QGIS 3 for Absolute Beginners

This video is a very basic look at QGIS for Absolute Beginners.
At times it is really fast ( I mean it, it is wicked fast), and you will need to pause it to work along with the instructions.
After you watched the video for the first time (don't cheat) you can re-watch it and jump to the sections you want to see again with the links below.
Content:
0:00 Intro
2:31 Start using QGIS, the GUI
3:26 Adding some built in data, navigate the map
4:28 "Science" stuff - Projections and coordinate systems
6:42 Adding OpenStreetMap to your map project
8:25 Save and open projects
9:25 Create your own first data
12:33 Make temporary layers permanent in GeoPackage format
13:20 Style a polygon layer
15:12 Adding a Label to your objects
15:52 Attributes and tables
18:08 Empty project and add your own data
19:04 Make a layer style the default for a data source
20:01 Using "inverted polygons" and style layers
21:48 Adding roads and use "snapping"
24:28 Styling lines
25:52 Adding points to your map
26:45 Styling the points
27:45 Creating a Layout
31:03 Rounding the video off
32:23 Credits
You will not become a "Pro" after this video. It is more likely your first step into the rabbit hole that is GIS.
-- WELCOME --
Mmmmuaaah-Ha-Haaaaa...
(Hrmm)
I have a few more videos on QGIS topics that you may find useful (link further down), and then there's other channels with more content. You can also find good deals on books from time to time and more and more schools and training centers offer QGIS training. You can even get officially certified these days...
If you find that you actually make money from using QGIS you should consider donating or sponsoring the project. Any amount will help. You can also donate your time as a translator, bug catcher (no not that kind of bugs), code developer, teacher, influencer, tango dancer... Wait... What??
You get the software from qgis.org
One support forum where you might get help: stackexchange.com/
My KZbin channel: / klaskarlsson
Blog in Swedish: geosupportsystem.se
And YES! You are allowed to use this video in training and education any way you want (license Creative Commons CC BY). If you use it on KZbin I'll get some small kick-back, and some of that will be used as donations to the QGIS project.
"Klaatu barada nikto"

[@AuroraBoBora]

I took an "upper level" college class on ArcGIS, and honest to gosh, this video taught me more about QGIS than I ever learnt in that class

[@geologygis3599]

Qgis is more powerful

[@RomanKuzmic]

absolutely agree. I have studied GIS in Prague for two years and i was convinced that arcgis is a master tool of the gods (because students there used to make all projects in arcgis). But i like qgis because of its flexibility, you can customize everything! opensource products are always more flexible for users' needs

[@jedi_mapperp4073]

Well done Sir! I'm a retired high school Geospatial Analysis teacher (dual-enrollment college course). I'm well versed with ArcGIS Pro and Online. I lost my ESRI Org account when I retired and decided to take a look at QGIS and was happy to see there's a native Mac version. It runs great on my new M1 Macbook Pro. I'm very impressed with QGIS so far. The interface looks great, it's a bit more intuitive than ArcGIS Pro yet very powerful. I worked through your beginners lesson and explored the extensive tool set. I kept thinking "How is this FREE?!" I could start teaching kids at any school or as an after school club without need for licenses and feeding into a proprietary product. This is an outstanding tool for educators.

[@eldelacajita]

Very clear and quick introduction, thank you! This finally got me started in Qgis.

[@spilth]

I've been using QGIS on and off over the years and this video was full of tidbits I did not know. Well done!

[@jngoah3569]

May God bless you for this comprehensive tutorials. You are a help to many

[@mercylagrange8019]

Brilliant tutorial!! Many Thanks- giving me a massive head-start in QGIS! No other tutorials as good as yours out there! Thanks again!

[@msheaver]

I am teaching myself PostGIS right now, and I am amazed at how much you helped me to get a much better understanding of all the different parts (attributes, polygons, etc.) that it deals with! As an unexpected bonus, it game me a great primer for working with GIS tools! I am also blown away by how many of the concepts in Blender apply here, but then again, that should come as no surprise! Many, many thanks!

[@tylergubala7355]

Can I just say wow. This is an amazing resource. Thank you for what is the best introduction to QGIS I have seen! I would LOVE a video on symbology and advanced annotation features you hint at around 25:00. This will take my fantasy tabletop RPG map making to another level!

[@ernestinalefebvre5191]

New to GIS and QGIS in general. This tutorial is absolutely amazing.

[@stevehorton2003]

Thanks for the great video. I used to use ArcGIS at work before retiring a couple of years ago. Felt like creating some maps to support my personal interest in railroad history. Downloaded QGIS but felt overwhelmed learning a different GIS program on my own (as well as recalling the basics of GIS after 2 years of inactivity). This video really helped to bring me back up to speed quickly. I'm sure I'll refer to it often.

[@rohanhamer8429]

Perfect video for me as I’ve just started with QGIS. Please keep them coming.

[@GISEXPLORER]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4bCgWyngqqaY5I

[@mokujin29]

What do you use it for ?

[@miss_B_]

@@mokujin29 i have many questions to what lead you to write that

[@StigDHelmer]

Thanks for this! Everything seems so much more manageable now coming at this with zero GIS experience.

[@florafranciskannampallil9852]

Thank you for presenting the basics in such a well- explained and comprehensive video. Your tips were extra helpful!

[@mattygibson3899]

This video starts off very well. He is slow and careful, describing each step and giving context. As described, by the middle of the video his approach changes and he uses sped-up video. He only infrequently describes where he is going to locate and interface with parts of the program, requiring the user to stop repeatedly to see what he clicked on to bring up one of the many, many (many many) interface boxes. I had to repeat sections over and over again, as I moved from video to program to copy actions and find where I was supposed to be. That said, this is a solid teaching tool and I will try his other tutorials. Thanks Klas Karlsson

[@israelboyd6883]

The old compliment sandwich. Not bad considering he has done this out of the benefit of a wide range of people, for free, and likely in his own time. I'm not sure how much this would cost me if I was going to pay, but I would, considering the standard and engagement he builds as a teacher.

[@poggs]

This is an excellent tutorial. I've been using QGIS for several years and still learned a lot!

[@shoaibmushtsq7812]

i need some help about QGIS could you help me out with it , as i have just started using this software i need to know something if you could help please let me know [e-mail] if you can help just email me here or reply me thanks

[@aldanesh2680]

I used to work with ArcGIS but it sucks so I just started to learn QGIS and your videos are very helpful. Thanks a lot.

[@SamVekemans]

This was a great introduction to QGIS. thanks! I've already watched a few other intro videos, so it's great to see the same options selected and a different explanation for it.

[@QiangLi827]

Awesome, man! What you taught is clear and amazing, thank you!

[@nickdonohue4749]

Klas, thank-you very much. This was a great introduction and really helpful for me (transitioning to QGIS from previous experience of ArcMap).

[@bernsbuenaobra473]

Great help for me to get refreshed everytime the quickest way possible! I hope you also do SWAT+ in the near future. My sincere thanks for this well made tutorials

[@ousmanealamakaba3135]

I congratulate you on your amazing explanation which makes me happy and understand. It is a great pleasure for me to be one of your students on your youtube channel which I have been following QGIS for beginner. you are the best

[@erraismohamed1636]

God bless you man !! Thank you for sharing the knowledge ... Ur the best :D

[@RobertStanfordCambridgeUK]

Thank you so much, this is a great introduction!

[@keshav3479]

Holy crap this is such a good video. I'm doing an online course but the lecturer uses arcGIS and I'd rather not shell out an absurd amount of money to buy it so I've been using QGIS. It's confusing as hell but thanks to you I have a much better understanding now!

[@edgardoangpalasan1058]

Thank you very much Klas Karlson. Indeed, your video helps me a lot to understand the basic application of QGIS features. I am very grateful to you. I will be searching more of your videos to learn more about QGIS applications. God bless!

[@despoinaathanasaki6538]

Fantastic job!!! Thanks for the help, Mr. Karlsson!

[@raysykes169]

Been looking for how-to videos all day. This has been the easiest one to follow.

[@cuteboy22]

Thank you for making this video! Explained so simply. I was never able to understand how to work on GIS software, but now i do!

[@skyiscalling4801]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZqUi2usmKqZp9E

[@sonyse2t5]

The best teaching for beginners on KZbin 👍

[@gameliashiagbor5965]

Phenomenal presentation. This is my first time using qgis and I love it

[@jesustobar]

Thank you very much. For far it's the best channel for QGIS.

[@TinaSotis]

Would you make a "Part 2" video of this tutorial to get us past the very basics? I got so much from this beginning version, but I'd love to learn more and I really like your teaching style! Thank you so much for your hard work and generosity!

[@miss_B_]

Just landed on QGIS with zero knowledge. That you so much sir, this helped me soooooo much

[@jordanem8903]

Really great video, it was so clear and consise and really helped me to progress on something I have been attempting to use for years!

[@adrielmartins5649]

Thanks! Very helpful! Keep up the good work. God bless!

[@gabomata15]

Thank you! Finally I understood the attribute tables and to use the labels

[@honeypunch45]

Thank you for this!! It helped us so much to gain a basic understanding on QGIS!

[@knispler666]

I really like the video, the information pacing and the calm voice. Very good first introduction!

[@maramunoz1]

this video is gold for me...thanks thanks thanks thanks from the bottom of my hear...

[@rowland1061]

Fantastic, Klas. Time very well spent.

[@alyahyai]

This was excellent introduction to QGIS, thank you Klas Karlsson

[@MrSacky73]

Really glad you did this video. The other videos are for persons already adept at QGIS

[@lindsaywilliams4888]

Thank you for posting the tutorial :-)

[@farehfouzia6544]

you were great in explaining effectively what a beginner needs to know

[@voterthatreads158]

Truly outstanding video, sir. Thank you.

[@bencolton2893]

Super efficient delivery. Love it

[@jlreverseit]

Thank you so much for the introduction!!

[@miguelangelguzmancojulun5645]

Thank you very much. I'm from Guatemala. Happy good night.

[@intensitysteve6469]

Thank you for sharing knowledge for absolute beginners:)

[@zandanshah]

Thank you for a job well done. Keep producing more content.

[@noobsaibot5441]

Nice explanation and useful for learners. Thank you very much.

[@chileanchinch]

Thank you creating and posting this video tutorial. 🙏

[@quaresmaqui]

Thank you so much, finally a qgis's tutorial I understand !

[@tambalutgeo8392]

Thank you for sharing this video! I am using ArcGIS and Global Mapper but I found this is useful to understand the GIS software 😊👍

[@FabioSpelta]

This video is outstanding, thank you!

[@the.world.or.nothing]

Thank you man, you are amazing! So grateful for your hard work!!!

[@ThisUpdateSucksYoutube]

Ive been struggling for two hours to even get started and when you typed in "world" I was dumbfounded on how easy you made everything!

[@deathlessmile]

Excellent beginner tutorial! Really helps!!!

[@greatmac4865]

Have just started watching this video Nd already liked it.. comment section gives a vibe it's like worthy

[@17Greco17]

Subscribed. This is excellent. Thank you very much for posting.

[@xyzabc4313]

Great tutorials, Thank you so much!!!

[@takshashila2995]

I am from the future and this video helped me a lot, thanks!

[@kfburak]

Very very nice video, clear manner of telling, thank you...

[@Athoss9]

Thank you so much for the tutorial, it was really useful!

[@getfanmedia]

You are the best at what you do.

[@GreenDayFanMT]

Such a great and informative video. Thank you very much.

[@emmanuelabebresse3817]

Appreciate this video. helped me a lot. God bless you.

[@SMSabriIsmail]

TQ. I like the video. At the very least it taught me how pan by half clicking the mouse scroll button. I did know about zooming using the mouse scroll button. And found temporary pan and arrow keys panning.

[@moayadnajjar4847]

I’m really amazed, kinda speechless actually ! Long story short line; I am a MacOS person that have been using ArcGIS (On a bootcamp Windows) for 3 years at least, and uggh never liked the software, as a graphics enthusiast never felt user-friendly or appealing it feels so old-fashioned and complicated, nevertheless QGis is the opposite! Your tutorial made me download QGis in the very few instance! So excited to dig it a bit deeper ! Ps: it’s enough it has the OPACITY option gushhh 😭!

[@sudeeppoudel79]

Excellent video to understand, salute you. Thanks a lot

[@Wayclarke]

Thank you for this. Great video and I've become a subscriber so I can use all your educational content to teach myself GIS while I'm waiting for my yrkesutbildning to start in nine months.

[@softwerksaol]

I recommend this video for beginners.

[@False-Cobra]

Excellent work thank you. I would really appreciate a tutorial on Qfield and creating a template for a project

[@jimbo-dev]

This way of teaching is way more effective than my university has sometimes

[@ethiobestyoutube1370]

thanks guise for your talents &experience in GiS

[@ivanburgov7222]

Very well explained!! Keep it up!

[@normancharles2523]

Good. This is good. Thank you, Klas

[@roberto2912]

Here is my subscription to the channel good man. Thanks for this content.

[@ezrasplace7504]

Very thankful for this

[@Danaitgmeskel]

thank you dear it was my first time but it was super helpful ..keep it up!

[@JaviyPilar]

Thank you for this video. It was useful for me except the last third about creating an island. Anyway it's a good job. Thanks

[@AbdullahSalimalig]

Super Amazing. Keet up the good work Bro

[@ericbruhn3765]

Thank you really much for the video!

[@zmikulski]

Great video, thank you very much! 😀

[@rondaniel2234]

An excellent introduction to getting started in QGIS and by default, GIS in general. it is easy to stop and rewind the video during the later sections where the author speeds up the video. I believe it is also possible to slow down KZbin videos.

[@devnandanmahapatra440]

Thanks. This was very informative.

[@nileshnath541]

This is an amazing video.

[@homo_sapien]

You're a good teacher 😊

[@mauratapiarozas8942]

Great video! Thank you so much

[@Marie-io7xx]

Love my first digital treasure map!

[@brendannewell3380]

thanks for the wicked fast video

[@philelamdiyana5474]

this guy is a star

[@valentinamandakovic2015]

Thanks for the video, it was very helpful

[@ladolcesandra]

very helpful! thank you!

[@user-ml7yl7lg4t]

great video! thank you!

[@Met4nolo]

Thanks, this is so helpful!

[@brenoprado9661]

Very good! Thanks a lot!

[@smiljanicn]

Classy tutorial from Klas :)

[@daveaskin1333]

really helpful. thank you.

[@ruisantos6952]

Hello and Thanks for the video!