dataservices-api/doc/reference.md

# Geocoding functions

The following geocoding functions are available, grouped by categories.


## Country geocoder

This function provides a country geocoding service. It recognizes the names of the different countries from different synonyms, such as their English name, their endonym, or their ISO2 or ISO3 codes.

### cdb_geocode_admin0_polygon(_country_name text_)

#### Arguments

Name | Type | Description
--- | --- | ---
`country_name` | `text` | Name of the country

#### Returns

Geometry (polygon, EPSG 4326) or null

#### Example

##### Select

```sql
SELECT cdb_geocode_admin0_polygon('France')
```

##### Update

```sql
UPDATE {tablename} SET {the_geom} = cdb_geocode_admin0_polygon({country_column})
```


## Level-1 Administrative regions geocoder

The following functions provide a geocoding service for administrative regions of level 1 (or NUTS-1) such as states for the United States, regions in France or autonomous communities in Spain.

### cdb_geocode_admin1_polygon(_admin1_name text_)

#### Arguments

Name | Type | Description
--- | --- | ---
`admin1_name` | `text` | Name of the province/state

#### Returns

Geometry (polygon, EPSG 4326) or null

#### Example

##### Select

```sql
SELECT cdb_geocode_admin1_polygon('Alicante', 'Spain')
```

##### Update

```sql
UPDATE {tablename} SET the_geom = cdb_geocode_admin1_polygon({province_column}, {country_column})
```

### cdb_geocode_admin1_polygon(_admin1_name text, country_name text_)

#### Arguments

Name | Type | Description
--- | --- | ---
`admin1_name` | `text` | Name of the province/state
`country_name` | `text` | Name of the country in which the province/state is located

#### Returns

Geometry (polygon, EPSG 4326) or null

#### Example

##### Select

```sql
SELECT cdb_geocode_admin1_polygon('Alicante', 'Spain')
```

##### Update

```sql
UPDATE {tablename} SET the_geom = cdb_geocode_admin1_polygon({province_column}, {country_column})
```


## City geocoder

The following functions provide a city geocoder service. It is recommended to use the more specific geocoding function -- the one that requires more parameters — in order for the result to be as accurate as possible when several cities share their name.

### cdb_geocode_namedplace_point(_city_name text_)

#### Arguments

Name | Type | Description
--- | --- | ---
`city_name` | `text` | Name of the city

#### Returns

Geometry (point, EPSG 4326) or null

#### Example

##### Select

```sql
SELECT cdb_geocode_namedplace_point('Barcelona')
```

##### Update

```sql
UPDATE {tablename} SET the_geom = cdb_geocode_namedplace_point({city_column})
```

### cdb_geocode_namedplace_point(_city_name text, country_name text_)

#### Arguments

Name | Type | Description
--- | --- | ---
`city_name` | `text` | Name of the city
`country_name` | `text` | Name of the country in which the city is located

#### Returns

Geometry (point, EPSG 4326) or null

#### Example

##### Select

```sql
SELECT cdb_geocode_namedplace_point('Barcelona', 'Spain')
```

##### Update

```sql
UPDATE {tablename} SET the_geom = cdb_geocode_namedplace_point({city_column}, 'Spain')
```

### cdb_geocode_namedplace_point(_city_name text, admin1_name text, country_name text_)

#### Arguments

Name | Type | Description
--- | --- | ---
`city_name` | `text` | Name of the city
`admin1_name` | `text` | Name of the province/state in which the city is located
`country_name` | `text` | Name of the country in which the city is located

#### Returns

Geometry (point, EPSG 4326) or null

#### Example

##### Select

```sql
SELECT cdb_geocode_namedplace_point('New York', 'New York', 'USA')
```

##### Update

```sql
UPDATE {tablename} SET the_geom = cdb_geocode_namedplace_point({city_column}, {province_column}, 'Spain')
```

## Postal codes geocoder

The following functions provide a postal code geocoding service that can be used to obtain points or polygon results. The postal code polygon geocoder covers the United States, France, Australia and Canada; a request for a different country will return an empty response.

### cdb_geocode_postalcode_polygon(_postal_code text, country_name text_)

#### Arguments

Name | Type | Description
--- | --- | ---
`postal_code` | `text` | Postal code
`country_name` | `text` | Name of the country in which the postal code is located

#### Returns

Geometry (polygon, EPSG 4326) or null

#### Example

##### Select

```sql
SELECT cdb_geocode_postalcode_polygon('11211', 'USA')
```

##### Update

```sql
UPDATE {tablename} SET the_geom = cdb_geocode_postalcode_polygon({postal_code_column}, 'Spain')
```

**Note:** For the USA, US Census ZCTAs are considered.

### cdb_geocode_postalcode_point(_code text, country_name text_)

#### Arguments

Name | Type | Description
--- | --- | ---
`postal_code` | `text` | Postal code
`country_name` | `text` | Name of the country in which the postal code is located

#### Returns

Geometry (point, EPSG 4326) or null

#### Example

##### Select

```sql
SELECT cdb_geocode_postalcode_point('11211', 'USA')
```

##### Update

```sql
UPDATE {tablename} SET the_geom = cdb_geocode_postalcode_point({postal_code_column}, 'United States')
```

## IP addresses Geocoder

This function provides an IP address geocoding service, for both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.

### cdb_geocode_ipaddress_point(_ip_address text_)

#### Arguments

Name | Type | Description
--- | --- | ---
`ip_address` | `text` | Postal code
`country_name` | `text` | IPv4 or IPv6 address

#### Returns

Geometry (point, EPSG 4326) or null

#### Example

##### Select

```sql
SELECT cdb_geocode_ipaddress_point('102.23.34.1')
```

##### Update

```sql
UPDATE {tablename} SET the_geom = cdb_geocode_ipaddress_point('102.23.34.1')
```
## Street-level geocoder

This function provides a street-level geocoding service. This service uses the street level geocoder defined for the user (right now only Here geocoder is available).

**This service is subject to quota limitations, and extra fees may apply.** Please check our [terms and conditions](https://cartodb.com/terms/)

You should take into account the following remarks about the usage of this function:
  - **One credit per function call will be consumed** and the results are not cached. If the query applies to a N rows dataset, then N credits will be used.
  - You are therefore discouraged from using dynamic queries to the Geocoder API in your maps. This can result in credits consumption per map view. Furthermore, **queries to the Geocoder API in the maps may be forbidden in the future**.
  - You are advised to store results of Geocoder API queries into your datasets and refresh them as needed, so that you can have finer control on your credits' usage.

### cdb_geocode_street_point(_search_text text, [city text], [state text], [country text]_)

#### Arguments

Name | Type | Description
--- | --- | ---
`searchtext` | `text` | searchtext contains free-form text containing address elements. You can specify the searchtext parameter by itself, or you can specify it with other parameters to narrow your search. For example, you can specify the state or country parameters along with a free-form address in the searchtext field.
`city` | `text` | (Optional) Name of the city
`state` | `text` | (Optional) Name of the state
`country` | `text` | (Optional) Name of the country

#### Returns

Geometry (point, EPSG 4326) or null

#### Example

##### Select

```sql
SELECT cdb_geocode_geocode_street_point('651 Lombard Street, San Francisco, California, United States')
SELECT cdb_geocode_geocode_street_point('651 Lombard Street' 'San Francisco')
SELECT cdb_geocode_geocode_street_point('651 Lombard Street' 'San Francisco', 'California')
SELECT cdb_geocode_geocode_street_point('651 Lombard Street' 'San Francisco', 'California', 'United States')
```

##### Update

```sql
UPDATE {tablename} SET {the_geom} = cdb_geocode_street_point({street_name_column})
```