# Ideal Postcodes

> UK and International address validation, postcode lookup and address data. Royal Mail PAF and Ordnance Survey data through a JSON API, drop-in widgets and platform integrations.

Ideal Postcodes is a UK and International address data platform allowing companies to capture, clean and verify addresses. Lookups are charged per address against a credit balance. Credits are a one-off purchase valid for 12 months, with no recurring subscription. Every UK result carries a UPRN and rooftop-accurate coordinates at no extra cost. Address search covers over 240 countries. The company is ISO 27001 certified and GDPR compliant.

## Products

- [Address Finder](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/address-finder): address autocomplete and validation for web forms, UK and international
- [Postcode Lookup](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/postcode-lookup): find a UK address from its postcode
- [Address Cleanse](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/address-cleanse): correct and enrich existing address records by API, bulk file or CLI
- [Address Database](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/address-database): a licensed extract of the UK address file for internal business use, as CSV or Excel
- [Geocoding](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/geocoding): rooftop-accurate coordinates for UK addresses
- [UPRN](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/uprn): retrieve and search UK Unique Property Reference Numbers
- [Global addressing](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/global-addressing): coverage and data source by country

## Documentation

- [Developer documentation](https://docs.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/): API reference, widget guides, CLI and integration setup
- [Machine-readable documentation index](https://docs.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/llms.txt)
- [OpenAPI reference](https://docs.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/api)

## Buying and support

- [Pricing](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/pricing): per-lookup pricing and credit packs
- [Integrations](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/address-validation-integrations): ecommerce, CRM, form builder and page builder integrations
- [Customer stories](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/customer-stories): named customers and what they use
- [Changelog](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/changelog): what shipped and when
- [Support](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/support): live chat and email support
- [Contact](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/contact-us): sales and general enquiries

## Guides

Reference articles on UK addressing, address data and address validation. Index: https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides

### UK Address Information

- [Missing Address](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/missing-address): Why Your Address Might Not Be Showing on Royal Mail's Postcode Address File. We list the top reasons why this might happen and what you can do about it.
- [Postcode Areas](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/postcode-areas): A complete list of UK postcode areas and regions
- [Postcode Data List Directory](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/postcode-data-list-directory): Links to Downloads of Various UK Postcode Data Lists
- [Postcode Facts](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/postcode-facts): Interesting Facts and Information About Postcodes
- [The UK Postcode Format](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/uk-postcode-format): A comprehensive outline of UK postcode patterns, its constituent components and how they can be utilised. Split a postcode into outward code, inward code, postcode area, district code, sub-district code, postcode sector and postcode unit.
- [Thoroughfare Descriptors](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/thoroughfare-descriptors): List of Thoroughfare & Dependent Thoroughfare descriptors in the UK
- [UK Address Guidelines](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/good-addressing-guidelines): Ensure your mail is correctly addressed with our UK clear addressing guidelines

### Address Data

- [Address Database](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/address-lists): Extract UK Address Lists to Power Your Database and Bolster Your Marketing Strategies
- [Allowed Characters in PAF](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/paf-allowed-characters): List of Characters Found in the Postcode Address File
- [Eircode Products for Business](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/eircode-products): The Eircode Address File (ECAF) and Eircode Address Database (ECAD)
- [Multiple Residence](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/multiple-residence): What is the Multiple Residence dataset? Multiple residences in the UK are sub-premises situated within multiple occupancy buildings. Learn more on our guide.
- [NACE Codes](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/nace): Nomenclature of Economic Activities - The Four Digit Classification Code
- [Non-Unique Addresses](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/non-unique-address): What is a non-unique address
- [Not Yet Built Dataset](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/not-yet-built): The Not Yet Built Dataset Is an Additional Database from Royal Mail That Lists Properties Currently in Planning or under Construction
- [Office for National Statistics Postcode Directory (ONSPD) Licensing](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/onspd-licensing): ONSPD Licensing: How Data from Postcodes.io Can Be Used
- [PAF Alias Data](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/alias-data): What is alias in a delivery address?
- [Reverse Address Geocoding](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/reverse-geocoding): What is Reverse Geocoding and how is it useful?
- [UDPRN: Unique Delivery Point Reference Number](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/udprn): Understanding the Unique ID Number Assigned to Every Premise in the UK
- [UPRN: Unique Property Reference Number](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/uprn): What Is a UPRN, Its Uses and How It Complements the Postcode Address File
- [USRN: Unique Street Reference Number](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/usrn): Understanding the Unique Identifier for Every Street Across Great Britain
- [What is an Eircode](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/eircode): Eircode is a postcode system used in Ireland to identify properties and improve mail delivery. It consists of a seven-character code. Find out more.
- [What is Gaeltacht](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/gaeltacht): The significance of Gaeltacht and preserving the Irish language - Gaelic
- [What is Rooftop Geocoding?](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/geocodes): Understanding the Importance of Address Geocoding and Use Cases
- [What Is the Postcode Address File (PAF®)?](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/what-is-paf): The Most Accurate and Reliable Address Dataset for the UK, Provided by Royal Mail

### Address Validation

- [Address Autocomplete](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/address-autocomplete): Address autocomplete is a form function that helps users input addresses more accurately by providing real-time, valid address suggestions as they type.
- [Address Cleanse](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/address-cleanse): Understanding Address Cleanse
- [Address Validation](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/address-validation): What Is Address Validation and How Does It Work?
- [Address Validation for Mobile Devices](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/mobile-devices): How to improve your mobile conversions
- [Address Verification System or Address Validation?](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/address-verification): Address Verification System and Address Validation sound alike, but they are tools which have different uses
- [Fuzzy Address Search](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/fuzzy-matching): How you can reduce address entry errors and improve search results in real time
- [Glossary](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/glossary): A Glossary of Address Terms
- [Implementing Address Validation Solutions](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/address-validation-for-developers): A Developer's Guide for Seamless Integration
- [Postcode Lookup or Address Finder](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/postcode-lookup-vs-address-finder): How to Choose Between Postcode Lookup and Address Finder
- [Postcode Validation](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/postcode-validation): How to Validate a UK Postcode. Evaluating the Trade-offs for Various Solutions Including Postcode Lookup Services, Proprietary Postcode Datasets, Free Datasets and Regular Expressions (Regex)
- [Screen Reader](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/screen-reader-compatibility): Screen reader compatibility is available for our address validation solutions

### Other

- [Address Validation Solutions for SMEs](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/address-validation-for-sme): Boosting Efficiency and Customer Satisfaction
- [End User - Who Is Licensed to Use the Data?](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/end-user): Identifying the Final User of Royal Mail's Dataset
- [Enterprise Address Validation Solutions](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/address-validation-for-enterprise): Streamlining Operations and Data Management
- [Internal User Licensing](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/internal-user): What Is an Internal User? When Is It Correct to License This Way?
- [MicroMkt Address Validation](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/micromkt): Add Address Validation to Your MicroMkt Suite in a Few Simple Steps
- [Pricing Plans](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/pricing-plans): Ideal Postcodes' Available Pricing Plans
- [Quick Account Setup on Ideal Postcodes](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/account-setup): Step by Step Guide on Creating an Ideal Postcodes Account, Creating a Key and Enabling Automated Top-ups
- [Royal Mail Charity Registration](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/royal-mail-charity-registration): How a Small Charity Gets Its Royal Mail PAF Licence Through Ideal Postcodes
- [Run Postcodes.io Database Locally](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/postcodes-io-database): Run a Local Instance of the Latest Postcodes.io Database and Start Dispatching SQL Queries in Minutes
- [Sublicensing](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/sublicensing): How Resellers License, Monitor and Bill Their Clients Under One Account
- [What Is A Lookup and a Credit?](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/what-is-a-lookup): How Credits Are Counted Across Ideal Postcodes Address Search and Validation APIs
- [What is Email Validation](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/email-validation): Understanding the importance of email validation for accurate communication and data management
- [What is Phone Validation](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides/phone-validation): Maximising Efficiency and Accuracy with Phone Number Validation