Match Modes
Match modes determine the leniency used to make a match between your input and the geocoding dataset. Select a match mode based on the quality of your input and your desired output. For example, if you have an input database that is prone to errors, you may want to select the relaxed match mode.
The following match modes are available.
| Preference | Description |
|---|---|
| Match Mode | Match modes determine the leniency used to make a
match between the input address and the reference data. Select a
match mode based on the quality of your input and your desired
output. The following match modes are available:
|
| Search Type | Type of search to perform: Address, Point of Interest Category, Point of Interest, or All |
| Administrative Area Search | Limit the search area by an administrative boundary, such as city, town or postal code. Specify the administrative area on input. |
| Match on Address Number | Candidates must match the input address number. |
- Exact
- Requires a tight match. This restrictive mode generates the fewest match candidates, which decreases the processing time. When using this mode, ensure that your input is very clean; free of misspellings and incomplete addresses.
- Standard
- Requires a close match and generates a moderate number of match candidates. Default.
- Relaxed
- Allows a loose match and generates the most match candidates, which increases the processing time and results in more multiple matches. Use this mode if you are not confident that your input is clean; free of misspellings and incomplete addresses.
- Custom
- Provides the capability for you to define the matching criteria by setting MustMatch fields.
- Interactive (USA only)
- Available in single-line address matching only. This mode is designed to better handle the specific matching challenges presented by interactive matching. Interactive mode permits for more flexible matching patterns and may, in some cases, return additional possible matches than relaxed match mode. For more information, see Interactive Match Mode below.
- CASS (USA only)
- Imposes additional rules to ensure compliance with the USPS CASS regulations. The purpose of this match mode is to create mailable addresses for USPS mailing discounts. Use this mode to standardize your input for mailing. This mode generates a large number of match candidates. For more information, see CASS Mode below.
The following table provides information on how to set the match mode.
| REST API | Feature Implementation |
|---|---|
| Service: | Geocode |
| Request Type: | GET |
| Parameter: | matchMode |
| Request Type: | POST |
| Object : Element: | preferences : matchMode |
For more details, see Geocode GET Request and Geocode POST Request.
Interactive Match Mode (USA only)
Interactive mode is designed for interactive mobile/web applications. In this use case, it is expected that users may enter single-line addresses that contain misspelled, inaccurate, and/or missing information, so this input is processed utilizing a looser set of criteria for matching than the other match modes. As a result, the matching output could include multiple match candidates. The list of matches would be presented to the user who could then select the desired match candidate. If an exact match is found, then that single match candidate is returned; a mix of accurate and inaccurate results are not presented.
- Interactive match mode is only available in single-line address processing. If an attempt is made to run a non-single-line address when the match mode is set to INTERACTIVE, the match mode is temporarily changed to RELAXED and the address is processed in relaxed mode. When the matching process completes, the match mode is automatically reverted back to INTERACTIVE.
- Interactive match mode allows users to break the cardinal rule: If the user enters 123 S Main and there is only 123 N Main, a match is made with a match code that reflects the modified directional.
- Interactive match mode handles cases where users transpose pre-directionals with postdirectionals without penalty.
- Interactive match mode ignores the FIND_PREFER_ZIP_OVER_CITY custom option setting. When the city and ZIP Code don't match correctly, the best geocoding result will be returned based on an analysis of all the input address elements.
- When operating in interactive mode, in cases where a point address or interpolated street address result cannot be determined, the most accurate level of ZIP-9, ZIP-7 or ZIP-5 centroid available may be returned.
CASS Match Mode (USA only)
The CASS match mode imposes additional rules to ensure compliance with the USPS CASS regulations. The purpose of this match mode is to create mailable addresses for USPS mailing discounts. Use this mode to standardize your input for mailing. This mode generates a large number of match candidates.
The CASS match mode deviates from the other modes in its processing. This mode does not perform intersection, building name, or spatial alias (TIGER, TomTom, HERE street name alias or Centrus alias) or matches to User Dictionaries. It does not match to candidates from data sources that do not have USPS equivalent records. This mode recognizes and parses two unit numbers on the same address line, for example a building and unit number.