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Field note · Coordinates & projections

WMS 1.3.0 BBOX is lat-first, so the layer is offset

Quick answer

WMS 1.3.0 with CRS=EPSG:4326 requires BBOX in latitude,longitude order, while 1.1.1 with SRS always used longitude,latitude. A lon-lat BBOX sent to 1.3.0 is read as latitudes beyond plus/minus 90 and returns a blank or flipped image.

Last verified 2026-11-03 · Multiple versions · Cite this page
Applies to: GeoServer 2.23 · Leaflet 1.9.x · OpenLayers 9.x
Symptom
Checklist
  1. Read VERSION from the request URL; 1.1.1 and 1.3.0 have different axis rules.
  2. Take absolute values of the four BBOX numbers; a value above 90 in the third slot means latitude is in the longitude position.
  3. Query GetCapabilities and check whether the layer advertises CRS:84, which keeps lon-lat order even in 1.3.0.
  4. Open the GetMap URL directly in the browser to prove the problem is the request, not the layer.
  5. Let the library build the BBOX instead of hand-concatenating it.
Fix

Use L.tileLayer.wms or ol.source.TileWMS, which emit the correct axis order, or switch to CRS=CRS:84 when the server supports it; for hand-built URLs, wrap BBOX assembly in one function that branches on VERSION.

Code
...&VERSION=1.1.1&SRS=EPSG:4326&BBOX=116.0,39.7,116.6,40.1
...&VERSION=1.3.0&CRS=EPSG:4326&BBOX=39.7,116.0,40.1,116.6
...&VERSION=1.3.0&CRS=CRS:84&BBOX=116.0,39.7,116.6,40.1
L.tileLayer.wms('http://localhost:8080/geoserver/gis/wms', {
  layers: 'gis:beijing_districts',
  format: 'image/png',
  transparent: true,
  version: '1.3.0',
  crs: L.CRS.EPSG4326
}).addTo(map);
new TileWMS({
  url: 'http://localhost:8080/geoserver/gis/wms',
  params: { LAYERS: 'gis:beijing_districts', TILED: true },
  serverType: 'geoserver',
  projection: 'EPSG:4326'
});
Watch out
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English edition written for Atlaslog from the original Chinese field note. Code is unchanged and runs as-is.
Cite this page

Atlaslog (2026). WMS 1.3.0 BBOX is lat-first, so the layer is offset. https://www.jingweizhi.com/en/cookbook/wms-130-axis-order.html (accessed 2026-11-03).