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AddressBase

AddressBase provides a current view of all Royal Mail Postcode Address File (PAF) addresses that have been matched to the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) and One Scotland Gazetteer (OSG). The product provides Royal Mail attribution as well as enhancing the Royal Mail Postcode Address File (PAF) data with X and Y coordinates on the British National Grid and ETRS89 coordinate reference system and providing the classification of an address to a primary level. It also provides a primary level classification.

This product will provide you with a single view of an address, allow you to locate this address on a map to give you a geographic view and carry out primary analysis on the function of the address to determine, for example, residential from commercial properties.

This product is updated every six weeks.

Representation of AddressBase data showing address data as red dots against a background map
Representation of AddressBase data.

Please see the AddressBase Getting Started Guide for instructions on how to load and work with AddressBase data; this is a composite guide for AddressBase, AddressBase Plus and AddressBase Plus Islands.

Precision identification

Identify a property and locate it on a map with precision – using the X and Y coordinates we’ve assigned to the Royal Mail Postcode Address File (PAF) data.

Understand the nation with PAF

Every address geo data record provides Royal Mail address information from PAF, the Unique Delivery Point Reference Number (UDPRN) and X and Y coordinates.

Track customer data

Using the basic classifications in AddressBase you can quickly filter between residential and commercial addresses, which is ideal for marketing purposes.

Reduce marketing costs

Our basic classifications – residential or commercial – will reduce the costs and increase the effectiveness of your direct marketing.

Confidence in data

In customer services, the need for accuracy is paramount. Have confidence in your front-line staff’s ability to look up addresses on a database of millions, quickly and efficiently.

How to get this product

Access to this product is free for PSGA (Public Sector Geospatial Agreement) Members. You can check if your organisation is a member of the PSGA on the OS website.

The AddressBase product page on the OS website has advice on how to get the product for businesses, developers, Partners and PSGA Members (i.e. government and the public sector).

Alternatively, you can try out the full product by applying for a Data Exploration license.

Sample data

Download AddressBase sample data

You can download sample data for the product for free from the OS Data Hub. The sample data are available in CSV format and cover one area (Exeter).

Visualise AddressBase sample data online

This product is available to try out free online using one of our three sets of sample data (Exeter, Newport and Inverness) through the OS MasterMap Product Viewer:

What's next?

To access documentation and resources relating to this product, please refer to the following:

New users should start with the Fundamentals pages to gain high-level insight into AddressBase products. The Getting Started Guide will help you to begin using product data in different software systems. The Technical Specification contains detailed technical insights.

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