Overview
positionstack is a geocoding API that converts street addresses into latitude and longitude coordinates (forward geocoding) and vice versa (reverse geocoding). It supports batch processing, making it efficient for converting many addresses at once. An API key is required and can be obtained from the positionstack website.
Beginner Tip
Always URL-encode your address query string to handle spaces and special characters correctly. The free plan supports forward geocoding only; upgrade for reverse geocoding access.
Available Data
The kind of data this API exposes, based on its documentation. We could not call the endpoint to confirm the exact field names.
Example Response
Illustrative shape only — we were not able to call this endpoint (it requires credentials or exposes no public sample URL), so the fields below show the kind of data this API returns rather than a recorded response.
{
"status": "success",
"data": {
"result": "Data from positionstack",
"description": "Forward & Reverse Batch Geocoding REST API",
"timestamp": "2025-01-15T10:00:00Z"
}
} Field Reference
latitude Latitude of the geocoded location in decimal degrees. longitude Longitude of the geocoded location in decimal degrees. label Full formatted address string returned by the geocoder. confidence Confidence score from 0 to 1 indicating how well the query matched the result. country_code ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code for the result location. Implementation Example
Calls a real endpoint of this API. Replace any placeholder credentials with your own key.
const url = "http://api.positionstack.com/v1/forward?access_key=YOUR_API_KEY&query=1600+Pennsylvania+Ave+NW,+Washington+DC";
// Replace headers or query params with the values required by this API.
const response = await fetch(url, {
headers: {
"X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
}
});
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data); What Can You Build?
Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.
Common Errors & Troubleshooting
Generated guidance based on this API's documentation, not observed by us. Treat it as a starting point and check against the provider's own error reference.
Metadata Score Breakdown
Estimated from metadata — endpoint not independently tested
Metadata estimate · endpoint not independently tested
Technical Specifications
Related Tags
Alternatives to positionstack
Technical alternatives for different use cases.
Forward and reverse geocoding with timezone info
US-specific features like census tract data
Simple geocoding with timezone detection
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