What is AddressBase and how does it work?

OS AddressBase is Ordnance Survey’s address data for Great Britain. In simple terms, it’s a UK address database that helps people to identify, locate and manage addresses using authoritative geographic information – but it’s far more than a list of postal addresses.

AddressBase connects addresses to precise locations, classifications and identifiers – it pinpoints location precisely. Knowing that information, and being confident about its authority, makes AddressBase the ideal source for GIS, operational systems, customer records and analysis.

What’s inside AddressBase?

The key to understanding AddressBase is the UPRN, or Unique Property Reference Number. A UPRN is a unique identifier for an addressable location. Unlike a postcode, which can cover a group of properties, a UPRN points to a specific address or location. That makes it especially useful when different systems need to refer to the same property in the same way.

This is why AddressBase is valuable for organisations that work with large volumes of property, land, customer or service data. It can help you:

• Match address data records across different systems

• Reduce duplicate or inconsistent address data

• Connect customer, asset or property records to real-world locations

• Support planning, service delivery and operational decisions

• Improve geocoding, routing, analysis and reporting

Depending on how much detail you need, you might need one or other of the different AddressBase products. AddressBase Core provides approved address records based on local authority gazetteers. AddressBase Premium goes further, bringing together local authority, Ordnance Survey and Royal Mail address information, with more detailed lifecycle information about properties.

That lifecycle detail can be important. Some addresses are current and in use. Others may relate to properties that are being planned, built, changed, demolished, or had been recorded differently over time. For organisations managing services, assets, applications or customer data, that wider view can make address information much easier to trust and manage.

AddressBase can be used as downloaded data, brought into GIS or database systems, or accessed through address services and APIs, depending on the workflow. For example, an organisation might use it to power an address lookup, clean up existing records, connect property information across departments, or analyse demand and service coverage at property level.

So, in practical terms, OS AddressBase works by giving each addressable location a consistent reference and placing that address within a reliable geographic framework. That makes it easier to connect the ‘where’ of a property with the information an organisation holds about it.

Do you need AddressBase?

If you need property data for a project, the important question is not simply ‘do I need AddressBase?’ Rather, we think it should be “what do you need address data to do?” If you need simple address lookup, one product or Address API may be enough. If you need deeper property-level intelligence, lifecycle data or integration with wider GIS workflows, you may need a more detailed AddressBase product.

Idox Geospatial can help you understand which AddressBase option is right for your organisation, how it fits with your existing systems, and how to put authoritative address data to work in a practical way.

How Emapsite can help

If you can't find exactly what you need, we can help you choose the right mapping data solution for your project via email, chat or over the phone.

For more information, reach out to our Customer Support team.

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