AFD’s address lookup solution allows you to search and validate UK and International address data. Our flexible postcode lookup API and range of plugins makes it easy to add address validation to your websites, apps, front-end and back-end systems.
Using the address search field below, enter your postcode or start typing an address to see results returned.
Business Benefits
Address validation saves time and money. It is the backbone of excellent service, customer retention, prevention of duplicates, data analysis, enhanced reputation and more profitable business performance.
The Postcode People at AFD help deliver the best possible address search solutions for your company to help ensure:
Speed
Typing addresses is slow. AFD’s address lookup solution makes data entry lightning fast.
Accuracy
Many UK addresses are ‘odd’, complicated and not as expected – manual mistakes are easy. Our address verification solutions eliminate errors by providing letterbox-level accuracy based on the very best data sources including Royal Mail PAF® and Ordnance Survey (OS) AddressBase Core®.
AFD’s solution was initially used as a desktop service for telephone orders. As the focus switched to online so did our requirement from AFD. UK and International address validation are both deployed on the website to ensure speed and accuracy during the customer’s buying journey, regardless of where they need the product delivered.
Project Manager of Platform Operations at Pro:Direct Sport
AFD’s address validation API can be flexibly deployed in a host of environments, installed, or hosted.
Plug-ins for popular platforms such as Magento, Shopify, Salesforce, D365 and AFD Robot provide a range of developer-free integrations via our address lookup API.
Visit our Developer Area using the button below to find out more.
AFD’s address lookup and postcode lookup solutions can validate address data from over 250 countries.
In addition to fast, accurate address entry and address search, our solutions can return a whole host of other datasets.
See some of the options below:
UK and International address validation API for over 250 countries helps organisations trading globally to lookup and validate addresses worldwide. More information can be found here.
Almost all 2.2 million UK organisation data records are complete with telephone numbers, the actual or imputed employee size, turnover banding, and user-friendly business classification and Standard Industry Classification (SIC) code.
More information can be found here.
The 37.6 million UK residential name and address records include length of residency and geodemographic classification. Over 11.9 million of the records have a telephone number.
More information can be found here.
Once an address has been selected using AFD’s address validation API, property level latitude and longitude data can be returned to show the exact location on a map. This location can then be edited by simply dragging the “pin” on your chosen mapping software if a delivery needs to not be at the front door or the address has multiple buildings.
See more information here.
Our geolocation API functionality removes the need for manual address data entry. If enabled, by using the GPS in your customer’s mobile device or computer, our solution instantly returns the full PAF matched address of the current location, in the correct format with pinpoint accuracy and lightning fast speed.
Nearest functionality allows a customer to enter their postcode, click a button and be given the branch name and address closest to the address provided with an accurate travel time or distance.
AFD’s address lookup and postcode API solutions also contain location and property characteristic data for over 31 million unique properties in the UK. Every record has unique identifiers in the form of a Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) from Ordnance Survey (OS) and a Unique Delivery Point Reference Number (UDPRN) from Royal Mail’s Postcode Address File (PAF). In addition, all addresses have a property classification, e.g. Residential or Business, to help organisations better understand their customers’ property data and help plan for more efficient deliveries.
Each residential postcode on your database can be appended with a Censation code (there are 52 different codes) which will indicate the typical relative affluence, life-stage and lifestyle of those who live there. It’s a simple to use but effective Geodemographic Classification System and with it, you can understand more about the ‘profile’ of your best customers – and then look for more of them. That way, resources are more wisely directed to prospects which match the right profile – cutting waste and improving the probability of success.
Adding the what3words functionality to AFD’s address lookup solution helps organisations improve customer address data capture during the checkout process on e-commerce websites. Logistics companies benefit by having an extra layer of data to get their drivers to the exact delivery location which isn’t always the property.
What is the most widely-recognised and used source and reference point for UK addresses?
Simple, the Royal Mail Postcode Address File (PAF), which can be accessed via AFD’s postcode lookup API Royal Mail data.
AFD’s solutions contain address, location and property characteristic data from Ordnance Survey (OS) for 33 million unique properties in Great Britain.
AFD provides latitude and longitude coordinates at property level, showing a pinpoint location of an address on your chosen mapping tool.
Every single one of the 2.2 million letterbox addresses in Ireland has its own unique Eircode. The Eircode has now been appended to government data where 47 million different versions of Irish addresses have each been resolved and appended with the correct Eircode.
Shared premises create challenges for many organisations. Royal Mail’s Multiple Residence file identifies and verifies premises where multiple households share a letterbox, and provides a detailed address structure for these properties.
The Not Yet Built (NYB) file contains addresses for properties either under construction or just completed. Imagine preparing to move into a new build property but not being able to order goods and services for your new home as its address does not appear.
POLAR stands for Participation of Local Areas. Developed by the Office for Students (OfS), the POLAR classification groups areas across the UK based on the proportion of the young population that participates in higher education.
Censation is the most widely distributed UK Geodemographic Classification system. It is worth over £4,000 per annum and is free at the point of use for all customers who use AFD address management Solutions.
The British Armed Forces and their families living on base have special addresses, called BFPO Numbers, used for delivery of mail. Both regular letters and parcels can be delivered to any BFPO address regardless of if they are sent via the normal (Royal Mail) post or most couriers.
AFD’s occupancy indicator helps identify business/residential or mixed occupancy at postcode and property level. This can be useful to couriers or distributors who wish to set delivery priorities or set pricing according to the type of area.
Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (“NUTS” (sic)), since updated for the UK with ITL (International Territorial Levels), is a geographical system, divided into one of four levels based on geographical size.
We serve thousands of organisations and a network of hundreds of partners across multiple industry sectors, enabling them to have full confidence in their contact data.