The USC Geocoder can be used from desktop and/or web applications via the Geocoding Web Service interfaces listed below. The only required information is the API key, which is available in your account profile page. You may want to read the technical details and the known bugs.

API Version - 2.0

Available Web Services

API #1 - .Net Geocode Web Service

• API that can be used from scripts, http, and SOAP compatible clients

• API URL

  https://webgis.usc.edu/Services/Geocode/WebService/GeocoderService.asmx

API #2 - HTTP Geocode Web Service (Non-parsed)

• API for non-parsed address data that can be used from scripts and http

• API URL

  https://webgis.usc.edu/Services/Geocode/WebService/GeocoderWebServiceHttpNonParsed.aspx?

  API Input Fields

  Parameter	Required	Description	Example	Possible Value
  apiKey	true	Click here for your API key	api-key-value	some text
  version	true	api version	2.0	2.0
  streetAddress	false	non-parsed street address value	3620 North Vermont Ave W.	some text
  city	false	city value	Beverly Hills	some text
  state	false	state value	CA	some text
  zip	false	zip code value	90089	some text
  verbose	false	output full details	true	true, false
  format	false	output format	csv	csv, tsv, xml

  API Output Fields and Index (for non-XML output)

  Position	Field	Required	Description
  0	TransactionId	true	query id
  1	QueryStatusCodeValue	true	result code
  2	QueryStatusCodeName	true	result code name
  3	Latitude	true	decimal degree
  4	Longitude	true	decimal degree
  5	Quality	true	geocode quality
  6	MatchType	true	geocode match type
  7	TimeTaken	true	processing time
  8	MNumber	false	street number of address that matched
  9	MPre	false	street predirectional of address that matched
  10	MName	false	street name of address that matched
  11	MSuffix	false	street suffix of address that matched
  12	MPost	false	street postdirectional of address that matched
  13	MCity	false	city of address that matched
  14	MState	false	state of address that matched
  15	MZip	false	zip of address that matched
  16	PNumber	false	parsed street number
  17	PPre	false	parsed street predirectional
  18	PName	false	parsed street name
  19	PSuffix	false	parsed street suffix
  20	PPost	false	parsed street postdirectional
  21	PPostOfficeBoxType	false	parsed post office box type
  22	PPostOfficeBoxNumber	false	parsed post office box number
  23	PCity	false	parsed city
  24	PState	false	parsed state
  25	PZip	false	parsed zip
  26	PZipPlus2	false	parsed zip+2
  27	PZipPlus3	false	parsed zip+3
  28	PZipPlus4	false	parsed zip+4
  29	PZipPlus5	false	parsed zip+5
  30	FNumber	false	street number of matched feature
  31	FPre	false	street predirectional of matched feature
  32	FName	false	street name of matched feature
  33	FSuffix	false	street suffix of matched feature
  34	FPost	false	street postdirectional of matched feature
  35	FCity	false	city of matched feature
  36	FState	false	state of matched feature
  37	FZip	false	zip of matched feature

  
  Notes
  - M____: The attribute value of your input address that used in finding a reference feature
  - P____: The equivalent parsed attribute value of your input address
  - F____: The attribute value of the matched reference feature used for interpolation
  

• API Examples

  Example 1 - 9355 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (CSV)
  
  Example 2 - 9355 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (XML)
  
  Example 3 - 9355 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (CSV, Verbose)
  
  Example 4 - 9355 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (TSV, Verbose)
  
  Example 5 - 9355 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (XML, Verbose)
  
  Example 6 - PO Box 221, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (XML, Verbose)
  
  Example 7 - PO Box 221 9355 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (CSV, Verbose)
  
  

API #3 - HTTP Geocode Web Service (Non-parsed) with Advanced Options

• API for non-parsed address data that can be used from scripts and http that allows advanced options to be specified

• API URL

  https://webgis.usc.edu/Services/Geocode/WebService/GeocoderWebServiceHttpNonParsedAdvanced.aspx?

  API Input Fields

  This API's input field set includes all of the input and output parameters from API #2 above with the additions in the following table. Each of these are described in the techincal details. The default values used here are automatically used in API #2 above.

  Parameter	Required	Description	Values	Default value
  r	false	whether or not to use attribute relaxation	true, false	true
  ratts	false	the attributes allowed to be relaxed; only applies if shouldUseRelaxation is true	comma separated list from the following options: pre, suffix, post, city, zip	pre,suffix,post,city,zip
  sub	false	whether or not to use substring matching	true, false	true
  sou	false	whether or not to use soundex	true, false	false
  h	false	which feature matching hierarchy to use	uncertaintyBased, u, featureMatchingHierarchy, f,	uncertaintyBased

  API Output Fields and Index (for non-XML output)

  The output fields for this API are the same as API #2 above

• API Examples

  Example 1 - 9355 NE Burton Rd, Wrong City, ca, 90210 (XML, Verbose, All options false)
  - will fail to match a parcel
  
  Example 2 - 9355 NE Burton Rd, Wrong City, ca, 90210 (XML, Verbose, Attribute Relxation on pre,suffix,city)
  - will succeed in matching a parcel
  
  Example 3 - 9355 Berrton Way, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (XML, Verbose, All options false)
  - will fail to match a parcel
  
  Example 4 - 9355 Berrton Way, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (XML, Verbose, Soundex)
  - will succeed in matching a parcel
  
  Example 5 - PO Box 123, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (XML, Verbose, Feature matching hierarchy)
  - will match to ZIP 90210 (ZIP comes before city in the feature matching hierarchy)
  
  Example 6 - PO Box 123, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (XML, Verbose, Uncertainty hierarchy)
  - will match to city Beverly Hills (smaller area = less geographic uncertainty = more accurate geocode)