Reverse geocode

Learn how to find an address near a location.

Reverse geocode coordinates to addresses with the geocoding service using API key authentication

Reverse geocoding is the process of converting a location to an address or place. To reverse geocode, you use the Geocoding service and the reverseGeocode operation. This operation requires an initial location and returns an address with attributes such as place name and location.

In this tutorial, you use the reverseGeocode method of ArcGIS REST JS to reverse geocode and find the closest address to your clicked location on the map.

Prerequisites

An ArcGIS Location Platform or ArcGIS Online account.

Steps

Get the starter app

Select a type of authentication below and follow the steps to create a new application.

You can choose one of the following to create a new CodePen:

Option 1: Complete the Display a map tutorial; or,
Option 2: Start from the Display a map tutorial .

Set up authentication

Create developer credentials in your portal for the type of authentication you selected.

Create a new API key credential with the correct privileges to access the resources used in this tutorial.

Go to the Create an API key tutorial and create an API key with the following privilege(s):
- Privileges
  - Location services > Basemaps
  - Location services > Geocoding
Copy the API key access token to your clipboard when prompted.

Set developer credentials

Use the API key or OAuth developer credentials so your application can access location services.

Update the accessToken variable to use your API key.

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    /* Use for API key authentication */
    const accessToken = "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN"
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In both the index.html and callback.html files, replace YOUR_CLIENT_ID and YOUR_REDIRECT_URL with the client ID and redirect URL of your OAuth credentials.

index.html
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    /* Use for user authentication */
    const session = await arcgisRest.ArcGISIdentityManager.beginOAuth2({
      clientId: "YOUR_CLIENT_ID", // Your client ID from OAuth credentials
      redirectUri: "YOUR_REDIRECT_URL", // The redirect URL registered in your OAuth credentials
      portal: "https://www.arcgis.com/sharing/rest" // Your portal URL
    })

callback.html
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    arcgisRest.ArcGISIdentityManager.completeOAuth2({
      clientId: "YOUR_CLIENT_ID", // Your client ID from OAuth credentials
      redirectUri: "YOUR_REDIRECT_URL", // The redirect URL registered in your OAuth credentials
      portal: "https://www.arcgis.com/sharing/rest" // Your portal URL
    })

Run the app and ensure you can sign in successfully.

If you are unable to sign in, make sure you have the correct redirect URL and port. This URL varies based on your application and typically takes the format of https://<server>[:port]/callback.html or http://my-arcgis-app:/auth. For example, if you are running an application on http://127.0.0.1:5500/, set http://127.0.0.1:5500/callback.html as your redirect URL in the index.html and callback.html file and your developer credential. They all have to match!

Add references to ArcGIS REST JS

This tutorial uses ArcGIS REST JS for reverse geocoding.

In the <head> element, add references to the ArcGIS REST JS library.

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  <head>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="initial-scale=1,maximum-scale=1,user-scalable=no" />
    <script src=https://unpkg.com/maplibre-gl@4/dist/maplibre-gl.js></script>
    <link href=https://unpkg.com/maplibre-gl@4/dist/maplibre-gl.css rel="stylesheet" />

    <script src="https://unpkg.com/@esri/arcgis-rest-request@4/dist/bundled/request.umd.js"></script>
    <script src="https://unpkg.com/@esri/arcgis-rest-geocoding@4/dist/bundled/geocoding.umd.js"></script>
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Update the map

A navigation basemap layer is typically used in geocoding and routing applications. Update the basemap layer to use arcgis/navigation.

Update the basemap and the map initialization to center on location [2.3522,48.8566], Paris.

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  <script>

    /* Use for API key authentication */
    const accessToken = "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN";

    // or

    /* Use for user authentication */
    // const session = await arcgisRest.ArcGISIdentityManager.beginOAuth2({
    //   clientId: "YOUR_CLIENT_ID", // Your client ID from OAuth credentials
    //   redirectUri: "YOUR_REDIRECT_URL", // The redirect URL registered in your OAuth credentials
    //   portal: "YOUR_PORTAL_URL" // Your portal URL
    // })

    // const accessToken = session.token;

    const basemapEnum = "arcgis/navigation";

    const map = new maplibregl.Map({
      container: "map",
      style: `https://basemapstyles-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/styles/v2/styles/${basemapEnum}?token=${accessToken}`,
      zoom: 12,

      center: [2.3522, 48.8566] // Paris

    });

    map._controls[0].options.customAttribution += " | Powered by Esri "
    map._controls[0]._updateAttributions()

  </script>
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Add a click event handler

Before you call the Geocoding service, you need to get a location from the user. You can add a handler to the Map's click event. The click handler will be called with an object containing parameters such as lngLat.

The lngLat property is a LngLat. It has lng and lat properties and a toArray method which returns an array in [longitude, latitude] order.

After the map initialization code, add a handler for the click event. Create a coordinates array from the lngLat property of the event parameter.

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  <script>

    /* Use for API key authentication */
    const accessToken = "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN";

    // or

    /* Use for user authentication */
    // const session = await arcgisRest.ArcGISIdentityManager.beginOAuth2({
    //   clientId: "YOUR_CLIENT_ID", // Your client ID from OAuth credentials
    //   redirectUri: "YOUR_REDIRECT_URL", // The redirect URL registered in your OAuth credentials
    //   portal: "YOUR_PORTAL_URL" // Your portal URL
    // })

    // const accessToken = session.token;

    const basemapEnum = "arcgis/navigation";

    const map = new maplibregl.Map({
      container: "map",
      style: `https://basemapstyles-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/styles/v2/styles/${basemapEnum}?token=${accessToken}`,
      zoom: 12,

      center: [2.3522, 48.8566] // Paris

    });

    map.on("click", (e) => {
      const coords = e.lngLat.toArray();

    });

    map._controls[0].options.customAttribution += " | Powered by Esri "
    map._controls[0]._updateAttributions()

  </script>
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Call the service

Use the ArcGIS REST JS reverseGeocode method to find an address closest to a point.

Inside the click handler, create a new arcgisRest.ApiKeyManager to access the geocoding service. Call the arcgisRest.reverseGeocode method with the coordinates array.

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    map.on("click", (e) => {
      const coords = e.lngLat.toArray();

      const authentication = arcgisRest.ApiKeyManager.fromKey(accessToken);

      arcgisRest
        .reverseGeocode(coords, {
          authentication
        })
        .then((result) => {

    });
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Display the result

The response from the reverseGeocode operation contains two properties. address is a structured object with fields such as street name and business name. location contains the location of the returned address, which may differ from the coordinates you provided.

Use the results to display a pop-up with the address and location values.

Convert the result.location object into an array of [longitude, latitude].

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      arcgisRest
        .reverseGeocode(coords, {
          authentication
        })
        .then((result) => {

          const lngLat = [result.location.x, result.location.y];

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Set a variable containing the text you want to display, using the address and coordinates.

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          const lngLat = [result.location.x, result.location.y];

          const label = `${result.address.LongLabel}<br>${lngLat[0].toLocaleString()}, ${lngLat[1].toLocaleString()}`;

        })
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Add a pop-up to display the label at the returned coordinates.

To add a pop-up to the map, you use the Popup class in MapLibre GL JS. See the Display a pop-up tutorial for more information.

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          const lngLat = [result.location.x, result.location.y];

          const label = `${result.address.LongLabel}<br>${lngLat[0].toLocaleString()}, ${lngLat[1].toLocaleString()}`;

          new maplibregl.Popup().setLngLat(lngLat).setHTML(label).addTo(map);

        })
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Handle errors

To handle errors that occur when accessing the Geocoding service, such as networking or API key issues, use an error handler to show a message to the user.

Add a handler to catch any exception and display a message to the user.

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      const authentication = arcgisRest.ApiKeyManager.fromKey(accessToken);

      arcgisRest
        .reverseGeocode(coords, {
          authentication
        })
        .then((result) => {

          const lngLat = [result.location.x, result.location.y];

          const label = `${result.address.LongLabel}<br>${lngLat[0].toLocaleString()}, ${lngLat[1].toLocaleString()}`;

          new maplibregl.Popup().setLngLat(lngLat).setHTML(label).addTo(map);

        })

        .catch((error) => {
          alert("There was a problem using the reverse geocode service. See the console for details.");
          console.error(error);
        });
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Run the app

Run the app.

Click on the map to reverse geocode the clicked point and display a pop-up with the closest address and coordinates.

What's next?

Learn how to use additional ArcGIS location services in these tutorials:

Find place addresses

Search for coffee shops, gas stations, restaurants and other nearby places with the Geocoding service.

Find service areas

Calculate the area that can be reached in a given driving time from a location.

Find a route and directions

Find a route and directions with the route service.