FAQ: Additional Data Returned by Postcode Finder Software

The Postcode finder software API returns the following data in addition to standard address fields when using a Full Address License:

Fields of interest:

Name Description
id Is only used for our internal use
deliverypointsuffix This code can be added to the postcode to give a unique reference to each Delivery Point (letterbox) in a Postcode.  Although the UDPRN number is a better source of a unique ID.
nohouseholds Number of house holds at this postcode address
smallorg Y = Small Organisation
pobox PO Box number if PO Box address
rawpostcode Postcode in its raw state.  7 chars long
mailsortcode The Royal Mail offer discount if mail is sorted by this code
udprn is a unique 8 digit code assigned to each addressable property (Delivery Point).
unique gives the unique portion of the address record.  If two lines may be broken with ~
spare It will contain "|" separated data. (see below)
 

Unique field

The “Unique” field is provided to give the unique portion of the address. The complexity of this can vary, since it is the Full Address less the Street Address.

Example 1

    2 Golf Cottages
    Greens Lane
    Golding Lane
    Horsham
    West Sussex
    RH13 6JW
    United Kingdom

The Unique portion of this would be: 2 Golf Cottages

Example 2

    Hillier Garden Centre
    Hornbrook Nurseries
    Brighton Road
    Horsham
    West Sussex
    RH13 6QA
    United Kingdom

The Unique portion of this would be: Hillier Garden Centre,Hornbrook Nurseries

Example 3

    Hillier Garden Centre
    Brighton Road
    Horsham
    West Sussex
    RH13 6QA
    United Kingdom

The Unique portion of this would be: Hillier Garden Centre,

Example 4

    2 Roscoe Terrace
    Wisbech
    Cambridgeshire
    PE13 2QE
    United Kingdom

The Unique portion of this would be: 2,

Spare field

The "Spare" field has been address to allow us to easily add extra data to the system without rewriting the interfaces. This data is pipe delimited (|)

Name Description
1 Property Number, if an address is a simple number in a street.
2 Property Name This can contain two lines separated by "," A number like "1-3","3A" are treated as names (see below)
3 Street Name
4 Former Postal County
5 Administrative County
6 Traditional County
7  

Example 1

Postcode SW11 1QG returns:

    Flat 6
    Carrington Court
    21 Limburg Road
    London
    SW11 1QG
    United Kingdom

 

The Unique portion of this would be: Flat 6,Carrington Court,21

The Spare portion of this would be: 21|Flat 6,Carrington Court|Limburg Road||||||||||