# Photon Geocoder: Worldwide Place Search (`naimurhasanrwd/photon-geocode-scraper`) Actor

Geocode free-text place names worldwide via the public Photon OpenStreetMap geocoder: coordinates, country, type and address parts. No login, no proxy, no browser.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/naimurhasanrwd/photon-geocode-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Naimur Hasan](https://apify.com/naimurhasanrwd) (community)
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

Pay per usage

This Actor is paid per platform usage. The Actor is free to use, and you only pay for the Apify platform usage, which gets cheaper the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-usage

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Photon Geocoder

Geocodes free-text place names worldwide through the public Photon
OpenStreetMap geocoder. No login, no proxy, no browser, no API key.

### Input

| Field | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| `queries` | array | Required. Free-text searches. Default `["Berlin", "Eiffel Tower"]`. |
| `language` | string | `default` | `en` | `de` | `fr`. Default `en`. |
| `resultsPerQuery` | integer | Cap on matches per query. Default `5`. |

### Output

One row per match: `query`, `name`, `type`, `osmKey`, `osmValue`,
`osmType`, `osmId`, `country`, `countryCode`, `state`, `county`, `city`,
`postcode`, `street`, `houseNumber`, `latitude`, `longitude`.

### Notes

- **Without `lang`, Photon returns names in the local language** — Germany
  comes back as "Deutschland". The default here is `en` so results are
  consistent; set `default` if you want local names.
- Coordinates are GeoJSON order, `[longitude, latitude]`. They are unpacked by
  name rather than positionally assumed.
- Results range from continents to house numbers, so `type`, `osmKey` and
  `osmValue` are what tell you the granularity. Address fields are `null` for
  place-level hits, which is correct rather than missing.
- Worldwide coverage, unlike `census-geocoder-scraper` in this portfolio which
  is US-only but returns official Census geography.

# Actor input Schema

## `queries` (type: `array`):

Free-text place searches, e.g. Berlin, Eiffel Tower, 10 Downing Street

## `language` (type: `string`):

Photon returns names in the local language unless a supported language is requested

## `resultsPerQuery` (type: `integer`):

Cap on matches returned per query

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "queries": [
    "Berlin",
    "Eiffel Tower"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "resultsPerQuery": 5
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `items` (type: `string`):

Every place the run matched.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "queries": [
        "Berlin",
        "Eiffel Tower"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("naimurhasanrwd/photon-geocode-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "queries": [
        "Berlin",
        "Eiffel Tower",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("naimurhasanrwd/photon-geocode-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "queries": [
    "Berlin",
    "Eiffel Tower"
  ]
}' |
apify call naimurhasanrwd/photon-geocode-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,naimurhasanrwd/photon-geocode-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/zrv0kO2hCCYvNyNIc/builds/7i6SHBwpAPJVxqke0/openapi.json