Perform accurate geocoding and reverse geocoding with our secure, scalable, and resilient address look-up web service.
Search by postcode, UPRN, full or partial address and ensure you get the right address first time. Keep your records accurate to provide effective citizen services.
When an incident happens, control room staff need to know which properties are closest. The OS Places API GeoSearch tool gives instant answers. This helps create the common operating picture that’s vital for emergency services.
Capture and Verify
Improve efficiency – use OS Places API to verify the data you’re capturing against Ordnance Survey’s AddressBase® Premium dataset.
Edit out-of-date (or partial) details of residential and commercial properties in your own databases and add unique references to your properties, via the UPRN, for enhanced data management.
With OS Places API you can add intuitive address search (geocoding) capabilities to your applications. Let a user search a full or partial address, a postcode or a UPRN and find the complete address including its location.
GeoSearch
Make sure OS Places is driving your applications, and users will have access to some of the most sophisticated online GeoSearch services.
Let them draw their own bounding boxes or define a specific radius search area, and use the API to pull up all known address data within that location. Alternatively, let users click on a map and discover the nearest address.
Endpoints
OS Places API has 7 endpoints available to the Public Sector under the PSGA, each giving you a different way to find addresses.
Capture and Verification
- Find - Free text search
- Postcode - Search by postcode
- UPRN - Search by Unique Property Reference Number
GeoSearch
- Nearest - Find addresses near to a given location
- Bounding Box - Find all addresses within a given bounding box
- Radius - Find all addresses within a given radius
- Polygon - Find all addresses within a given area of interest
Specifications
| Key Features | What this product offers |
|---|---|
| Format | JSON and XML |
| Update Frequency | Every six weeks |
| Projection | British National Grid (EPSG: 27700), EPSG:4326, EPSG:3857 or EPSG:4258. |
| Availability | 99.9% uptime |
| Supply | Access via the OS Data Hub |
| Coverage | Address, geometry and UPRN for GB; address only for Northern Ireland |
Licensing
OS Data Hub plans
- For PSGA members.
- Can be used for core business and to develop an app or service for a third party, such as the public or another organisation
- Free unlimited transactions
- See the OS Data Hub Plans for more information.
Not in the Public Sector? Visit https://developer.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/os-places-api for more information about getting access.
OS Places API FAQs
Case studies
BT connected to UK mapping data
British Telecom (BT) combined data from Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland in one seamless service to create a dataset for the UK.
The mobile app that makes exploring the British countryside easy
Using Ordnance Survey’s API, the Outdoors GPS app helps outdoor enthusiasts find their way – by providing OS Maps at any time, in any location – both on and offline.
Using OS data to help fix the housing market
How Sprift, a UK tech start-up and OS Partner has used brought together location intelligence on any property in the country, in one place, online.