Inaccurate postal code and address data

Hi Guys,

We are using your address search functionality across several of our sites, but we are seeing some weird results, particularly related to postal codes in our main markets, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the UK.

The issues are reproduceable through the web portal https://community.algolia.com/places/ , and also in the API.

Here are a few “rough” examples. I have verified the expected data through local postcode registers as well as the competition google maps.

Please advice if this data is due for an update soon, or we would have to use a more accurate service provider, to help our customers fill out their address data.

Query 1: Bergthorasgade 15, Copenhagen, Region Hovedstaden, Denmark

Response (Wrong suburb and postal code);

{
  "query": "Bergthorasgade 15",
  "suggestion": {
    "name": "Bergthorasgade 15",
    "administrative": "Region Hovedstaden",
    "city": "Copenhagen",
    "suburb": "Christianshavn",
    "country": "Denmark",
    "countryCode": "dk",
    "type": "address",
    "latlng": {
      "lat": 55.6641,
      "lng": 12.58
    },
    "postcode": "0999",
    "highlight": {
      "name": "<em>Bergthorasgade</em> <em>15</em>",
      "city": "Copenhagen",
      "administrative": "Region Hovedstaden",
      "country": "Denmark",
      "suburb": "Christianshavn"
    },
    "value": "Bergthorasgade 15, Copenhagen, Region Hovedstaden, Denmark"
  }
}

Should return;

{
  "query": "Bergthorasgade 15",
  "suggestion": {
    "name": "Bergthorasgade 15",
    "administrative": "Region Hovedstaden",
    "city": "Copenhagen",
    "suburb": "København S",
    "country": "Denmark",
    "countryCode": "dk",
    "type": "address",
    "latlng": {
      "lat": 55.6641,
      "lng": 12.58
    },
    "postcode": "2300",
    "highlight": {
      "name": "<em>Bergthorasgade</em> <em>15</em>",
      "city": "Copenhagen",
      "administrative": "Region Hovedstaden",
      "country": "Denmark",
      "suburb": "København S"
    },
    "value": "Bergthorasgade 15, Copenhagen, Region Hovedstaden, Denmark"
  }
}

Query 2: Adolf Fredriksgatan 7, Malmö, Skåne län, Sweden

Response (Wrong postal code);

{
  "query": "Adolf Fredriksgatan 7, Malmö, Skåne län, Sweden",
  "suggestion": {
    "name": "Adolf Fredriksgatan 7",
    "administrative": "Skåne län",
    "city": "Malmö",
    "suburb": "Fridhem",
    "country": "Sweden",
    "countryCode": "se",
    "type": "address",
    "latlng": {
      "lat": 55.5986,
      "lng": 12.9664
    },
    "postcode": "200 01",
    "highlight": {
      "name": "<em>Adolf</em> <em>Fredriksgatan</em> <em>7</em>",
      "city": "<em>Malmö</em>",
      "administrative": "<em>Skåne</em> <em>län</em>",
      "country": "<em>Sweden</em>",
      "suburb": "Fridhem"
    },
    "value": "Adolf Fredriksgatan 7, Malmö, Skåne län, Sweden"
  }
}

Should return;

{
  "query": "Adolf Fredriksgatan 7, Malmö, Skåne län, Sweden",
  "suggestion": {
    "name": "Adolf Fredriksgatan 7",
    "administrative": "Skåne län",
    "city": "Malmö",
    "suburb": "Fridhem",
    "country": "Sweden",
    "countryCode": "se",
    "type": "address",
    "latlng": {
      "lat": 55.5986,
      "lng": 12.9664
    },
    "postcode": "217 74",
    "highlight": {
      "name": "<em>Adolf</em> <em>Fredriksgatan</em> <em>7</em>",
      "city": "<em>Malmö</em>",
      "administrative": "<em>Skåne</em> <em>län</em>",
      "country": "<em>Sweden</em>",
      "suburb": "Fridhem"
    },
    "value": "Adolf Fredriksgatan 7, Malmö, Skåne län, Sweden"
  }
}

Query 3: Eilert Sundts gate 31, Oslo, Oslo, Norway

Response (Wrong postal code, possibly suburb too);

{
  "query": "Eilert Sundts gate 31",
  "suggestion": {
    "name": "Eilert Sundts gate 31",
    "administrative": "Oslo",
    "city": "Oslo",
    "suburb": "Briskeby",
    "country": "Norway",
    "countryCode": "no",
    "type": "address",
    "latlng": {
      "lat": 59.9219,
      "lng": 10.7182
    },
    "postcode": "0001",
    "highlight": {
      "name": "<em>Eilert</em> <em>Sundts</em> <em>gate</em> <em>31</em>",
      "city": "Oslo",
      "administrative": "Oslo",
      "country": "Norway",
      "suburb": "Briskeby"
    },
    "value": "Eilert Sundts gate 31, Oslo, Oslo, Norway"
  }
}

Should return;

{
  "query": "Eilert Sundts gate 31",
  "suggestion": {
    "name": "Eilert Sundts gate 31",
    "administrative": "Oslo",
    "city": "Oslo",
    "suburb": "Briskeby",
    "country": "Norway",
    "countryCode": "no",
    "type": "address",
    "latlng": {
      "lat": 59.9219,
      "lng": 10.7182
    },
    "postcode": "0259",
    "highlight": {
      "name": "<em>Eilert</em> <em>Sundts</em> <em>gate</em> <em>31</em>",
      "city": "Oslo",
      "administrative": "Oslo",
      "country": "Norway",
      "suburb": "Briskeby"
    },
    "value": "Eilert Sundts gate 31, Oslo, Oslo, Norway"
  }
}

Query; 17 Hamilton Road, London Borough of Ealing, England, United Kingdom

Returns (Wrong postal code);

{
  "query": "17 Hamilton Rd, Ealing",
  "suggestion": {
    "name": "17 Hamilton Road",
    "administrative": "England",
    "city": "London Borough of Ealing",
    "suburb": "Acton",
    "country": "United Kingdom",
    "countryCode": "gb",
    "type": "address",
    "latlng": {
      "lat": 51.514,
      "lng": -0.298427
    },
    "postcode": "UB18",
    "highlight": {
      "name": "<em>17</em> <em>Hamilton</em> <em>Road</em>",
      "city": "London Borough of <em>Ealing</em>",
      "administrative": "England",
      "country": "United Kingdom",
      "suburb": "Acton"
    },
    "value": "17 Hamilton Road, London Borough of Ealing, England, United Kingdom"
  }
}

Should return;

{
  "query": "17 Hamilton Rd, Ealing",
  "suggestion": {
    "name": "17 Hamilton Road",
    "administrative": "England",
    "city": "London Borough of Ealing",
    "suburb": "Acton",
    "country": "United Kingdom",
    "countryCode": "gb",
    "type": "address",
    "latlng": {
      "lat": 51.514,
      "lng": -0.298427
    },
    "postcode": "W5" or "W5 2EG",
    "highlight": {
      "name": "<em>17</em> <em>Hamilton</em> <em>Road</em>",
      "city": "London Borough of <em>Ealing</em>",
      "administrative": "England",
      "country": "United Kingdom",
      "suburb": "Acton"
    },
    "value": "17 Hamilton Road, London Borough of Ealing, England, United Kingdom"
  }
}

[stephan-v]

@ok200paul This is not about updating the info on openstreetmap because whenever I put in an address there I actually get the proper postcode, and I have tried for a lot of postcodes. There seems to be a discrepancy between whatever openstreetmap has and Algolia places right now.

[ok200paul]

These type of issues should probably be closed, pointing folks to join https://www.openstreetmap.org for them to update the info there. I’ve created an update handling my postcode issues; OSM is really nice to use and create updates on, we should all be contributing if we want to use Algolia places!