# AddressBase Getting Started Guide

{% hint style="info" %}
These instructions show you how to get started with [AddressBase](/os-downloads/products/addresses-and-names-portfolio/addressbase.md), [AddressBase Plus](/os-downloads/products/addresses-and-names-portfolio/addressbase-plus.md) and [AddressBase Plus Islands](/os-downloads/products/addresses-and-names-portfolio/addressbase-plus-islands.md).
{% endhint %}

AddressBase products are created by bringing together different address sources:

* Local Authority Gazetteers across Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
* Royal Mail PAF data
* References to Valuation Office Agency (VOA) data
* Additional addresses and coordinates from Ordnance Survey

The data is supplied as comma-separated values (CSV) or Geography Markup Language (GML). 

<figure><img src="/files/mgyfHVAkAPYJfau96jJl" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

This getting started guide shows you how to obtain a data supply, load and work with AddressBase data. It includes the following sections:

* [Prerequisites](/os-downloads/products/addresses-and-names-portfolio/addressbase/addressbase-getting-started-guide/prerequisites.md)
* [Data supply](/os-downloads/products/addresses-and-names-portfolio/addressbase/addressbase-getting-started-guide/data-supply.md)
* [Working with CSV data](/os-downloads/products/addresses-and-names-portfolio/addressbase/addressbase-getting-started-guide/working-with-csv-data.md)
* [Working with GML data](/os-downloads/products/addresses-and-names-portfolio/addressbase/addressbase-getting-started-guide/working-with-gml-data.md)
* [Working with COU data](/os-downloads/products/addresses-and-names-portfolio/addressbase/addressbase-getting-started-guide/working-with-cou-data.md)
* [Creating a single-line or multi-line address](/os-downloads/products/addresses-and-names-portfolio/addressbase/addressbase-getting-started-guide/creating-a-single-line-or-multi-line-address.md)
* [Searching for addresses](/os-downloads/products/addresses-and-names-portfolio/addressbase/addressbase-getting-started-guide/searching-for-addresses.md)


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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.os.uk/os-downloads/products/addresses-and-names-portfolio/addressbase/addressbase-getting-started-guide.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.