Multiple zipcodes from addresses not returned correctly in Azure Maps in the Netherlands

Michael Bijzet 20

When sending an address to get back the coordinates, there are issues with Azure Maps not returning the correct zip code for locations in the Netherlands. This makes it difficult to trust the coordinates given. Although Microsoft's feedback page can be used to report these errors, there are too many to handle individually. Examples of this issue are provided, but there are plenty more.

Postnl is a Dutch company responsible for distributing these codes, and The Dutch Kadaster website produces the same results. TomTom is a Dutch company, so it is unclear why this issue persists. Is there a possibility that Microsoft can work with TomTom to correct this issue in bulk?

Azure Maps: Duitslandlaan 34, 2711 BL Zoetermeer

Postnl: Duitslandlaan 34, 2711BG ZOETERMEER

Azure Maps: Dunantstraat 599, 2713 SL Zoetermeer

Postnl: Dunantstraat 599, 2713SV ZOETERMEER

Azure Maps: Lekkenburg 255, 2804 TS Gouda

Postnl: Lekkenburg 255, 2804TP GOUDA

Azure Maps: Mezendaal 28, 2914 EE Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel

Postnl: Mezendaal 28, 2914ED NIEUWERKERK AD IJSSEL

Accepted answer

rbrundritt 15,311 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2023-12-19T17:58:09.95+00:00

It should be noted that the main purpose of geocoders is to take an address and get its coordinate, not to return an inflated address object. If the coordinate is in a reasonable location, the geocoder has succeeded. It's not an address value verification service (those are much more specialized and expensive services to provide).
Please sign in to rate this answer.

2 people found this answer helpful.
Michael Bijzet 20 Reputation points

2023-12-22T08:51:31.1533333+00:00

We only validate because if I put in an address and get another address back (thus with different coordinates in a different neighborhood), the distance will be different. De addresses submitted are already validated to be correct and valid addresses. But this means i never get a result for a validated address because I always get back a different address and by that, different coordinates.

rbrundritt 15,311 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2023-12-22T17:26:53.0366667+00:00

For background, here is a high-level overview of how most geocoder services work in this scenario:

Generally, across the globe address data and postal code data are two separate data sources and are joined together by map providers using an approximation. The method of approximation varies depending on what data is available. Few postal services in the world provide data that links postal codes to the addresses. And of the few that do, they charge a premium to access that data (more than what most geocoding services cost). Thus the use of approximation. So, in some parts of the world it will be nearly perfect, and others, like what you are seeing, there will be larger inaccuracies. That said, if you geocode a street address that includes a postal code, the street address will usually be used on its own to do the geocoding against a street address data source. If more than one result with the same street address appear, the postal code then may be used to help influence the order of the results. This influence may only look at part of the postal code (partial match). The returned results will contain the approximate postal code. If you only pass in a postal code into a geocoder, typically that will match up against the postal code data source rather than the street address data source, as this will provide higher accuracy postal code matching.
Sign in to comment

Multiple zipcodes from addresses not returned correctly in Azure Maps in the Netherlands

1 additional answer