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Mapzen Search is a modern, geographic search service based entirely on open-source tools and powered entirely by open data. To start integrating Mapzen Search to your apps, you need a Mapzen developer API key. You might use this functionality in any app that has a geographic element, including ones that deliver goods, locate hotels or venues, or even provide local weather forecasts.
Through a process known as geocoding, Mapzen Search allows you to use natural language to find a particular place by entering an address or the name of a landmark or business, and then translates the result in to the geographic coordinates used by computers. Mapzen Search accesses global databases of place names and locations, but you can receive more locally relevant search results by limiting the search to a particular radius around a location (such as a cell phone), region, or country. With text autocompletion capabilities, you can search for places and match against Mapzen Search data in real-time.
Mapzen Search also enables the opposite workflow, known as reverse geocoding, to transform latitude and longitude values in to a list of places. This process attempts to find the name and address of the place nearest a longitude and latitude pair. For example, you can click a position on the map to learn which business is located there.
Features of Mapzen Search
- Forward geocoding to find a place by searching for an address or name
- Reverse geocoding to find what is located at a certain coordinate location
- Autocomplete to give real-time result suggestions without having to type the whole location
- Global coverage with prioritized local results
- Open-source software using open data sources
- Plug-in for embedding search in a Leaflet-based maps
- API with generous rate limits