**European Economic Area (EEA) developers** > [!NOTE] > If your billing address is in the European Economic Area, effective on 8 July 2025, the [Google Maps Platform EEA Terms of Service](https://cloud.google.com/terms/maps-platform/eea) will apply to your use of the Services. Functionality varies by region. [Learn more](https://developers.google.com/maps/comms/eea/faq.md.txt). [Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IIhGA1cfmc) The Geocoding API is a service that accepts a place as an address, latitude and longitude coordinates, or Place ID. It converts the address into latitude and longitude coordinates and a Place ID, or converts latitude and longitude coordinates or a Place ID into an address. ## What you can do with the Geocoding API You can use the Geocoding API to obtain geocoding data for one or more addresses or places, including the following: - Geographic coordinates for addresses. - Addresses for sets of latitude and longitude coordinates. - Addresses for place IDs. You can control where the results appear and constrain the results to a particular region, county, or postal code. ## How the Geocoding API works The Geocoding API does both geocoding and reverse geocoding: - [**Geocoding**](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/guides-v3/requests-geocoding.md.txt): Converts addresses such as "1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA" into latitude and longitude coordinates or Place IDs. You can use these coordinates to place markers on a map, or to center or reposition the map within the view frame. - [**Reverse geocoding**](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/guides-v3/requests-reverse-geocoding.md.txt): Converts latitude/longitude coordinates or a Place ID into a human-readable address. You can use addresses for a variety of scenarios, including deliveries or pickups. The following demo uses the Geocoding Service through the Maps JavaScript API to demonstrate how the Geocoding API works. Open the map in a separate tab to see more options and details. ### Resources The following table summarizes the resources available through the Geocoding API along with the data each method returns. | Data resources | Data returned | Return format | |---|---|---| | [Geocoding](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/guides-v3/requests-geocoding.md.txt) | Returns address, address components, and address types. See [Results](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/requests-geocoding#results) in the *Geocoding request and response* guide. | - JSON - XML | | [Reverse geocoding](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/guides-v3/requests-reverse-geocoding.md.txt) | Returns address, address components, and address types. See [Reverse geocoding responses](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/requests-reverse-geocoding#reverse-response) in the Reverse geocoding request and response guide. | - JSON - XML | | [Place geocoding](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/guides-v3/requests-places-geocoding.md.txt) | Returns address, address components, and address types. See [Reverse geocoding responses](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/guides-v3/requests-places-geocoding.md.txt) in the Place geocoding request and response guide. | - JSON - XML | | - JSON - XML | ## How to use the Geocoding API |---|---|---| | 1 | **Get set up.** | Start with [Set up your Google Cloud project](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/cloud-setup) and complete the setup instructions that follow. | | 2 | **Try a geocoding request** | Once you have an API key, you can start testing out the Geocoding API directly from curl or a browser. You'll need to supply the correct lookup parameters for address or component lookups. See [Geocoding parameters](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/requests-geocoding#geocoding-lookup) for details. | | 3 | **Try a reverse geocoding request** | Supply latitude/longitude coordinates along with your API key to obtain address components for the closest human-readable address for that location. See [Reverse geocoding requests](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/requests-reverse-geocoding#reverse-requests) for details. | | 4 | **Understand response basics** | All methods in the Geocoding API return the same data in either JSON or XML. See [Geocoding responses](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/requests-geocoding#GeocodingResponses) for an explanation of the data, status codes, and error messages. | | 5 | **Incorporate geocoding data into your own app!** | You can use geocoding data to obtain addresses from map markers or to supply markers on a map based on a known address. | ### Available client libraries Call this API in the language of your choice through one of the following client libraries: - [Java Client for Google Maps Services](https://github.com/googlemaps/google-maps-services-java) - [Python Client for Google Maps Services](https://github.com/googlemaps/google-maps-services-python) - [Go Client for Google Maps Services](https://github.com/googlemaps/google-maps-services-go) - [Node.js Client for Google Maps Services](https://github.com/googlemaps/google-maps-services-js) The Java Client, Python Client, Go Client and Node.js Client for Google Maps Services are community-supported client libraries, open sourced under the [Apache 2.0 License](http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0). Download them from GitHub, where you can also find installation instructions and sample code. ## What's next - **Start using the Geocoding API** : Go to [Set up your Google Cloud project](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/cloud-setup). - **Get started with sample requests and responses** : Go to [Geocoding requests and responses](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/guides-v3/requests-geocoding.md.txt) - **Follow best practices** : Go to [Geocoding Addresses Best Practices](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/best-practices).