How to prevent google geocoder from returning results from other countries

Question

I'm using the google geocoder with an option to only return results from Germany

Here's the relevant part of my function

    ...
    var geocoder = new google.maps.Geocoder();
    geocoder.geocode({"address":address,"region":"DE" }, function(results, status) {
        if (status == google.maps.GeocoderStatus.OK) {
            if (results[0].geometry.location) {
                completeGeo(results[0],address);
            } else {
                completeGeo(null,address);
            }

     ...

but if i geocode "cuvry" too find that street in germany

google returns for example "Cuvry, France" which is outside of the region parameter

How can I prevent google geocoder from returning results that are not in a certain Country? I mean return, not check in callback if country-code is matching.

Answer 1

When I changed it to geocoder.geocode({"address":address, "componentRestrictions":{"country":"DE"} }, for germany my search results found vietnam.

I have changed it to this:

geocoder.geocode( {'address':address + ', Deutschland'}, function(results, status)

This works fine with countries name in own language.

Answer 2

This might work using component filters. "components":"country:DE"

var geocoder = new google.maps.Geocoder();
geocoder.geocode({"address":address, "componentRestrictions":{"country":"DE"} },
function(results, status) {
    if (status == google.maps.GeocoderStatus.OK) {
        if (results[0].geometry.location) {
            completeGeo(results[0],address);
        } else {
            completeGeo(null,address);
        }
});

Answer 3

The short answer is you can't.

The issue has been filed with Google here:

https://code.google.com/p/gmaps-api-issues/issues/detail?id=4233

The only thing you can try is passing an "accepted bounds" to the geocoder. It's far from perfect but did help a little on my project. Here is a rough copy of the code I use for attempting to limit the Google geocoder to the Western United States. Obviously you'd want to edit the bounds to represent the region you're interested in.

var geocoder = new google.maps.Geocoder()

var callGoogleGeocoder = function(str) {
  var geo_bounds;
  geo_bounds = setGeoBounds();
  return geocoder.geocode({
    address: str,
    bounds: geo_bounds
  }, function(results, status) {
    console.log(results);
  });
}

var setGeoBounds = function() {
  var geo_bounds, ne, sw;
  geo_bounds = new google.maps.LatLngBounds();
  sw = new google.maps.LatLng(41.24843789608676, -126.5633079709794);
  ne = new google.maps.LatLng(49.01224853841337, -108.3479759397294);
  geo_bounds.extend(sw);
  geo_bounds.extend(ne);
  return geo_bounds;
};

Please take a moment to vote on the issue at Google I linked to above. For me, it's the #1 feature the Google Geocoder is missing.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Use the full country name (eg. The Netherlands instead of NL) since the latter did not work (returned results outside NL):

geocoder.geocode({"address":address, "componentRestrictions":{"country":"The Netherlands"} },

Answer 5

I've just got the same problem and solved it this way (for Germany):

var searchObject = {
    'address': address,
    componentRestrictions: {
        country: 'DE'
    }
};


geocoder().geocode(searchObject, function (result, status) {
    if (status !== google.maps.GeocoderStatus.OK) {
        return reject();
    }

    if (result[0].formatted_address === 'Deutschland' && address !== 'Deutschland') {
        return reject();
    }

    return reject();
});

So, when you search for a wrong address, Google always return Deutschland as address when used componentRestrictions. That's the only way I got it working, because when you remove componentRestrictions Google will result a guessed location, which is not correct for my use case.

Example: Search for postcode 12345, which is not valid in Germany.

1. Without componentRestrictions — Result: Schenectady, New York 12345, USA

2. With Deutschland added to the address — Result: 12345 High Germany Rd SE, Little Orleans, MD 21766, USA

3. With componentRestrictions — Result: Deutschland

Update

Another solution is to check the partial_match flag:

if (result[0].partial_match) {
    return reject();
}