Reverse geocoding is live

29 Oct 2026 · 2 min read

Send a latitude and longitude and get back the nearest Australian addresses, with the distance to each. It works on every plan, including Free. Here is what is live today, 29 October 2026.

What is live today

• What it does. `GET /v1/addresses/reverse` takes `lat` and `lng` and returns the nearest addresses, nearest first. Each one is the same record as retrieve, with its `distance_m` in metres. `radius` is 1 to 2000 metres (the default is 100) and `limit` is 1 to 10 (the default is 1). A value outside those ranges returns an error. It is not adjusted.
• Price. Every call that returns at least one address is one lookup, the same as any other lookup on your plan. A call that returns no address is not billed. A session does not make repeat calls free. A retrieve in the same session within an hour of a billed reverse call is normally not billed again. If you retry after your own timeout, the retry can be billed as another lookup. Test keys are never billed. There is no new price.
• Secret key only. Call it from your server. A mobile app or a web page sends the position to your server, and your server calls WattleAddr. A publishable key gets `403 forbidden_key_type`.
• Not kept. We do not keep the coordinates, or the address we find, in usage records or search logs. The usage record keeps the type of call, the time, the key and session, how many addresses came back, how long it took, the status code, the G-NAF release and whether it was billed. If a request fails at our web server, the request line, including the coordinates, can appear in that server’s error log, which we keep for no longer than 16 days.
• What the result is. Nearest means the nearest G-NAF address point. A neighbour’s point can be nearer than the property someone is standing on, so the result is not proof of where a person is. Addresses that G-NAF places only at the middle of their street or suburb are left out, because G-NAF has no point for the property itself. Results come from the G-NAF release we serve, and an address G-NAF has since retired can still appear. The coordinate is the G-NAF geocode, usually the property centroid. It is not a promise that mail can be delivered, or that it is the building’s door.
• Errors. If the address data cannot be reached, it returns `503 engine_unavailable` and nothing is charged.
• Where to start. Reverse geocoding in the docs, the step-by-step guide, and tested code in Python, Node.js and PHP.
• Updated documents. The Terms, Privacy Policy and Data Processing Agreement now cover reverse geocoding.

What is not live

Reverse geocoding in the browser widget and with a publishable key.