> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://filla.io/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Geocoder

> Convert addresses to coordinates (forward geocoding) or coordinates to addresses (reverse geocoding).

## What this tool does

The Geocoder converts between addresses and geographic coordinates in your Airtable records. Run it to enrich location data, enable distance calculations, or plot records on a map.

* **Forward geocoding**: Address text → latitude and longitude
* **Reverse geocoding**: Latitude and longitude → formatted address

## Settings reference

### Source

| Setting          | Description                                                         |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Source table** | The table with records to geocode.                                  |
| **Mode**         | Forward (Address → Coordinates) or Reverse (Coordinates → Address). |

### Forward mode fields

| Setting              | Description                                                |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Address field**    | A text or Formula field containing the address to geocode. |
| **Latitude output**  | A Number field for the latitude result.                    |
| **Longitude output** | A Number field for the longitude result.                   |

### Reverse mode fields

| Setting             | Description                                    |
| ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| **Latitude input**  | A Number field containing the latitude.        |
| **Longitude input** | A Number field containing the longitude.       |
| **Address output**  | A text field for the formatted address result. |

### API configuration

| Setting                              | Description                                                         |
| ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Use your own Google Maps API key** | Without your own key, processing is limited to 100 records per run. |
| **Google Maps API key**              | Your Geocoding API key. Only shown when using your own key.         |

### Handling

| Setting                       | Description                                                |
| ----------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Skip empty fields**         | Skip records with blank source fields.                     |
| **Overwrite existing output** | Write results even when output fields already have values. |

## Preview

The Geocoder has a preview panel. Run a preview to see a sample of addresses and their geocoded coordinates (or vice versa) before committing the full run.

## API key and limits

Without a Google Maps API key, the tool is limited to 100 records per run. Add your own Geocoding API key to remove this limit.

To get a Google Maps API key:

1. Go to [Google Cloud Console](https://console.cloud.google.com/)
2. Enable the Geocoding API
3. Create an API key with Geocoding API access
4. Paste the key into the Geocoder tool settings

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How accurate is the geocoding?">
    Google Maps geocoding produces accurate results for well-formatted addresses. Vague or incomplete addresses may return approximate results or fail entirely.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What format should addresses be in?">
    Full addresses work best: street number, street name, city, state/province, postal code, country. The more complete, the more accurate the result.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use the output coordinates with the Distance Calculator?">
    Yes. Geocode your addresses first, then use the resulting latitude and longitude fields as inputs for the Distance Calculator tool.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does Filla store any of my location data?">
    No. Geocoding requests are sent to the Google Maps API and results are written directly to your Airtable fields. Filla does not store geocoding results separately.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>