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Tickets Please

Geocoding

Geocoding

Venue map embeds and proximity-based event searches require latitude and longitude coordinates. Tickets Please automatically geocodes venue addresses when you save a venue, converting street addresses into coordinates using the Google Maps Geocoding API.

How Geocoding Works

When you save a venue with address fields populated, the geocoding process runs:

  1. The plugin checks whether the venue already has latitude and longitude values stored.
  2. If coordinates are missing (or the address has changed since the last geocode), the plugin sends the address to the Google Maps Geocoding API.
  3. The API returns coordinates, which are stored in the venue’s _tribe_venue_latitude and _tribe_venue_longitude meta fields.
  4. The venue’s map embed uses these stored coordinates.

Geocoding runs only on venue save — not on page load. Visitors never trigger API calls.

Requirements

Geocoding requires a Google Maps API key with the Geocoding API enabled. Enter the key at Events > Settings > Integrations in the Google Maps API key field.

To set up the API key:

  1. Go to the Google Cloud Console.
  2. Select or create a project.
  3. Navigate to APIs & Services > Library.
  4. Enable the Geocoding API.
  5. Create an API key under APIs & Services > Credentials.
  6. Optionally restrict the key to your server’s IP address for security (recommended for server-side geocoding).

Without an API key, geocoding does not run. Venues without coordinates do not display map embeds, but all other venue functionality works normally.

Caching and Deduplication

Geocode results are cached permanently in venue meta:

  • _tribe_venue_latitude — Decimal latitude (e.g., 47.5543).
  • _tribe_venue_longitude — Decimal longitude (e.g., -122.2567).

Once coordinates are stored, the plugin does not re-geocode the same venue unless:

  • The address fields change (street address, city, state, zip, or country).
  • The latitude or longitude meta is manually deleted.

This caching prevents unnecessary API calls. A venue saved 50 times with the same address triggers the Geocoding API only once.

Rate Limiting

Google’s Geocoding API has usage quotas:

  • Free tier: 40,000 requests per month (as of the current Google Maps Platform pricing).
  • Rate limit: 50 requests per second.

Tickets Please respects these limits by geocoding only when necessary (on save, with change detection). Bulk-importing 500 venues triggers 500 geocoding requests — well within the per-second rate limit but consuming monthly quota. For large imports, consider entering coordinates directly in the CSV to avoid API usage.

If the API returns a rate limit error, the venue saves successfully without coordinates. Re-saving the venue later retries the geocode.

Manual Coordinate Entry

You can always bypass geocoding by entering latitude and longitude manually on the venue edit screen:

  1. Navigate to Events > Venues and edit a venue.
  2. Scroll to the venue address meta box.
  3. Enter values in the Latitude and Longitude fields.
  4. Save the venue.

When both coordinate fields have values, the plugin skips the geocoding API call entirely. Manual entry is useful when:

  • You do not have a Google Maps API key.
  • The venue address is ambiguous or new (not yet in Google’s database).
  • You want exact coordinates for a specific building entrance or outdoor location.

Troubleshooting Geocoding

Venue Has No Map Despite Having an Address

Check these in order:

  1. API key — Verify a valid Google Maps API key is entered at Events > Settings > Integrations.
  2. Geocoding API enabled — Confirm the Geocoding API is enabled in your Google Cloud project, not just the Maps JavaScript API.
  3. Coordinates stored — Edit the venue and check whether latitude and longitude fields have values. If empty, the geocode failed silently.
  4. Address format — Ambiguous addresses (e.g., “Main Street” without a city) may not geocode successfully. Add city, state, and country for reliable results.
  5. API quota — Check your Google Cloud Console for quota usage and billing status.

Coordinates Are Wrong

Google’s geocoding is accurate for most addresses but can place coordinates at the wrong location for:

  • Rural addresses without precise street-level data.
  • Very new developments not yet in Google’s database.
  • Addresses in countries with limited Google coverage.

In these cases, use manual coordinate entry to override the geocoded values.

Re-geocoding a Venue

To force a fresh geocode:

  1. Edit the venue.
  2. Delete the values in the Latitude and Longitude fields.
  3. Save the venue.

The plugin detects that coordinates are missing and runs the geocoding API again.

Common Questions

Does geocoding work without a Google Maps API key? No. The Google Maps Geocoding API requires an authenticated API key. Without one, venues are not geocoded and map embeds do not render.

Is there a cost to geocoding? Google provides a monthly free tier (40,000 geocoding requests). Beyond that, geocoding costs $5 per 1,000 requests. Most event sites stay well within the free tier.

Can I use a geocoding provider other than Google? Currently, Tickets Please supports only Google Maps Geocoding. Alternative providers are not configurable from the settings panel.

Does geocoding run during CSV import? Yes. Each imported venue with address data and without coordinates triggers a geocoding request on save. For large imports, this can consume significant API quota. Pre-populate latitude and longitude columns in your CSV to skip geocoding.

What happens if the geocoding API is temporarily down? The venue saves normally without coordinates. The next time you edit and save the venue (and the API is available), geocoding runs again.

Are coordinates stored in a format compatible with other mapping plugins? Yes. Coordinates are stored as standard decimal degrees in _tribe_venue_latitude and _tribe_venue_longitude meta fields. Any plugin or theme that reads these meta keys can use the values directly.

Next Steps