# Search queries
-The search API allows to look up a location from a textual description.
+The search API allows you to look up a location from a textual description.
Nominatim supports structured as well as free-form search queries.
The search query may also contain
[special phrases](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Nominatim/Special_Phrases)
-which are tranlated into specific OpenStreetMap(OSM) tags (e.g. Pub => amenity=pub).
-Note that this only limits the items to be found. It is not suited to return complete
-lists of OSM objects of a specific type.
-Use [Overpass API](https://overpass-api.de/) for that.
+which are translated into specific OpenStreetMap (OSM) tags (e.g. Pub => `amenity=pub`).
+Note that this only limits the items to be found, it's not suited to return complete
+lists of OSM objects of a specific type. For those use [Overpass API](https://overpass-api.de/).
## Parameters
* `q=<query>`
Free-form query string to search for.
- Free-form queries are processed first left to right and then right to
- left if that fails. So you may search for
+ Free-form queries are processed first left-to-right and then right-to-left if that fails. So you may search for
[pilkington avenue, birmingham](//nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search?q=pilkington+avenue,birmingham) as well as for
[birmingham, pilkington avenue](//nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search?q=birmingham,+pilkington+avenue).
- Commas are optional, but improve performance by reducing the complexity
- of the search.
+ Commas are optional, but improve performance by reducing the complexity of the search.
* `street=<housenumber> <streetname>`
- `city=<city>`
- `county=<county>`
- `state=<state>`
- `country=<country>`
-
`postalcode=<postalcode>`
+* `city=<city>`
+* `county=<county>`
+* `state=<state>`
+* `country=<country>`
+
* `postalcode=<postalcode>`
- Alternative query string format for structured requests.
+ Alternative query string format split into several parameters for structured requests.
Structured requests are faster but are less robust against alternative
OSM tagging schemas. **Do not combine with** `q=<query>` **parameter**.
-All three query forms accept the additional paramters listed below.
+All three query forms accept the additional parameters listed below.
### Output format
* `format=[html|xml|json|jsonv2|geojson|geocodejson]`
-See below for details on each format. (Default: html)
+See [Place Output Formats](Output.md) for details on each format. (Default: html)
* `json_callback=<string>`
-Wrap json output in a callback function (JSONP) i.e. `<string>(<json>)`.
+Wrap JSON output in a callback function ([JSONP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSONP)) i.e. `<string>(<json>)`.
Only has an effect for JSON output formats.
### Output details
* `accept-language=<browser language string>`
Preferred language order for showing search results, overrides the value
-specified in the "Accept-Language" HTTP header.
+specified in the ["Accept-Language" HTTP header](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Headers/Accept-Language).
Either use a standard RFC2616 accept-language string or a simple
comma-separated list of language codes.
* `limit=<integer>`
-Limit the number of returned results. (Default: 10)
+Limit the number of returned results. (Default: 10, Maximum: 50)
* `viewbox=<x1>,<y1>,<x2>,<y2>`
The preferred area to find search results. Any two corner points of the box
-are accepted in any order as long as they span a real box.
+are accepted in any order as long as they span a real box. `x` is longitude,
+`y` is latitude.
* `bounded=[0|1]`
When a viewbox is given, restrict the result to items contained with that
-viewbox (see above). When `viewbox` and `bounded` are given, an amenity
+viewbox (see above). When `viewbox` and `bounded=1` are given, an amenity
only search is allowed. In this case, give the special keyword for the
-amenity in squaer brackets, e.g. `[pub]`. (Default: 0)
+amenity in square brackets, e.g. `[pub]`. (Default: 0)
### Polygon output
```xml
<searchresults timestamp="Sat, 07 Nov 09 14:42:10 +0000" querystring="135 pilkington, avenue birmingham" polygon="true">
- <place
- place_id="1620612" osm_type="node" osm_id="452010817"
- boundingbox="52.548641204834,52.5488433837891,-1.81612110137939,-1.81592094898224"
- polygonpoints="[['-1.81592098644987','52.5487429714954'],['-1.81592290792183','52.5487234624632'],...]"
- lat="52.5487429714954" lon="-1.81602098644987"
- display_name="135, Pilkington Avenue, Wylde Green, City of Birmingham, West Midlands (county), B72, United Kingdom"
+ <place
+ place_id="1620612" osm_type="node" osm_id="452010817"
+ boundingbox="52.548641204834,52.5488433837891,-1.81612110137939,-1.81592094898224"
+ polygonpoints="[['-1.81592098644987','52.5487429714954'],['-1.81592290792183','52.5487234624632'],...]"
+ lat="52.5487429714954" lon="-1.81602098644987"
+ display_name="135, Pilkington Avenue, Wylde Green, City of Birmingham, West Midlands (county), B72, United Kingdom"
class="place" type="house">
<house_number>135</house_number>
<road>Pilkington Avenue</road>
##### JSON with address details
-[https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/?format=json&addressdetails=1&q=bakery+in+berlin+wedding&format=json&limit=1](https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/?format=json&addressdetails=1&q=bakery+in+berlin+wedding&format=json&limit=1)
+[https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/?addressdetails=1&q=bakery+in+berlin+wedding&format=json&limit=1](https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/?addressdetails=1&q=bakery+in+berlin+wedding&format=json&limit=1)
```json
{
projects / nominatim.git / blobdiff