What is Reverse Geocoding
Reverse Geocoding is the process of converting geographic coordinates into a text-based address. This is useful for mapping and location-based services, and it also provides benefits for businesses that want to validate addresses.
Use Cases
Location tracking
Reverse geocoding can be used by tracking systems that make use of GPS coordinates to display all the locations where an item or person has been.
Location-Based Marketing
A powerful way to reach your customers. With the ability to track the locations of your customers and prospective customers, you can tailor your messaging to them based on their location, time of day, and more. If you have an ecommerce website, then this can be really helpful for knowing where your customers are coming from so that you can adjust your prices accordingly.
Social Media Marketing
Reverse geocoding can be used by various social networking tools. For example, when taking a photo at a venue or place of interest a GPS coordinate can be used to automatically tag the photo with its location via a reverse lookup.
Fleet or Delivery Tracking
Fleet and delivery tracking helps logistic operations run smoothly. The location is tracked by GPS coordinates. Employees can track which deliveries are on time, which are running behind, and which have gone missing. Customers are also able to view real time updates to their delivery.
Emergency Response
Emergency services can identify a location when someone calls a dispatcher for help. Reverse geocoding uses a mobile phone’s GPS coordinates to pinpoint the exact location from which a call is made.
Preventing Fraud
Financial companies use reverse geocoding to help detect and avoid credit card fraud. They can use a user’s coordinates to assess the likelihood of a fraudulent transaction.
Reverse Geocoding with the Ideal Postcodes API
Pass a longitude and latitude to the addresses endpoint and it returns the addresses within 100m of that point, nearest first:
https://api.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/v1/addresses?api_key=ak_test&lon=-0.12767&lat=51.503541
Each address carries its UPRN and rooftop coordinates. Details are in the reverse geocoding documentation and the addresses API reference. Forward geocoding, from address to coordinates, is covered on our geocoding page.
For bulk or bespoke requirements, contact us.