# ideal-postcodes/postcodes.io

UK postcode & geolocation API, serving up open data

Repository: https://github.com/ideal-postcodes/postcodes.io
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/postcodesio
Homepage: https://postcodes.io
Language: HTML
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Last push: 2026-07-27T08:05:32+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 93/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 94, release rhythm 87, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4612, "days_push": 37, "days_rel": 84, "gap_med": 11.5, "n_releases_24m": 23}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1401, forks 282 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:37.229912+00:00)

## What it is
Postcodes.io is a free, open-source UK postcode lookup and geocoding API serving ONS Postcode Directory, Ordnance Survey Open Names, and Scottish Postcode Directory data over HTTP. It can be used via the public API or self-hosted with Docker using a pre-seeded PostgreSQL/PostGIS database.

## Use cases
- look up a UK postcode and get administrative and geographic data
- reverse geocode lat/long coordinates to the nearest postcode
- autocomplete and search UK postcodes from partial input
- find nearest postcodes to a given location
- validate UK postcodes in a form
- bulk postcode lookup and reverse geocoding
- self-host a free UK postcode API with Docker

## When to choose
- you need free UK postcode lookup, validation, or geocoding without authentication
- you want to self-host postcode data with Docker and PostGIS
- you need bulk reverse geocoding or nearest-postcode queries
- you want open data with administrative, electoral, and NHS region details

## When to avoid
- you need rooftop-level or property-level address precision (use a commercial geocoder)
- you need non-UK or international postcode coverage
- you need daily Royal Mail-fresh address data or dedicated support
- commercial use of Northern Ireland (BT) postcode data without a licence from NI Land & Property Services

## Facets
- artifact type: service
- maturity: active
- function: http-server, search-engine, geospatial, api-framework, self-hosted
- domain: apis, self-hosted, developer-tools
- platform: self-hosted
- tags: uk-postcodes, geocoding, reverse-geocoding, postcode-lookup, open-data, postgis, rest-api, autocomplete, maps, geospatial, docker, web-server, nodejs, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- ideal-postcodes/postcodes.io (main) score 93

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:37.229912+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T04:39:02.866682+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/ideal-postcodes/postcodes.io (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:37.229912+00:00, sha 73b5a5646f83)
  - homepage: https://postcodes.io (fetched 2026-08-29T11:53:13.201341+00:00, sha 2df78df388e2)
  - site_page: https://postcodes.io/docs/overview (fetched 2026-08-29T11:53:13.204294+00:00, sha c12d58fc760e)
  - site_page: https://postcodes.io/docs/api (fetched 2026-08-29T11:53:13.206550+00:00, sha c6af98e48536)
  - site_page: https://postcodes.io/docs/postcode/lookup (fetched 2026-08-29T11:53:13.208274+00:00, sha 661bbcf73ef5)
  - site_page: https://postcodes.io/docs/self-host (fetched 2026-08-29T11:53:13.210040+00:00, sha c56591807372)
  - site_page: https://postcodes.io/docs/licences (fetched 2026-08-29T11:53:13.211810+00:00, sha 2b16c13cdd9c)
  - site_page: https://postcodes.io/docs/libraries (fetched 2026-08-29T11:53:13.213355+00:00, sha 43e6cabdc0b6)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.