diff --git a/src/components/search/CatPrezSearchMap.vue b/src/components/search/CatPrezSearchMap.vue
index 8e6bb58..79cd33f 100644
--- a/src/components/search/CatPrezSearchMap.vue
+++ b/src/components/search/CatPrezSearchMap.vue
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@ type SparqlBinding = {
 const apiBaseUrl = inject(apiBaseUrlConfigKey) as string;
 
 const { loading: catalogLoading, error: catalogError, apiGetRequest: catalogApiGetRequest } = useApiRequest();
-const { loading: themesLoading, error: themesError, sparqlGetRequest: themesSparqlGetRequest } = useSparqlRequest();
-const { loading: searchLoading, error: searchError, sparqlGetRequest: searchSparqlGetRequest } = useSparqlRequest();
+const { loading: themesLoading, error: themesError, sparqlGetRequest: themesSparqlGetRequest, sparqlPostRequest: themesSparqlPostRequest } = useSparqlRequest();
+const { loading: searchLoading, error: searchError, sparqlGetRequest: searchSparqlGetRequest, sparqlPostRequest: searchSparqlPostRequest } = useSparqlRequest();
 const { store, parseIntoStore, qnameToIri } = useRdfStore();
 
 const LIVE_SEARCH = true;
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ async function getCatalogs() {
  * Gets a list of themes from a SPARQL query from the API & creates the list of theme options
  */
 async function getThemes() {
-    const themesData = await themesSparqlGetRequest(`${apiBaseUrl}/sparql`, getThemesQuery(selectedCatalogs.value));
+    const themesData = await themesSparqlPostRequest(`${apiBaseUrl}/sparql`, getThemesQuery(selectedCatalogs.value));
     if (themesData && !themesError.value) {
         themes.value = (themesData.results.bindings as SparqlBinding[]).map(result => {
             return {
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ async function getThemes() {
  * Performs search via a SPARQL query
  */
 async function doSearch() {
-    const searchData = await searchSparqlGetRequest(`${apiBaseUrl}/sparql`, query.value);
+    const searchData = await searchSparqlPostRequest(`${apiBaseUrl}/sparql`, query.value);
     if (searchData && !searchError.value) {
         results.value = (searchData.results.bindings as SparqlBinding[]).map(result => {
             return {
diff --git a/src/components/search/SpacePrezSearchMap.vue b/src/components/search/SpacePrezSearchMap.vue
index 056fc33..48d88b3 100644
--- a/src/components/search/SpacePrezSearchMap.vue
+++ b/src/components/search/SpacePrezSearchMap.vue
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ const mapConfig = inject(mapConfigKey) as MapConfig;
 
 const { loading: datasetLoading, error: datasetError, apiGetRequest: datasetApiGetRequest } = useApiRequest(); // list of datasets
 const { loading: fcLoading, hasError: fcError, concurrentApiRequests: fcConcurrentApiRequests } = useConcurrentApiRequests(); // concurrent lists of feature collections
-const { loading: searchLoading, error: searchError, sparqlGetRequest: searchSparqlGetRequest } = useSparqlRequest(); // spatial search SPARQL query
+const { loading: searchLoading, error: searchError, sparqlGetRequest: searchSparqlGetRequest, sparqlPostRequest: searchSparqlPostRequest } = useSparqlRequest(); // spatial search SPARQL query
 const { store, parseIntoStore, qnameToIri } = useRdfStore();
 
 const LIVE_SEARCH = true;
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ async function getDatasets() {
 
 async function doSearch() {
     if (shape.value.coords.length > 0) {
-        const searchData = await searchSparqlGetRequest(`${apiBaseUrl}/sparql`, query.value);
+        const searchData = await searchSparqlPostRequest(`${apiBaseUrl}/sparql`, query.value);
         if (searchData && !searchError.value) {
             results.value = (searchData.results.bindings as SparqlBinding[]).map(result => {
                 return {
diff --git a/src/composables/api.ts b/src/composables/api.ts
index 5995527..9d473c8 100644
--- a/src/composables/api.ts
+++ b/src/composables/api.ts
@@ -253,23 +253,45 @@ export function useSparqlRequest() {
      * @returns data
      */
     async function sparqlGetRequest(url: string, query: string) {
+        return await sparqlRequest(url, query, "GET");
+    };
+
+    /**
+     * Perform an async SPARQL POST request
+     *
+     * @param path
+     * @returns data
+     */
+    async function sparqlPostRequest(url: string, query: string) {
+        return await sparqlRequest(url, query, "POST");
+    };
+
+    async function sparqlRequest(url: string, query: string, method: string) {
         loading.value = true;
         let data: any = "";
         let isGraphQuery = ["CONSTRUCT", "DESCRIBE"].some(e => query.includes(e));
-
+        let query_url = "";
+        let query_body = undefined;
+        let headers: any = {
+            "Accept": isGraphQuery ? "text/turtle" : "application/sparql-results+json"
+        };
         try {
-            const r = await fetch(`${url}?query=${encodeURIComponent(query)}`, {
-                method: "GET",
-                headers: {
-                    "Accept": isGraphQuery ? "text/turtle" : "application/sparql-results+json"
-                }
+            if (method === "GET") {
+                query_url =`${url}?query=${encodeURIComponent(query)}`
+            } else {
+                query_url = url;
+                query_body = `query=${encodeURIComponent(query)}`;
+                headers["Content-Type"] = "application/x-www-form-urlencoded";
+            }
+            const r = await fetch(query_url, {
+                method: method,
+                headers: headers,
+                body: query_body
             });
-        
             if (!r.ok) {
                 throw new NetworkError(`Network error - status code ${r.status}: ${r.statusText}`);
             }
-        
-        
+
             data = isGraphQuery ? await r.text() : await r.json();
         } catch (e) {
             if (e instanceof TypeError) { // TypeError - fetch error
@@ -288,6 +310,7 @@ export function useSparqlRequest() {
     return {
         loading,
         error,
-        sparqlGetRequest
+        sparqlGetRequest,
+        sparqlPostRequest
     };
 };
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