What we shipped this month: geocoding, IP, time zone and more
A roundup of recent work across the API: new compatibility hosts, faster time zone and elevation lookups, dashboard features, and clearer quota visibility.
Tag
#api
A grace period before an unverified key pauses
A new account's keys keep working for a grace period after signup, pausing only if the email address is never confirmed within that window.
A new bulk endpoint for address lists
Address lists can now be sent as a single bulk call, with each address counted individually rather than the whole call counting as one request.
IP threat and network detail available on request
Adding mg_extras=1 or an X-MG-Extras header to an IP lookup now returns optional threat and network detail on top of the standard response.
Faster response times after an infrastructure upgrade
An infrastructure upgrade across our serving stack has reduced response times platform-wide, with no change to any request or response format.
A dedicated postal code lookup endpoint
Postal code lookup now has its own dedicated endpoint, separate from general geocoding, with its own documentation and request parameters.
Autocomplete suggestions added across compatible hosts
Address autocomplete requests are now supported across the compatibility hosts that offer it, matching each provider's own autocomplete request shape.
A faster elevation endpoint for long routes
The elevation endpoint now handles long routes made up of many coordinates more efficiently, aimed at routing and hiking applications that request elevation profiles.
A public compatibility matrix: seventeen hosts, one key
A single page now lists all seventeen compatibility hosts side by side, making it easy to see which providers can be swapped in with one key.
Rate limits, explained in plain language
Rate limits on My Geocode are simpler than they sound: a free daily allowance per network and per key, then prepaid credit or Unlimited coverage.
Postal code coverage extended to more countries
Postal code lookup coverage now extends to more countries than before, widening the reach of the postal code endpoint for a broader set of applications.
Elevation data refreshed for better accuracy in mountainous regions
Elevation data behind /v1/elevation has been refreshed, improving accuracy specifically in steep and mountainous terrain where older data tends to fall short.
Faster time zone lookups after rebuilding our lookup table
The timezone lookup table behind every request has been rebuilt for speed, with no change to the request shape or response fields.
Moving off a HERE autosuggest integration
HERE's autosuggest has its own request pattern distinct from geocoding. Here is what to think through before moving it to a new provider.
Moving off a Bing Maps elevation integration
Bing's elevation data ties into its broader Maps account. Here is how to extract and migrate just that dependency.
Moving off a Bing Maps time zone integration
Bing's time zone data is often tied to the same account as its geocoding calls. Here is how to separate and migrate that one piece.
Quota headers on every response: know your limit before you call
Every My Geocode response carries a full set of quota headers, so a script can know exactly where it stands without a separate usage lookup.
Moving off a Google Places autocomplete integration
Autocomplete is one of the trickier pieces to migrate because its request pattern and session behavior differ across providers. Here is what to plan for.
Moving off a Google Maps Platform elevation integration
Elevation lookups are usually a small dependency inside a bigger Google Maps account. Here is how to move that specific piece cleanly.
Moving off a Google Maps Platform time zone integration
A Google time zone lookup is often bundled with a bigger Maps Platform account. Here is how to move just that piece.
Migrating from ipstack
ipstack's nested connection object and access_key parameter are common patterns to preserve during a migration. Here is how that works.
Migrating from ipinfo.io
ipinfo.io's compact loc and org fields shaped a lot of downstream code. Here is what a migration to a compatible drop-in host preserves.
Migrating from ip-api.com
ip-api.com's flat JSON response is widely copied elsewhere in the industry. Here is what changes when you migrate that specific integration.
Migrating from Open-Elevation
Open-Elevation is a self-hosted, open source elevation API with a simple request shape. Here is what moving to a managed endpoint changes.
IPv6 support across every endpoint
Every endpoint now treats an IPv6 address exactly like an IPv4 one, from lookups and quota counting to the free allowance shared across a network.
Reading the confidence and precision fields correctly
Precision tells you what kind of match you got. Confidence tells you how sure the geocoder is. Mixing up the two leads to bad filtering logic.
Keyless access: 2,500 free lookups a day, no signup required
No account, no card and no key needed to start. Any address gets up to 2,500 free geocoding, IP, timezone and elevation requests a day.