Maps Geocoding FAQ: How Geocoding Works in Salesforce Maps

This article answers frequently asked questions about the end-to-end geocoding process in Salesforce Maps. Each section covers a distinct aspect of geocoding behavior to help administrators and users understand and troubleshoot coordinate accuracy.

Note: The geocoding service is asynchronous, so there might be a slight delay in updating geo fields.

What is geocoding and how does it work?

Geocoding is the process of taking input text, such as a street address, and returning a latitude and longitude that can be used to plot the location on the Earth's surface.

Salesforce Maps interacts with a geocoding service through an API. Addresses are sent to the geocoder, which determines the most accurate latitude and longitude for the given address and returns a response.

Salesforce Maps handles unstructured partial and full-address information. When geocoding custom address fields, Maps uses free-text query parameters in requests to the geocoding service. The requests are unstructured, meaning a list of strings is sent without designating which string represents which address component.

Requests are sent to the geocoder service in a format like this (URL decoded to show whitespace):

`https://geocoder.mapanything.io/6.2/geocode.json?searchtext=200 S Mathilda Sunnyvale CA&gen=9`

In the example above, the search text parameters are string values that are components of the address:

• 200 = street number
• S Mathilda = street name
• Sunnyvale = city
• CA = state

The strings passed in the geocoder request are constructed in one of two ways. For example, when geocoding a layer plotted in the product, the string is constructed using commas: "200, S Mathilda, Sunnyvale, CA 94086". When geocoding is done in batches, the address is constructed and sent without commas: "200 S Mathilda Sunnyvale CA 94086".

In general, the more text parameters passed in the request (for example "CA", "94086"), the higher the confidence in match quality.

Note: In rare cases, street addresses that contain the word "and" may lead to inaccurate geocodes. Remove "and" from the street address, or use the Set Verified Location feature instead.

How are Salesforce standard and custom address fields geocoded?

Standard Address Fields

If you use Salesforce's standard Account Billing Address or Account Shipping Address, use the standard data integration rules to geocode your records and update their coordinates anytime the address fields change.

If the org has data integration rules active, data.com will geocode records for these standard objects:

• Account Billing Address
• Account Shipping Address
• Contact Mailing Address
• Lead Address

For more information on activating data integration rules, see Activating Data Integration Rules.

Custom Address Fields

Custom address fields are geocoded by Salesforce Maps. If you use custom address fields for any base objects, create automation to clear a record's latitude and longitude and re-geocode it whenever any address field for that record updates.

Which geocoding standards does Salesforce Maps follow?

Salesforce Maps uses different coverage levels for different countries. For information on geocoder coverage, see Salesforce Maps Geocoder Coverage. This coverage is based on geocoding custom address fields only.

In general, the more detailed the address you provide, the higher the potential match accuracy. Behind every geocoder is a parsing engine that determines the correct syntax of the parameters passed to it so it can correctly query the database — in this case, a series of text strings.

Because Salesforce Maps sends unstructured geocoding requests, result accuracy depends heavily on the number of parameters sent and the quality of those parameters. The geocoder's parsing engine takes the unstructured string parameters, determines the correct address syntax, and queries appropriately, taking into account the correct address format for different countries. The default address format for Salesforce is the American address format.

Review these examples of free-text query parameters:

• 2, first ave, Australia
• 2, First Avenue, Belfield NSW, Australia
• 200, S Mathilda, Sunnyvale, CA
• 360, Pharr Rd NE, Atlanta, GA, 30305

The geocoder uses this information to determine latitude and longitude — the more parameters in the request, the higher the accuracy of the result. For example, comparing "2, first ave, Australia" to "2, First Avenue, Belfield NSW, Australia," the second example is more accurate because of the added city (Belfield) and full street type (Avenue). Without those additions, the geocoder can't give accurate results, since there are numerous addresses in Australia matching "2 First Ave."

For unfamiliar addresses, it can be hard to know if the format is correct for a given country or to judge address quality. The geocoder determines the match level it can achieve based on the parameters given, so there can be many "2 First Avenues" in Australia across different cities, which can result in incorrect matching.

Different countries have different levels of coverage, which correlates with how accurately an address matches to coordinates. See the Salesforce Maps Geocoder Coverage article for details. There's a possibility of inaccurate lat/long results, especially where coverage for the country or area isn't Full coverage.

What's the frequency of updates?

• The geocoder updates on a quarterly basis.
• Submitted changes can take months to take effect, depending on the date of the next quarterly release. Addresses for new construction can also take months to reflect in production. This is because the geocoding service is self-hosted, and the vendor provides updates that are consumed quarterly.

What are the best practices for getting accurate geocoding?

1. If you enter a common city name without a state or country, the geocoder can return inaccurate results.

For example, without knowing the state or country, the geocoder can deliver inaccurate results for the city of Monterrey, since California (USA), Colombia, and Spain all have cities named Monterrey.

2. Avoid entering unnecessary information in the address fields.

If you import address data into Salesforce, some records might include additional details that confuse the geocoder. For example:

Attn Finance Director
77 Center Drive
Charlotte, NC 28217

3. Enter the correct country for an address.

For example, the incorrect country in this address prevents the geocoder from delivering accurate results:

Salesforce Maps
77 Center Drive
Charlotte, NC 28217
Canada

4. Avoid entering the country or state multiple times.

For example, multiple entries for state prevent the geocoder from delivering accurate results:

Salesforce Maps
77 Center Drive
Charlotte, NC 28217
North Carolina, USA, US NC 28217

5. For the most accurate geocoding results, use the local address. Avoid translating addresses into American English unless the language uses Cyrillic, Logographic, or Ideographic writing systems. Characters outside of 'A-Z' and '0-9' may return a response but aren't supported.

Porscheplatz 1
70435 Stuttgart
Deutschland

6. Avoid including apartment, suite, and unit numbers in street addresses.

Adding that information to your street address field can cause plotting issues in Salesforce Maps. Instead, add the apartment, unit, or suite number to a separate field on the record. For example:

77 Center Drive,
Suite 400,
Charlotte, NC 28217

When are the Latitude and Longitude fields updated?

• The first time a record is geocoded — when you plot a layer or run a batch — Salesforce Maps populates the empty Latitude and Longitude fields and saves them on the record, modifying the record.
• If the address on a record changes, set up flows in your org to clear the Latitude/Longitude values so the Maps geocoding engine can re-geocode the record.
• Empty or "null" Latitude/Longitude fields are geocoded unless specifically filtered out in a query.
• When plotting a query, all records in that query are geocoded if they don't already have latitude and longitude coordinates.
• If a new record is added to Salesforce, it isn't updated with Latitude and Longitude fields until it's plotted on the map or the geocoding batch runs against it.
• Reconsider any automation on the object that would prevent coordinates from being saved on the record or that blocks a process or trigger from running.

What if I have Verified Latitude/Longitude fields?

• If Verified Latitude/Longitude fields are populated, Salesforce Maps uses those over the standard latitude/longitude fields to place the pin on the map.
• When clearing coordinates using Mass Actions, you're prompted to clear Verified fields or not.