Address Autocomplete
A tool to extract address suggestions for a complete or partial address. For more information, view our Address Finder.
Alias Data
Alias data is information the public choose to use when addressing mail, but which isn’t actually required for delivery purposes.
Allowed URLs
A list of website addresses that can perform lookups using your API Key.
API
API stands for Application Programming Interface. It is a set of tools designed to create applications that access data of an operating system, application, or other service.
Closed User Group
A Closed User Group is
“ an End User’s network of businesses comprising that End User and not less than 10 Business Partners all of a single type.” ¹
County
A county is a subnational division of the United Kingdom, used for the purposes of administrative or geographical demarcation.
Data Cleansing
Data cleansing is a solution to remove duplicates, organise data in a consistent format and correct inaccurate data.
Data Extraction
The extraction of PAF Data or any part of it for the generation of new address records in a new or existing database.
Delivery Point
The letterbox where the mail is delivered.
Delivery Point Suffix
A Delivery Point Suffix is a digit followed by a letter, which is used to identify mailboxes in the UK.
Dependent Thoroughfare
Distinguishes a premise when a thoroughfare appears more than once in a post town.
Dependent Locality
Distinguishes a premise when an address thoroughfare appears more than once in the same post town.
End User
An End User is a single legal entity entering into a PAF®, Multiple Residence™ or Not Yet Built™ licence agreement. Find out what classifies an End User.
Full/Part NYB
All elements recorded in the Not Yet Built dataset. Full NYB is every element below. Part NYB is the reduced set Royal Mail permits under a Part licence.
| Record element | Included in |
|---|---|
| Organisation Name | Full only |
| Department Name | Full only |
| PO Box | Full and Part |
| Sub Building Name | Full only |
| Building Name | Full only |
| Building Number | Full only |
| Thoroughfare | Full and Part |
| Dependant Thoroughfare | Full and Part |
| Dependant Locality | Full and Part |
| Double Dependant Locality | Full and Part |
| Post Town | Full and Part |
| Postcode | Full and Part |
| Delivery Point Suffix | Full only |
| Checksum Digit | Full only |
| UDPRN | Full only |
| Postcode Type (small or large user) | Full and Part |
| Small User Org Indicator | Full only |
| Delivery Point Count for Postcode | Full and Part |
| Concatenation Indicator | Full only |
| Address Keys | Full only |
| Organisation Key | Full only |
| Number of Households | Full only |
| DP Use Indicators | Full only |
Source: Royal Mail, Full and Part NYB Table (2018). 9 of 23 elements are in Part NYB.
Full/Part PAF
All elements recorded in PAF data. Full PAF is every element below. Part PAF is the reduced set Royal Mail permits under a Part licence.
| Record element | Included in |
|---|---|
| Organisation Name | Full only |
| Department Name | Full only |
| PO Box | Full and Part |
| Sub Building Name | Full only |
| Building Name | Full only |
| Building Number | Full only |
| Thoroughfare | Full and Part |
| Dependant Thoroughfare | Full and Part |
| Dependant Locality | Full and Part |
| Double Dependant Locality | Full and Part |
| Post Town | Full and Part |
| Postcode | Full and Part |
| Delivery Point Suffix | Full only |
| Checksum Digit | Full only |
| UDPRN | Full only |
| Postcode Type (small or large user) | Full and Part |
| Small User Org Indicator | Full only |
| Delivery Point Count for Postcode | Full and Part |
| Mailsort code | Full and Part |
| Concatenation Indicator | Full only |
| Address Keys | Full only |
| Organisation Key | Full only |
| Number of Households | Full only |
| DP Use Indicators | Full only |
| Alias - Delivery Point | Full only |
| Alias - Thoroughfare/Dependent Thoroughfare | Full and Part |
| Alias - Locality | Full and Part |
| Alias - Traditional County | Full and Part |
| Alias - Former Postal County | Full and Part |
| Alias - Administrative County | Full and Part |
| Welsh - Dependent Thoroughfare | Full and Part |
| Welsh - Dependent Locality | Full and Part |
| Welsh - Double Dependent Locality | Full and Part |
| Welsh - Post Town | Full and Part |
Source: Royal Mail, Full and Part PAF Table (2018). 19 of 34 elements are in Part PAF. The last four apply to Welsh PAF records only.
Fuzzy matching
A smart search functionality to correct typos or spelling mistakes. See more features on our address finder page.
Geocoding
Taking an address and returning a latitude/longitude location.
Internal User
Any staff member in an organisation authorised to use addressing data. Read more on End Users on our internal user guide.
Licensee
An End User of PAF data licensed by a Sublicensing Key. For more information, please visit our Sublicensing guide.
Licensee Key
A type of API Key that an individual Licensee can use to access PAF data
Multiple Residence
The Multiple Residence dataset identifies and verifies premises where households share the same letter box and provides a detailed address structure for these properties. Read more in our Multiple Residence guide.
Not Yet Built
The Not Yet Built dataset is an additional database from Royal Mail that lists properties currently in planning or under construction. Read more in our Not Yet Built guide.
Organisation Use
Available solutions to cover unlimited users. Contact us for high volume usage.
PAF Data
Royal Mail’s Postcode Address File (PAF) is a database containing 32 million postal delivery addresses and 1.8 million postcodes. Read more on PAF.
Postcode
Combination of alphanumeric characters used as part of a postal address. Every property in the UK has a postcode assigned to it. Learn how UK postcodes are formatted.
Postcode Area
Postcode Area refers to geographic areas defined by the first or first and second alphabetic characters of the postcode.
Postcode Lookup
A tool to search UK addresses from a postcode. View and try our Postcode Lookup demo.
Post Town
The town Royal Mail routes mail through for a postcode. It represents the postal delivery locality and not necessarily the geographic locality, so it can differ from the town a premise is actually in.
Service Level Agreement (SLA)
An agreement between a vendor and a customer outlining the services expected, how it is measured, and the remedies and penalties if the agreed service levels are not met.
Solution
A product or service which benefits from or includes PAF data. Find out more about our solutions and how we can help.
Sub-Building
A sub-building is known as a sub-premise, such as an apartment, flat, or suite.
Sublicensing Key
A type of API Key that can additionally create Licensee Keys.
Thoroughfare
A Thoroughfare is known as the street or road.
Unique Delivery Point Reference Number (UDPRN)
A unique code used to identify a delivery point (i.e. premise) in PAF.
Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN)
A unique identifier for a UK addressable location, allocated by local authorities and managed nationally by GeoPlace, then published in Ordnance Survey's AddressBase products.
Unique Street Reference Number (USRN)
A unique identifier for every street in Great Britain.
User
A User is anyone authorised by an End User to use a Solution.
Website Use
The use of PAF data to capture or verify addresses on webpages, mobile applications or landing pages.
¹ Glossary of Licensing Terms. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.poweredbypaf.com/licence-our-products/glossary