| name | tak-server |
| description | TAK Server API reference covering Missions, Data Sync, WebCOP, Federation, Certificates, CoT (Cursor on Target), and server administration. Load this skill whenever the user mentions TAK, ATAK, TAK Server, CoT events, missions, data sync, WebCOP, or is building any integration that talks to a TAK Server -- even if they just say 'connect to the server' or 'send position data' in a TAK project context. Also load when you see TAK-related paths like /Marti/api/ or references to callsigns, UIDs, or mission packages. |
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:
{"version": "1.0.0", "type": "<ResourceType>", "data": [...]}
{"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
