Searching with Pro API

Searching with Pro API will vary depending on the requirements of the user and the integration.

Pro API provides four different search types which cover a number of searching scenarios.

Search types

Typedown searching starts with the most general address element and, once that has been found, moves on to more specific parts of the address.

Typedown is the more useful search option when a user is certain of the address information.

Single Line searching requires a user to type in two or three address elements, each separated by a comma, in the order that they would appear on an envelope (for example, the street name followed by the town).

Single Line searches can use a variety of techniques to return the correct address from incomplete or misspelled information.

Intuitive searching has elements of both Single Line and Typedown searching. The user enters an address in the format they are familiar with, and with each extra letter typed, the picklist narrows down the result until a final address is selected.

Verification searching requires the user to type in the complete address, as it would appear on an envelope. The entire address is submitted to the engine, and a verification level is returned. The verification level corresponds to the degree of confidence in the returned address.

If an accurate match could not be found, the integrator can choose whether to return the address as it was entered by the user, or to return a prompt requesting more user interaction.

Key searching works in a similar way to Single Line searching. The user types in the key reverse search term, and Pro API returns the address that matches the search in the picklist.