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faq

How to not get banned while using our Free Client-side Reverse Geocoding API?

Last Updated: March 8, 2023

The Free Client-side Reverse Geocoding API is designed to be used strictly on the client side and in compliance with the fair use policy. Any violation of this rule may lead to a ban on the IP address attempting to access the API, thereby preventing the use of any of BigDataCloud's free APIs.

If your IP address is banned, you will receive a 403 error message indicating the IP ban, along with a suggestion to contact support@bigdatacloud.com to lift the ban. The error message may also indicate a previous IP ban from our system, in which case we recommend getting in touch with us for assistance. 

Error Message:

{"status":403,"description":"this endpoint does not support server-side operations. use '/data/reverse-geocode' endpoint instead. your ip address XXXXX  is now banned. To lift the ban email support@bigdatacloud.com“}

It is important to comply with the fair use policy to ensure the continued availability and reliability of the Free Client-side Reverse Geocoding API.

Fair Use Policy

  1. The API should only be used to convert the current geo-coordinates (latitude and longitude) obtained with permission from the client's device.
  2. It is prohibited to convert any pre-stored or other client instances' geo-coordinates.
  3. The coordinates should only correspond to the calling client device's best-known and current location and should be retrieved from client-dependent geolocation services such as GPS or WiFi positioning systems.
  4. For web projects, the HTML5 geolocation API can be used, while for mobile and other IoT devices, their respective client SDK should be used.
  5. The API call must originate from the client-side where the geocoordinates are retrieved.
  6. It is not allowed to retrieve the coordinates from the client-side and transmit them to a different server or client for data processing. Therefore, the API should only be called from the client-side where the geolocated coordinates are available to ensure compliance with the fair use policy.

 

Alternative Solution

If you cannot adhere to the fair use policy for your particular usage case, our server-side reverse geocoding API can be a suitable alternative. It provides the same outcomes as the client-side reverse geocoding API and offers 50,000 free monthly queries. To access this API, you must create an account and obtain an API key.