galah_config: View or set package behaviour
In galah: Biodiversity Data from the GBIF Node Network

galah_config

R Documentation

View or set package behaviour

Description

The galah package supports queries to a number of different data providers, and once selected, it is desirable that all later queries are sent to that organisation. Rather than supply this information separately in each query, it is more parsimonious to cache it centrally and call it as needed, which is what this function supports.

Beyond choosing an organisation, there are several other use cases for caching. Many GBIF nodes require the user to supply a registered email address, password, and (in some cases) a reason for downloading data, all stored via galah_config(). This function also provides a convenient place to control optional package behaviours, such as checking queries to ensure they are valid (run_checks), informing you via email when your downloads are ready (send_email), or controlling whether galah will provide updates on your query as they are processed (verbose).

Usage

galah_config(...)

Arguments

...

Options can be defined using the form name = "value", or as a (single) named list. See details for accepted fields.

Details

Valid arguments to this function are:

atlas string: Living Atlas to point to, Australia by default. Can be an organisation name, acronym, or region (see show_all_atlases() for admissible values)
authenticate logical: Should galah use authenticate your queries using JWT tokens? Defaults to FALSE. If TRUE, user credentials are verified prior to sending a query. This can allow users with special access to download additional information in galah.
caching logical: should metadata query results be cached in options()? Defaults to TRUE for improved stability and speed.
directory string: The directory to use for the disk cache. By default this is a temporary directory, which means that results will only be cached within an R session and cleared automatically when the user exits R. The user may wish to set this to a non-temporary directory for caching across sessions. The directory must exist on the file system.
download_reason_id numeric or string: the "download reason" required. by some ALA services, either as a numeric ID (currently 0–13) or a string (see show_all(reasons) for a list of valid ID codes and names). By default this is NA. Some ALA services require a valid download_reason_id code, either specified here or directly to the associated R function.
email string: An email address that has been registered with the chosen atlas. For the ALA, you can register at this address.
password string: A registered password (GBIF only)
run_checks logical: should galah run checks for filters and columns. If making lots of requests sequentially, checks can slow down the process and lead to HTTP 500 errors, so should be turned off. Defaults to TRUE.
send_email logical: should you receive an email for each query to atlas_occurrences()? Defaults to FALSE; but can be useful in some instances, for example for tracking DOIs assigned to specific downloads for later citation.
username string: A registered username (GBIF only)
verbose logical: should galah give verbose such as progress bars? Defaults to FALSE.

Value

Returns an object with classes galah_config and list, invisibly if arguments are supplied.

Examples

## Not run: 
# To download occurrence records, enter your email in `galah_config()`. 
# This email should be registered with the atlas in question. 
galah_config(email = "your-email@email.com")
 
# Turn on caching in your session
galah_config(caching = TRUE)
 
# Some ALA services require that you add a reason for downloading data. 
# Add your selected reason using the option `download_reason_id`
galah_config(download_reason_id = 0)

# To look up all valid reasons to enter, use `show_all(reasons)`
show_all(reasons)

# Make debugging in your session easier by setting `verbose = TRUE`
galah_config(verbose = TRUE)

# Optionally supply arguments via a named list
list(email = "your-email@email.com") |>
  galah_config()

## End(Not run)

galah documentation built on Feb. 11, 2026, 9:11 a.m.