Eva Cabanach • Aug 4, 2015

Geocoding with CartoDB: Magic at your fingertips

Sometimes datasets don’t contain any geospatial columns, but they have names, IP addresses, zip codes, or other information that can be translated into coordinates. CartoDB is able to assist you with this type of data.

Sometimes we just do magic

When you import a dataset into your CartoDB account, an algorithm looks for data that can be transformed into coordinates (country names, city names, IP addresses, etc.). If there is a low number of duplicate rows and a big enough sample, the algorithm transforms the data for you and pins it on your map. As simple as that—you don’t need to move a finger.

Dealing with complexity smoothly

There are some cases where, for whatever reason, CartoDB cannot georeference your dataset automatically. But don’t panic if this happens—we’ve rebuilt our georeferencing UI so it’s more accessible than ever.

If you’d like your data to be geocoded to administrative regions, zip codes, place names, or even convert IP addresses into locations around the world, you just need to follow the instructions on the UI and give the CartoDB algorithm some hints about how to interpret the data.

And if you’d like to transform address information into coordinates, you can do this, as well. Using our high-resolution geocoder you can convert address information into high-resolution Lat. Long. at a low cost: just $15 per 1,000 rows.

Happy data mapping!

About the author

Eva earned a degree in advertising and PR in Madrid. She then moved to London, where she received a diploma in digital marketing and spent four years working at multinational corporations. She became member of the CARTO team in 2015.
She enjoys reading, shopping, and finding the best spots to enjoy good food.

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