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 - 2.6

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	2.6	2.6, 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	Census2000Block	false	Census 2000 block for the output point
  9	Census2000BlockGroup	false	Census 2000 block group for the output point
  10	Census2000Tract	false	Census 2000 tract for the output point
  11	Census2000CountyFips	false	Census 2000 county fips for the output point
  12	Census2000StateFips	false	Census 2000 state fips for the output point
  13	MNumber	false	street number of address that matched
  14	MNumberFractional	false	street number fractional of address that matched
  15	MPre	false	street predirectional of address that matched
  16	MName	false	street name of address that matched
  17	MSuffix	false	street suffix of address that matched
  18	MPost	false	street postdirectional of address that matched
  19	MSuiteType	false	suite type of address that matched
  20	MSuiteNumber	false	suite number of address that matched
  21	MPostOfficeBoxType	false	post office box type of address that matched
  22	MPostOfficeBoxNumber	false	post office box number of address that matched
  23	MCity	false	city of address that matched
  24	MState	false	state of address that matched
  25	MZip	false	zip of address that matched
  26	MZipPlus2	false	zip+2 of address that matched
  27	MZipPlus3	false	zip+3 of address that matched
  28	MZipPlus4	false	zip+4 of address that matched
  29	MZipPlus5	false	zip+5 of address that matched
  30	PNumber	false	parsed street number
  31	PNumberFractional	false	parsed street number fractional
  32	PPre	false	parsed street predirectional
  33	PName	false	parsed street name
  34	PSuffix	false	parsed street suffix
  35	PPost	false	parsed street postdirectional
  36	PSuiteType	false	parsed suite type
  37	PSuiteNumber	false	parsed suite number
  38	PPostOfficeBoxType	false	parsed post office box type
  39	PPostOfficeBoxNumber	false	parsed post office box number
  40	PCity	false	parsed city
  41	PState	false	parsed state
  42	PZip	false	parsed zip
  43	PZipPlus2	false	parsed zip+2
  44	PZipPlus3	false	parsed zip+3
  45	PZipPlus4	false	parsed zip+4
  46	PZipPlus5	false	parsed zip+5
  47	FNumber	false	street number of matched feature
  48	FPre	false	street predirectional of matched feature
  49	FName	false	street name of matched feature
  50	FSuffix	false	street suffix of matched feature
  51	FPost	false	street postdirectional of matched feature
  52	FCity	false	city of matched feature
  53	FState	false	state of matched feature
  54	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)