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Search geocoding overrides

Search geocoding overrides

When you would like to force a particular term to resolve to a different point, an override can help

Michael Fatica avatar
Written by Michael Fatica
Updated over 2 weeks ago

MetaLocator includes an administrative tool that allows you to override the geocoding results for specific search terms. This feature is useful in cases where standard geocoding services return inaccurate or undesired coordinates for known search terms such as city names, postal codes, or other regional identifiers.

This guide explains how to add, edit, and delete search geocoding overrides within your MetaLocator control panel.

What is a Search Geocoding Override?

When a user performs a location search (e.g., "Dallas, TX"), MetaLocator uses a geocoding provider to determine the coordinates and region details associated with that search term. If the result is incorrect or needs to be adjusted, an override allows you to manually define:

  • The exact coordinates (latitude/longitude)

  • The location’s associated city, state, postal code, county, and country

  • The search type (point, city, state, or country)

This ensures your search results and proximity sorting behave correctly for users searching with that exact term.

When searching for locations in your locator, MetaLocator first geocodes the term entered by the user.  This establishes the point around which the search is centered. If that point is not the point desired, you can manually override that term using a geocode override.  

Avoid Overrides When Possible

In most applications, Geocoding Overrides should not be necessary. They should only be leveraged when a specific search term is returning an incorrect or undesired result from the geocoding provider. That is typically due to an incorrect configuration and so using geocoding overrides should be a last resort.

Accessing the Override Form

To manage overrides:

  1. Log in to the MetaLocator Control Panel.

  2. Navigate to Tools > Search Geocoding Overrides.

  3. Click New to add a new override or click an existing override to edit.

Fields in the Override Form

Below is a description of each field in the form:

Field

Description

Required

Search Term

The user-entered term to override (e.g., "Springfield, IL").

✅ Yes

Latitude

The latitude value to return for this search term.

✅ Yes

Longitude

The longitude value to return for this search term.

✅ Yes

Search Type

Defines the level of the override:
Point: Single coordinates
City, State, or Country: Regional types that impact map zoom levels and filtering.

✅ Yes

City

The city name associated with the Search Term. (e.g. "Springfield")

State/Province

2-letter state or province code (e.g., "TX").

Postal Code

Optional ZIP or postal code.

County (FIPS) Code

US-only. 5-digit Federal Information Processing Standard code.

County Name

Required if a FIPS code is provided.

TLD

The Top-Level Domain associated with this override. For example, US, CA or GB.

✅ Yes

⚠️ Important: If either FIPS code or County Name is provided, both fields must be completed. The FIPS code must be exactly 5 digits.

To obtain the latitude and longitude, another tool called the Map Explorer Tool is helpful.  Found under the tools menu, it allows you to obtain the latitude and longitude of any point on the globe.

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