Matching Options
GeocodeUSAddress Matching Options
Matching options are used to determine how address searches are performed. They let you set match preferences, criteria and restrictions, and multiple match settings so that the matching can be as strict or relaxed as you need.
optionName | Description |
---|---|
AddressPreference |
Determines which address to use when more than one address is present in the address block.
|
FirmNameSearch |
Specifies whether to use firm name matching logic to enhance address matching. Firm matching logic matches a business name in the input to recognized business names. The input firm name does not need to be spelled correctly to obtain a match. A soundex algorithm is used to match the firm name. A suite or unit number is not required to make the match. Note: This type of match is not available when processing in CASS
mode.
One of the following:
|
BuildingSearch |
Specifies whether to attempt to obtain a street address when the input address contains a building name with no suite or unit number. When this option is disabled, the geocoder is able to match to building names only if there is a unit number in the input. For example, if the building search option were disabled and you entered this input: 5001 Chrysler Bldg The street address would be returned: 405 Lexington Ave With this option enabled, the geocoder is also able to obtain a street address when only a building name with no unit number is provided. For example, if you enable this option and provide this address: Chrysler Bldg You will get the street address: 405 Lexington Ave Note: This type of match is not available when processing in CASS
mode.
|
FirstLetterSearch |
Specifies whether to look for the correct first letter of a street name if the first letter is missing or incorrect. If enabled, the geocoder searches through the alphabet looking for the correct first letter to complete the street address. Note: This option is not available if the match mode is set to
exact.
This example includes an incorrect first
letter:
Input: 4750 nalnut boulder co 80301 This example excludes a first
letter:
Input: 4750 alnut boulder co 80301 This example includes an extra first
letter:
Input: 4750 wwalnut boulder co 80301 |
PredictiveLastLine |
Specifies whether GeocodeUSAddress should match using the street address and input latitiude/longitude coordinates, rather than the traditional street address with lastline input.
For more information, see Predictive Lastline. |
PerformDPV |
Specifies whether to process addresses using Delivery Point Validation (DPV). DPV is a United States Postal Service (USPS) technology that validates the accuracy of address information down to the physical delivery point. You must have licensed the optional DPV processing option to use this feature. You must also install the DPV database. To use DPV, enable this processing option and specify D in OutputRecordType.
If you use DPV, multiple matches are automatically resolved. False-positive addresses, also known as seed records, are addresses the USPS monitors to ensure users are not attempting to create a mailing list from the DPV data. If the geocoder matches an address in your input data to a false-positive address, you receive a message indicating you have encountered a false-positive address. Processing continues to the end of your job, but DPV processing is not available for this job and subsequent jobs until you have reported the false-positive address encounter to technical support and have received a new security key. |
PerformLACSLink |
Specifies whether to process addresses using LACSLink.
If you use LACSLink, be sure to choose to specify output record types P and Q so that the fields USLACS, USLACS.ReturnCode, and LACSADDRESS are included in the output. For more information, see Locatable Address Conversion System (LACS). |
PreferZipCodeOverCity |
Specifies whether to prefer candidates that match the input ZIP over candidates that match to input city. Note: This option is not available when processing in CASS
mode.
For example, consider this input address: 301 BRYANT ST Without this option enabled, the best match would be the one that
matches the input city
name:
301 BRYANT ST With this option enabled, the best match would be the one that
matches the input ZIP
Code:
301 BRYANT ST |
FIND_SEARCH_AREA |
These options set the search constraints to use when matching. These can assist in
finding a match when the input address contains limited or
inaccurate city or ZIP Code information. For more information,
see Search Area.
Note: In
CASS match mode, only the search area options described in
FIND_SEARCH_AREA_DEFAULT
are available.
|
FIND_SEARCH_AREA_DISTANCE |
When the
FIND_SEARCH_AREA_EXPANDED option
is selected, this field allows you to enter the search radius
distance to use when matching. Valid values = 0-99 (miles).
Default = 25 miles.
Note: Ignored in CASS match mode.
|
KeepMultimatch |
Select this option to return the list of possible matches when there is more than one possible match for the input address and a single best match cannot be identified.
|
KeepCandidates |
Select this option to return candidate addresses whenever the match attempt produces candidates. If you enable this option, the geocoder will return candidates both when the input address matches to a single address and when the input address matches multiple addresses. This option differs from KeepMultimatch in that the KeepMultimatch option does not return candidates if the input address matches to a single address.
|
CloseMatchesOnly |
If you specify KeepCandidates=Y you can choose to return just those candidates that are considered to be a close match. The criteria used to determine whether a candidate is a close match are those you specify in the MatchMode option.
|
MatchMode |
Determines the leniency used to find a match. One of the following:
|
ExtendedMatchCode |
Specifies whether to return the Extended Match Code. For more information, see Extended Match Codes.
|
MustMatchInput |
Specifies whether candidates must match all non-blank input fields. For example, if an input address contains a city and postal code, then candidates for this address must match the city and postal code.
|
MustMatchStreet |
Specifies whether candidates must match the street name.
|
MustMatchStateProvince |
Specifies whether candidates must match the state.
|
MustMatchHouseNumber |
Specifies whether candidates must match the house number. If the input house number is not within a range from the street, GeocodeUSAddress selects the nearest range on the street which has the same parity (even or odd house number) as the input address number. GeocodeUSAddress returns one or more of the closest matches inside this range that preserves street parity. This requires GeocodeUSAddress to change the house number. The new house number is equal to one of the range's endpoints, possibly plus or minus one to preserve street parity. Note: Even when this option is disabled and an inexact match on the house number is found, GeocodeUSAddress still returns an error code.
When this option is disabled and no exact matching house number is found, a match code of either E029 (no matching range, single street segment found), or E030 (no matching range, multiple street segment) is returned. GeocodeUSAddress does not change the house number on the output address. In order to access the inexact address number candidates, you must specify KeepMultimatch=Y. If there are inexact house number candidates returned, the corresponding match codes begin with the letter 'H' indicating that the house number was not matched. Additionally, even when one or more exact candidates are found, inexact matches to the house number are still on the list of possible candidates, and these can be differentiated from the others by their Hxx match codes. For more information about match codes, see Match Codes. One of the following:
|
MustMatchCity |
Specifies whether candidates must match the city. If you do not require exact matches on city, the geocoder searches on the street address matched to the particular postal code, and considers other cities that do not match the name, but do match the postal code.
|
MustMatchPostalCode |
Specifies whether candidates must match the postal code. If you do not require exact match on postal codes, the geocoder searches a wider area for a match. While this results in slower performance, the match rate is higher because the request does not need to match exactly when it compares match candidates.
|
Difference Between Match Criteria for U.S. and Non-U.S. Geocoding
The "must match criteria" used in the custom match mode of Geocode US Address work differently than the "close match criteria" in non-U.S. geocoders. For Geocode US Address, the custom match criteria specify which address elements must match the reference database in order for the match to be returned as a candidate. All candidates returned by Geocode US Address will match the elements you specify as long as those elements are available in the reference database. However, in non-U.S. geocoders, the "close match" criteria are used to determine which candidates are close matches and which are non-close matches. Non U.S. geocoders can return both close candidates and non-close candidates, depending on whether you enable the CloseMatchesOnly option. In summary, the "must match" criteria used by Geocode US Address automatically limit the candidates returned, whereas the "close match criteria" used by non-U.S. geocoders do not limit the candidates returned.