 error.
Step-by-step fix checklist
Work through these in order:
- Shrink your area. Draw a much smaller rectangle than the one that failed — a few city blocks at most — and run Get OSM again. If the small query succeeds, your setup is fine and the large query was simply too big for the server.
- Zoom in on dense data, then retry. OSM data is densest in city centers. A bbox that covers a whole metro area multiplies the object count. For larger projects, tile your area: import several small adjacent queries and stitch the meshes afterward.
- Wait and retry once. If you ran multiple queries back to back, stop for 10–15 minutes. Overpass throttling is temporary; hammering the server again immediately only extends the block.
- Switch the Overpass mirror. BlenderGIS lets you change the Overpass endpoint in the addon preferences. If the default server is unresponsive, try an alternate public mirror. Users have had success simply changing endpoints when the primary one is overloaded.
- Import buildings separately from roads. The OSM building import workflow lets you control what comes in. Requesting only buildings (or only roads) halves the payload compared to a full everything query.
- Update BlenderGIS. Fixes for API changes land in new releases — the current release is v2.2.15 (2025-12-20), and the addon supports Blender v2.83 through 4.x/5.x. An old version may be sending queries the current Overpass servers reject. See how to update BlenderGIS.
- Separate OSM from elevation. Uncheck the elevation option and run a buildings-only query. If that works, your elevation service needs its own troubleshooting — see the troubleshooting hub.
When nothing on the list works
If a tiny bbox on a fresh Blender session with the latest BlenderGIS still fails, the problem is almost certainly on the service side, not your machine. Check these:
- Verify your internet connection can reach the Overpass server at all (try the endpoint URL in a browser).
- Confirm no VPN, firewall, or corporate proxy is blocking the request — the addon makes plain HTTPS calls.
- Check the GitHub issues page for recent reports matching your error. If several people report the same failure on the same day, it is an outage, not your setup.
- As a last resort, grab the data manually: export the area from openstreetmap.org/export or download a regional extract and import it as a shapefile or .osm file directly.
Get OSM is convenient, but it is a live API call to a shared public service. Treating it as “one of several import routes” instead of the only route will save you a lot of frustration on big projects.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Get OSM work on small areas but not large ones?
The Overpass API limits how much data a single query can return. A large bbox requests thousands of buildings and roads at once, and the server cuts the query off. Tile your area into smaller rectangles and import them one at a time.
How long should I wait after being throttled?
Wait at least 10–15 minutes without sending any queries. Repeated retries during a throttle window can extend the block, so be patient before testing again.
Can I change the Overpass server BlenderGIS uses?
Yes. Open the BlenderGIS addon preferences and change the Overpass endpoint to an alternate public mirror. Switching mirrors is one of the most effective fixes when the default server is down or overloaded.
Get OSM imports buildings but elevation fails — is that the same bug?
No. Buildings come from the Overpass API; elevation comes from a different service. If buildings arrive but terrain does not, troubleshoot the elevation import separately — your OSM setup is fine.
Does an old BlenderGIS version cause Get OSM failures?
It can. The Overpass API changes over time, and older addon versions may send requests the current servers reject. Update to the latest release (v2.2.15, 2025-12-20) before deeper troubleshooting.
Is there a way to import OSM data without Get OSM?
Yes. Export the area manually from openstreetmap.org/export, download a regional .osm or shapefile extract, and import the file directly. This bypasses the live API entirely and is the most reliable route for large areas.