A global atlas of dominant soil bacteria was developed by analyzing 237 soil samples from six continents. The study found that only 2% of bacterial phylotypes (around 500) consistently accounted for nearly half of the global soil bacterial communities. Despite the vast diversity of soil bacteria, only a few taxa are abundant globally. These dominant taxa were clustered into ecological groups to create the first global atlas of soil bacterial taxa. The study identified 511 dominant phylotypes that are widespread and abundant across soils, which represent a small subset of all bacterial taxa. These phylotypes are critical for understanding soil microbial functions and their role in ecosystem processes. The study also identified ecological preferences and mapped the global distribution of these dominant phylotypes. The results show that soil bacterial communities are typically dominated by a small subset of phylotypes, which can be clustered into predictable ecological groups based on environmental preferences. The study highlights the importance of genomic data for understanding the ecological attributes of these dominant phylotypes and emphasizes the need for further genomic research to improve our understanding of soil microbial communities. The findings provide a foundation for predicting the spatial distribution of soil bacteria and improving our ability to manage soil microbial communities for ecosystem functions.A global atlas of dominant soil bacteria was developed by analyzing 237 soil samples from six continents. The study found that only 2% of bacterial phylotypes (around 500) consistently accounted for nearly half of the global soil bacterial communities. Despite the vast diversity of soil bacteria, only a few taxa are abundant globally. These dominant taxa were clustered into ecological groups to create the first global atlas of soil bacterial taxa. The study identified 511 dominant phylotypes that are widespread and abundant across soils, which represent a small subset of all bacterial taxa. These phylotypes are critical for understanding soil microbial functions and their role in ecosystem processes. The study also identified ecological preferences and mapped the global distribution of these dominant phylotypes. The results show that soil bacterial communities are typically dominated by a small subset of phylotypes, which can be clustered into predictable ecological groups based on environmental preferences. The study highlights the importance of genomic data for understanding the ecological attributes of these dominant phylotypes and emphasizes the need for further genomic research to improve our understanding of soil microbial communities. The findings provide a foundation for predicting the spatial distribution of soil bacteria and improving our ability to manage soil microbial communities for ecosystem functions.