special offerings
startups
We donate a year of free US service to qualifying startups to help them get going. Learn more
private label & OEM
Resell SmartyStreets services, or integrate them into your own products. We can customize a plan to your individual needs. Learn more
public schools
We are pleased to offer our US service for free to all public schools (K-12) and districts. Learn more
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the US Autocomplete Pro API and the US Street Address API?
The US Autocomplete Pro API is used in the context of a website visitor typing their address in a web page. The API takes input of a partial address and returns suggestions of complete addresses, including the 5-digit ZIP Code. In contrast, the US Street Address API is used in the context of validating complete addresses. It takes input of a complete address, or millions of them, and returns the standardized version of the address, including the 9-digit ZIP Code. It also returns some data about the address, such as latitude and longitude, county name, time zone, and whether it is residential or commercial.
What is a lookup?
Each time you query our US Autocomplete Pro API with a portion of an address, it counts as one lookup. (The number of address suggestions we return doesn't matter.) You choose how often to query the API. We have clients that send a query for each keystroke as a user enters their address. With this method, entering an address might consume around ten lookups.
Is there a way to economize on lookups?
Yes. If you want to keep lookups to a minimum, consider sending the first query only after a short pause (e.g., 300 milliseconds) between keystrokes. Using this method will often save a few lookups per address entered, without affecting the user experience.
How does a subscription work?
A subscription expires when the lookups run out or the time runs out, whichever comes first. At that moment, by default, the subscription automatically renews at the same level. There is no pause in service. You can choose to auto-renew at a different level or to turn off the auto-renew altogether by going to your subscriptions page and clicking on the auto-renew menu.
Got more questions?
We're happy to answer any questions you have.
