OS Names API

The OS Names API is a geographic directory containing basic information about identifiable places. It provides a reliable way of supporting the discovery, identification and visualisation of a named place. You can use it for geocoding, routing and navigation, linking diverse information (such as statistics or descriptions) and more.

The OS Names API allows you to locate a feature using only its name, or to find the closest location to a given point. Places are divided into themes, but the name of the place is the key property used in queries.

Within OS Names API, place names aren’t unique. Extra location details are provided to help you refine your queries and accurately identify the named place you're interested in. These include the postcode, district, populated place, district/borough, county/unitary authority, European region and country. Places may also have more than one name, for example Cardiff (in English) and Caerdydd (in Welsh).

Things to remember for OS Names API

You can:

• Search for areas, cities and roads.

• Search for postcodes.

• Search for named woodlands and forests.

You can't:

• Search for specific addresses (e.g. 21 Croxton Road).

• Bulk-search for addresses