Introducing the Azure Maps Geocode Autocomplete API
We’re thrilled to unveil the public preview of Azure Maps Geocode Autocomplete API, a powerful REST service designed to modernize and elevate autocomplete capabilities across Microsoft’s mapping platforms. If you’ve ever started typing an address into a search bar and immediately seen a list of relevant suggestions—whether it’s for a landmark, or your own home—you’ve already experienced the convenience of autocomplete. What’s less obvious is just how complex it is to deliver those suggestions quickly, accurately, and in a format that modern applications can use. That’s exactly the challenge this new API is designed to solve. Why Autocomplete Matters More Than Ever The Azure Maps Geocode Autocomplete API is the natural successor to the Bing Maps Autosuggest REST API, designed to meet the growing demand for intelligent, real-time location suggestions across a wide range of applications. It’s an ideal solution for developers who need reliable and scalable autocomplete functionality—whether for small business websites or large-scale enterprise systems. Key use cases include: Store locators: When a customer starts typing “New Yo…” into store locator, autocomplete instantly suggests “New York, N.Y.” With just a click, the map centers on the right location—making it fast and effortless to find the nearest branch. Rideshare or dispatching platforms: A rideshare driver needs to pick up a passenger at “One Microsoft Way.” Instead of typing out the full address, the driver starts entering “One Micro…” and the app instantly offers the correct road segment in Redmond, Washington. Delivery services: A delivery app can limit suggestions to postal codes within a specific region, ensuring the addresses customers choose are deliverable and reducing the risk of failed shipments Any Web UIs requiring location input: From real estate search to form autofill, autocomplete enhances the user experience wherever accurate location entry is needed. What the API Can Do The Geocode Autocomplete API is designed to deliver fast, relevant, and structured suggestions as users type. Key capabilities include: Entity Suggestions: Supports both Place (e.g., administrative districts, populated places, landmarks, postal codes) and Address (e.g., roads, point addresses) entities. Ranking: Results can be ranked based on entity popularity, user location (coordinates), and bounding box (bbox). Structured Output: Returns suggestions with structured address formats, making integration seamless. Multilingual Support: Set up query language preferences via the Accept-Language parameter. Flexible Filtering: You can filter suggestions by specifying a country or region using countryRegion, or by targeting a specific entity subtype using resultType. This allows you to extract entities with precise categorization—for example, you can filter results to return only postal codes to match the needs of a location-based selection input in your web application. How It Works The Geocode Autocomplete API is accessed via the following endpoint: https://atlas.microsoft.com/search/geocode:autocomplete?api-version=2025-06-01-preview This endpoint provides autocomplete-style suggestions for addresses and places. With just a few parameters, like your Azure Maps subscription key, a query string, and optionally user coordinates or a bounding box, you can start returning structured suggestions instantly. Developers can further issue geocode service with the selected/ideal entity as query to locate the entity on map, which is a common scenario for producing interactive mapping experiences. Let’s look at below examples: Example 1: Place Entity Autocomplete GET https://atlas.microsoft.com/search/geocode:autocomplete?api-version=2025-06-01-preview &subscription-key={YourAzureMapsKey} &coordinates={coordinates} &query=new yo &top=3 A user starts typing “new yo.” The API quickly returns results like “New York City” and “New York State,” each complete with structured metadata you can plug directly into your app. { "type": "FeatureCollection", "features": [ { "type": "Feature", "properties": { "typeGroup": "Place", "type": "PopulatedPlace", "geometry": null, "address": { "locality": "New York", "adminDistricts": [ { "name": "New York", "shortName": "N.Y." } ], "countryRegions": { "ISO": "US", "name": "United States" }, "formattedAddress": "New York, N.Y." } } }, { "type": "Feature", "properties": { "typeGroup": "Place", "type": "AdminDivision1", "geometry": null, "address": { "locality": "", "adminDistricts": [ { "name": "New York", "shortName": "N.Y." } ], "countryRegions": { "ISO": "US", "name": "United States" }, "formattedAddress": "New York" } } }, { "type": "Feature", "properties": { "typeGroup": "Place", "type": "AdminDivision2", "geometry": null, "address": { "locality": "", "adminDistricts": [ { "name": "New York", "shortName": "N.Y." }, { "name": "New York County" } ], "countryRegions": { "ISO": "US", "name": "United States" }, "formattedAddress": "New York County" } } } ] } Example 2: Address Entity Autocomplete GET https://atlas.microsoft.com/search/geocode:autocomplete?api-version=2025-06-01-preview &subscription-key={YourAzureMapsKey} &bbox={bbox} &query=One Micro &top=3 &countryRegion=US A query for “One Micro” scoped to the U.S. yields “NE One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052, United States.” That’s a complete, structured address ready to be mapped, dispatched, or stored. { "type": "FeatureCollection", "features": [ { "type": "Feature", "properties": { "typeGroup": "Address", "type": "RoadBlock", "geometry": null, "address": { "locality": "Redmond", "adminDistricts": [ { "name": "Washington", "shortName": "WA" }, { "name": "King County" } ], "countryRegions": { "ISO": "US", "name": "United States" }, "postalCode": "98052", "streetName": "NE One Microsoft Way", "addressLine": "", "formattedAddress": "NE One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052, United States" } } } ] } Example 3: Integration with Web Application Below sample shows user enter query and autocomplete service provide a series of suggestions based on user query and location. Pricing and Billing The Geocode Autocomplete API uses the same metering model as the Azure Maps Search service. For billing purposes, every 10 Geocode Autocomplete API requests are counted as one billable transaction. This approach keeps usage and costs consistent with what developers are already familiar with in Azure Maps. Ready to Build Smarter Location Experiences? Whether you're powering a store locator, enhancing address entry, or building a dynamic dispatch system, the new Geocode Autocomplete API gives you the precision, flexibility, and performance needed to deliver seamless location intelligence. With real-world use cases already proving its value, now is the perfect time to integrate this service into your applications and unlock richer, more interactive mapping experiences. Let’s build what’s next—faster, smarter, and more intuitive. Resources to Get Started Geocode Autocomplete REST API Documentation Geocode Autocomplete Samples Migrate from Bing Maps to Azure Maps How to use Azure Maps APIsTransforming Dynamics 365 Customer Data with Azure Maps | Inogic Guest Post
This guest post by Inogic explores how their integration of Azure Maps with Dynamics 365 empowers organizations to convert raw customer data into actionable location intelligence. The blog highlights: Use Case: Businesses using Dynamics 365 can visualize customer data geographically, enabling smarter decision-making and improved operational efficiency. Technology Stack: Azure Maps is used to enrich CRM data with spatial context, helping users identify trends, optimize routes, and enhance customer engagement. Benefits: Enhanced data visualization Improved field service planning Better territory management Integration Details: Inogic’s solution seamlessly embeds mapping capabilities into Dynamics 365 dashboards, making location insights accessible without leaving the CRM environment.Discover the Power of HD Isochrones in Azure Maps Route Range API
In the ever-evolving world of location-based services (LBS), precision and accuracy are key. Whether you're planning business expansions, optimizing logistics, or enhancing urban mobility, understanding travel times and accessibility is essential. Enter isochrones—a revolutionary way to visualize areas reachable within a given travel time. Azure Maps, Microsoft’s comprehensive geospatial platform, has taken isochrone generation to the next level with its updated Route Range API. Featuring HD isochrone support and specialized truck routing capabilities, this powerful API is set to transform how businesses and planners make data-driven decisions. Why Isochrones Matter Isochrones provide a dynamic alternative to traditional fixed-distance buffers. Instead of simply drawing a circle around a location, isochrones map out the actual area that can be reached within a certain time frame. This approach takes into account real-world factors like road networks, traffic conditions, and different modes of transportation. For example, a retail chain can use isochrones to determine how far customers can travel to a store within 15 minutes, while a logistics company might analyze delivery times for different service areas. This real-time, time-based insight enables more informed decisions across industries. Unlocking Precision with HD Isochrones The new HD isochrone functionality in the Azure Maps Route Range API offers significantly higher resolution and detail. This means you can generate highly precise maps of reachable areas for time intervals ranging from minutes to several hours (up to 10 million seconds!). Picture a city planner evaluating the impact of a new transit line: with HD isochrones, they can visualize how accessibility to key destinations improves over various time periods. Or imagine a franchise business assessing the best location for its next store—now, they can precisely map out the potential trade area based on realistic travel times. Specialized Capabilities for Truck Routing One of the standout features of the updated API is its advanced truck routing support. Unlike standard car-based routing, truck routing considers a host of additional factors: Vehicle dimensions and weight restrictions: Ensures routes comply with height, width, and weight limits. Hazardous materials restrictions: Avoids roads where certain materials are prohibited. Truck-specific road features: Avoiding tunnels or bridges. These capabilities are invaluable for logistics companies managing fleets. By generating truck-specific isochrones, businesses can optimize delivery routes, reduce fuel costs, and improve on-time performance—all while ensuring compliance with local regulations. For example, a distribution center might use truck isochrones to determine how far deliveries can reach within a specified time window, considering truck-specific constraints. This insight can help optimize delivery zones, improve service levels, and even reduce the environmental impact of operations. Transforming Business Decisions with Isochrones The power of HD isochrones extends beyond logistics and retail. Urban planners can leverage them to design more efficient public transportation networks, ensuring that key services like healthcare and education are accessible within reasonable travel times. City governments can simulate the effects of road closures or new infrastructure projects, minimizing disruptions and improving traffic flow. Franchise owners, on the other hand, can use isochrones to better understand customer reach and minimize cannibalization—the overlap between existing and new store locations. By analyzing travel times and customer access, businesses can strategically expand without diluting their market share. Bringing It All Together Imagine a logistics manager planning delivery routes from a central warehouse. Using the Azure Maps Route Range API, they can generate a truck-specific isochrone for a 60-minute delivery window. Here's how it works: Sample Request POST https://atlas.microsoft.com/route/range?api-version=2024-07-01-preview { "type": "Feature", "geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [ // Warehouse location 5.86605, 50.9745 ] }, "properties": { "timeBudgetInSec": 3600, // 1 hour in seconds "travelMode": "truck", // Truck mode for routing "vehicleSpec": { "height": 4.2, // Height of the vehicle in meters (13.5 feet) "length": 22 , // Length of the vehicle in meters (72 feet) "width": 2.6 // Width of the vehicle in meters (8.5 feet) } } } What Happens Next? The API returns a detailed geoJSON file outlining the area accessible within an hour. This data can be visualized on a map, providing a clear picture of delivery zones. The manager can adjust operations to maximize coverage while ensuring that all regulatory and safety requirements are met. Start Exploring Today With its updated Route Range API, Azure Maps is setting a new standard for geospatial analysis. From precision trade areas to optimized logistics, the possibilities are vast. Whether you're in retail, logistics, urban planning, or beyond, HD isochrones and truck routing can help you make smarter, data-driven decisions. Curious to see how these features can benefit your organization? Explore the official documentation to get started today!Introducing the Data-Bound Reference Layer in Azure Maps Visual for Power BI
The Data-Bound Reference Layer in Azure Maps for Power BI elevates map-based reporting by allowing users to visually explore, understand, and act on their data. This feature enables new possibilities for data analysts, business leaders, and decision-makers reliant on spatial insights.Mastering Time with Microsoft Azure Maps Timezone API
If you are a developer building a solution that needs to be aware of availability Globally, that’s where the Microsoft Azure Maps Timezone API comes to the rescue! The Azure Maps Timezone API allows developers to retrieve accurate time zone information for any location on Earth. It supports: Geospatial queries (latitude/longitude) - What is the timezone at the given co-ordinate? IANA and Windows Timezone IDs - Get the standard names, settings and codes for timezones. Sunrise and sunset times - Will I be there when I can see in daylight or will it be nighttime? Historical and future time zone transitions - Daylight savings can add a wrench into planning so be aware of time changes! This API is part of the broader Azure Maps platform and integrates seamlessly with other Azure services, has the benefits of being co-located with other Azure services and includes multiple methods to access. Real-World Use Cases Telematics and Logistics In the automotive and logistics sectors, accurate time zone data is vital for post-processing telemetry. For example, OEMs using TomTom data can leverage Azure Maps on the backend to normalize timestamps across regions—ensuring consistency in fleet analytics, delivery tracking, and driver behavior analysis. IoT and Smart Buildings Sunrise and sunset data from the API can be used to automate lighting, HVAC, and security systems. This is especially useful for energy optimization in smart buildings, where operations need to align with natural light cycles. Global Scheduling and Compliance Applications that span multiple time zones—like global HR platforms, travel apps, or compliance systems—rely on accurate time zone conversion. Azure Maps ensures that meetings, deadlines, and alerts are synchronized across regions. Retail and Operations Retailers with stores in multiple time zones can use the API to coordinate store openings, delivery windows, and promotional campaigns. This ensures a consistent customer experience regardless of location. Azure Maps Timezone API Developer Experience Azure Maps provides a Web SDK that can be used for JavaScript, .NET, Python and more. Developers can also use the REST API directly from their favorite development environment. This API offers several endpoints: Get Timezone By Coordinates Get Timezone By ID Get Timezone Enum IANA/Windows Get Timezone IANA Version Get Timezone Windows To IANA Here’s a quick example using JavaScript: fetch(`https://atlas.microsoft.com/timezone/byCoordinates/json?api-version=1.0&query=47.6062,-122.3321&subscription-key=YOUR_KEY`) .then(response => response.json()) .then(data => console.log(data)); You can try this live at Get Users Timezone with Prompt - Azure Maps Web SDK Samples and check out this sample and more at Samples.AzureMaps.com. All Azure Maps samples have full source available in GitHub. In Summary The Azure Maps Timezone API is a critical tool for any application that needs to be time-aware. It sits within a comprehensive suite of mapping APIs that is Azure compliant and available to be added to any Azure project. From logistics to IoT to global operations, Azure Maps provides the precision and flexibility developers need to build robust, scalable geospatial solutions.Using Location Data to Gain Insights with Azure Maps
Azure Maps provides current and historical data to help you build your applications and create new insights. Support business decisions, enable planning, and power predictions with GIS data management. Combine Azure Maps with data in your Azure account to do even more. Smart decisions and plans, powered by data. Whether you’re finding the best possible place for a new business outlet or optimizing routing for multiple agents, every successful decision starts with better data. Azure Maps APIs’ delivers the geospatial data that thousands of businesses around the world depend on. Find out how Azure Maps APIs’ global coverage and high-accuracy geospatial data can transform organization outcomes. Rich geospatial data Access a vast repository of high-quality geospatial data curated from diverse sources worldwide, and leverage powerful analytics tools to extract actionable insights from spatial data provided within the Azure environment, uncovering hidden patterns, trends, and correlations that drive strategic initiatives Boundless flexibility Benefit from Azure's robust and scalable infrastructure. Process and analyze large volumes of spatial data efficiently and cost-effectively. Visualize spatial data in a way that suits your needs with customizable maps, location data management tools, and dashboards that facilitate clear communication and decision-making. Industry-specific compliance Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements by accessing geospatial data management tools that meet the highest standards of accuracy, privacy, and security with spatial analytics solutions tailored to your industry's unique compliance criteria, whether you're in retail, logistics, real estate, or urban planning. . GIS data management, simplified Azure Maps makes it easy to use and integrate our accurate geospatial data into your applications to unlock new insights. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or new to building mapping applications, you’ll find it easy to work with these robust and intuitive mapping APIs. Azure Maps API provides everything you need to thrive with your next app, from generating accurate time zone data, leveraging live or predictive traffic to high-resolution weather information. Timezone API The timezone API allows developers to query the timezone for any latitude/longitude. The timezone service can return past, current, and future timezones, localized time zones in UTC, or daylight savings in various formats. Explore Timezone API Get Started With Timezones Traffic Data The traffic service provides data on traffic flow and incidents for a given area or route and presents this information as a map overlay using the Traffic REST API. This location data management feature provides insights and critical awareness of flow and incidents along a route that could affect routes, distance, and travel time between locations. Explore Traffic API Demo: Traffic Data Get Started with Traffic Data in Your Application Weather Data Our weather service provides daily, historical, normal, and actuals for any latitude/longitude while also providing temperature, air quality, and storm information using the Weather API. This REST API provides valuable data to inform prediction and modeling based on current and forecasted data, helping developers create weather-informed applications. Explore Weather API Demo: Adding Weather Data Get Started With Weather Data Explore the Azure Maps Platform Large-scale geospatial applications require innovative tools and effective optimization to balance data efficiency and usability. We have only introduced three of these Data rich options, but Azure Maps has a whole lot more to offer. Explore Azure Maps’ capabilities and leverage Azure Maps rich Data APIs today for gaining deeper insights and building better geospatial solutions.How Route Optimization APIs Help Streamline Logistics Operations
Logistics is an industry that could arguably benefit the most from route optimization APIs. Whether you’re managing a fleet of trucks, ships, airplanes, or even two-wheelers, quality routing that takes into account historical and real-time data can do a lot to make life easier for the drivers to the operators and right up to the business leaders. With access to the right route optimization APIs, you can link in a whole host of services that not just improve the experience for your drivers and schedulers but can create a tangible difference to your bottom line.From Zero to Hero: Building Your First Location-Based App Using Azure Maps APIs
Getting Started You’ll need to first create an Azure account if you don’t have an Azure subscription yet. This process is completely free and takes less than five minutes. Create a free Azure account. Head over to the Azure portal and select Create a resource. Select Azure Maps from the drop-down list and hit the Create button. You’ll be redirected to the Create an Azure Maps account page. Here, you can select your subscription, pricing tier, account name, and other details. Once you’ve created your Azure Maps account, click on Authentication in your Azure portal to access your Primary key. You’re ready to build location-based apps! For a more in-depth look at the sign-up process, please visit our Quickstart guide. Building is easier with the Azure Maps Web SDK The Azure Maps Web SDK provides an intuitive way to build location-based services and integrate mapping functionalities into your web pages and apps. The Map Control, for example, allows developers to easily customize maps with their own assets. Whether you’re looking to embed a simple map in a web page or build mapping functionalities into an iOS or Android app, the Azure Maps SDK has you covered. All you need for location-based app development is an Azure Maps account and a subscription key. Once you have your key, you can reference the Azure Maps Map Control directly in the HTML file when you’re building a location-based app. Check out our store locator tutorial for a closer look, which includes detailed code samples. Must-have features for your app Global search capabilities The search and geocoding functionalities provided by our maps API platform are essential building blocks for many location-based solutions. The Azure Maps Search API excels at handling fuzzy search queries, meaning it can understand and return relevant results even with typos, incomplete addresses, or variations in place names. The ability to accommodate a certain amount of user error allows developers to vastly improve the overall user experience by adding a single, simple feature. A reliable location-based app needs to deliver precise results not just for one region or country, but everywhere. The Azure Maps Search API provides truly global coverage, giving your users the power to navigate with precision no matter where they’re located. Geocoding: an essential building block Geocoding and reverse geocoding are both essential parts of location-based app development, allowing developers to turn street addresses into longitude and latitude coordinates, and vice versa. The Geocoding REST API supports both of these functionalities. You can call the Geocoding API with a simple HTTP request: GET https://atlas.microsoft.com/geocode?api-version=2023-06-01 This HTTP request can further be modified depending on what your location-based app needs using a variety of different URL parameters. For example, you can define a bounding box using coordinates to take a specific geographic area into account when sending a location query. Harness location intelligence Azure Maps allows developers to harness true location intelligence to build location-aware apps that can react to spatial context and provide personalized experiences. Think of a grocery-ordering app that automatically detects the user’s location and offers an accurate inventory based on the location of the nearest fulfillment center. The Geolocation API gives you the ability to localize your services. You can integrate this API with your location-based app using another HTTP call. Calling this API using a specific IP address will return an ISO code denoting its country of origin. As a developer, you have the freedom to combine these APIs in different ways to suit your location-based app development needs. For example, you can use the Map Control to display a simple map in your app. This map can then be personalized based on the user’s location through the Geolocation API, displaying points of interest in a language relevant to the user’s region. Developer resources From the minute you sign up, Azure Maps gives you access to a wealth of developer resources covering virtually everything you need to build apps with geospatial data. You’re never really starting from zero when you build with Azure Maps APIs. Documentation: The Azure Maps documentation base is comprehensive, up-to-date, and covers topics catering to various skill levels. You can get the most out of these location-aware APIs even if you’ve never built a location-based app before. Code Sample Gallery: Our code samples are accessible to every developer, even if they haven’t signed up for an Azure Maps account yet. You can visit the code sample gallery and run each sample yourself to see what each API can do. It’s a great way to check whether a certain functionality will be a good fit for the app you’re developing. Build your first app with Azure Maps An Azure Maps account and subscription key are all you need to build your first location-based app. Get inspired with the code sample gallery and start building for free by signing up for Azure Maps today.
