Website: https://www.globalforestwatch.org/
Prerequisites
Please make sure to have this ready for your integration:
GFW
You will need:
Read more: Save an area and subscribe to receive forest change notifications 
| External Link (globalforestwatch.org)
EarthRanger
You will need:
Please refer to EarthRanger's documentation or contact Support.
Please refer to EarthRanger's documentation or contact Support.
Contact us if you need assistance.
Required Event Types (Click to Expand)
Name: GFW Integrated Deforestation Alerts
Value: gfwgladalert
Schema:
{
"schema": {
"$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#",
"title": "Auto-generated schema, from incoming data.",
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"confidence": {
"type": "number",
"title": "Confidence"
}
}
},
"definition": [
"confidence"
]
}
Name: GFW Fire Alerts
Value: gfwfirealert
Schema:
{
"schema": {
"$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#",
"title": "Auto-generated schema, from incoming data.",
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"confidence": {
"type": "string",
"title": "Confidence"
},
"alert_time": {
"type": "string",
"title": "Alert Time"
}
}
},
"definition": [
"alert_time",
"confidence"
]
}Configuration
GUIDES
1. Login to Gundi.
2. Click on Create Connection.
3. Select Global Forest Watch.
4. Select your Organization.
5. Enter a name for this Connection (e.g., “GFW - Area Name”)
6. Configure your GFW credentials.
7. Global Forest Watch AOI Share Link
- Configure the area of interest provided by Global Forest Watch AOI “Share Link”.
8. Partition interval size in degrees (Optional)
Click to Expand
You can use the default value and leave this field unchanged. Our Support team may adjust this parameter for performance optimization.
 |
 |
Partition of 0.3 |
Partition of 0.6 |
9. Select one or more alert types:
9.1. Include fire alerts
- Configure the number of lookback days.
- Configure the lowest confidence level you wish to receive.
9.2. Include integrated deforestation alert
- Configure the number of lookback days.
- Configure the lowest confidence level you wish to receive.
10. Force fetch (Optional)
Click to Expand
You can leave this unchecked. Our Support team may use it to resolve certain issues. “Force Fetch” is used to fetch data as soon as possible, rather than waiting for the automatic schedule, which can be 4 to 12 hours after the last pull for this account.
11. Click Next.
12. Select a Destination. Please consult our guide.
Considerations
How the Lookback Days setting affects alert delivery
The Lookback Days setting controls how far back in time the integration queries for alerts. It is based on the alert's original detection date — the date the first alert system detected potential deforestation — not the date the alert reached a higher confidence level.
GFW alerts are progressively confirmed over time: an alert may be detected by one system on March 1st, but not reach Highest confidence (confirmed by multiple systems) until weeks later. When the integration runs after that confidence upgrade, it queries GFW for alerts whose detection date falls within the lookback window. If the original detection date is older than the lookback window, the alert will not be retrieved.
Example: With a 30-day lookback running on April 2nd, the integration queries for alerts detected between March 3rd and April 2nd. An alert first detected on March 1st falls outside this window and will not be sent to EarthRanger.
Recommendations
- If your area of interest has alerts that typically take several weeks to reach your configured confidence level, consider increasing the Lookback Days to cover the full expected delay.
- The maximum supported lookback is 30 days. If alerts in your area routinely take longer than 30 days to consolidate confidence, consider switching the minimum confidence to High (confirmed twice by a single system) instead of Highest, since High confidence is typically reached sooner after initial detection.
Limitations
- Multipolygon areas are not supported by Gundi yet.
Next Steps
EarthRanger
Consider configuring “auto-resolve” in EarthRanger using a number of hours.
If the amount of data is undesired or not helpful, consider updating the "Integrated deforestation alerts lowest confidence" or "Fire alerts lowest confidence" parameter in Gundi.
Note on Latency
The time it takes for data to appear in your destination system depends on several factors, such as latency introduced by the source, network conditions, and intermediary systems.
Deforestation Alerts
There are two main sources of delay between a deforestation event occurring on the ground and an alert appearing in EarthRanger.
1. GFW confidence consolidation
GFW alerts are detected by multiple independent satellite systems. An initial detection may appear within days of the event, but reaching High or Highest confidence (where the alert is confirmed by additional systems) can take several weeks. The integration only sends alerts that meet your configured minimum confidence level, so alerts configured for Highest confidence will arrive later than those configured for High.
2. Integration polling frequency
Once GFW publishes new data, the integration picks it up on its next scheduled check, which runs approximately every 4–12 hours.
For areas configured to receive Highest confidence alerts, it is normal to see alerts arrive in EarthRanger several weeks after the event first occurred on the ground.
External Resources
Save an area and subscribe to receive forest change notifications | External Link (globalforestwatch.org)
Remote Imagery, Fire Alerts, Deforestation, Pull Integration, Events, Data Provider
Sep 24, 2025