What is reverse geocoding?
Updated Nov 5, 2026
Reverse geocoding answers "what's here?": you give it a latitude and longitude, and it gives back the nearest address or place.
https://api.pinsharing.com/v1/reverse?lat=41.87886&lon=-87.63592&key=YOUR_KEYForward geocoding goes the other way, from an address to coordinates.
What it's for
- Filling in an address from a phone's location.
- Labelling GPS points: deliveries, check-ins, photos, vehicle logs.
- Showing a town or neighbourhood name instead of raw coordinates.
How accurate is it?
It finds the nearest feature in the map data. In towns that is usually the right street and often the right house number; in rural areas or where house numbers are sparse, you may get the street or the town. PinSharing uses OpenStreetMap data: streets and places are reliable worldwide, and US house numbers vary by area.
Privacy
Coordinates are personal data when they come from a person's phone. PinSharing uses the coordinates in a request only to answer it, and doesn't build profiles from them.
Try it without a key in the free reverse geocoder.
Questions
Can I store reverse geocoding results?
On PinSharing's paid plans, yes, indefinitely. On Free, for up to 30 days.
Is reverse geocoding metered like geocoding?
Yes: one reverse lookup counts as one address lookup.
Try it on your own addresses
Free key in under a minute, no card. New accounts get Growth's limits free for 14 days.
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