AddressBase

AddressBase | Data Products | Ordnance SurveyOrdnance Survey

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

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.

Benefits

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.

Use Cases

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.

Summary

• Access: Download

• Data theme: Address

• Data structure: Vector – Points

• Coverage: Great Britain

• Scale: 1:1 250 to 1: 10 000

• Format: CSV, GML 3.2.1

• Ordering area: All of Great Britain or customisable area (5km² tiles or user-defined polygon)

• OS Data Hub plan: Public Sector Plan, Premium Plan, Energy & Infrastructure Plan

Additional Information

House to flat conversions

To find out details such as houses that have been converted to flats, you'll need AddressBase Plus. it includes current properties and addresses sourced from local authorities, Ordnance Survey and Royal Mail. These are all matched to the UPRN and structured in a flat-file model.

AddressBase Plus has more records than AddressBase as it includes objects without postal addresses such as places of worship and community centres – as well as sub-divided properties. It lets you locate an address or property on a map, through the assigned X and Y coordinates.

Crucially, the cross-referencing information with OS MasterMap products via Topographic Identifiers (TOIDs) means you can view address data within a wider context.

Paying Royal Mail royalties as a commercial customer

Royal Mail royalties are included in the licence fee. A separate Royal Mail royalty fee applies if you license the AddressBase data on External Transaction Solution (ETS) terms.

File size

If the file size of your order is smaller than 2Gb, you can get it from our FTP server. in addition, public sector customers can download 5km chunk orders via our download service.

Data from Royal Mail’s PAF

The database is a vital component of the single address gazetteer database and is in each of the AddressBase products where there has been a match confirming the address to the LLPG address.

How to get this product

Access to this product is free for Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA) Members. Find out if you are a PSGA Member or download a sample of AddressBase data by accessing the AddressBase product page of the OS website, which has links to all of the relevant resources. Alternatively, you can try out the full product by applying for a Data Exploration license.

Visualise AddressBase data online

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

OS MasterMap Product Viewer

Interactive demonstrator of OS MasterMap Generation data

What's next?

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

AddressBase Lightning Talk

A helpful introductory article hosted on our More than Maps platform providing additional information and context about using AddressBase data.

AddressBase Fundamentals

The AddressBase Fundamentals pages provide an overview of the 'family' of AddressBase products, covering key elements of design for AddressBase products.

Getting Started Guide

The getting started guide provides instructions for using three AddressBase products in different software applications. Users with limited technical knowledge will be able to follow this guide.

Technical Specification

The technical specification provides detailed technical information about AddressBase. It is targeted at technical users and software developers.

Downloads

The downloads page provides links and resources to support the application of AddressBase within your environment.

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.