Can you retrieve a list of properties by entering a Postcode only using UKDL Locators?
We have recently released UKDL 7.1 which allows you to search on just a postcode and return the addresses at that postcode. Before this you could only search by building name/number and postcode.
If you look around at how we search for addresses there are many different approaches sites take. Some will give you long lists of addresses for a postcode and you scroll and choose the one you want, others ask for a house number and postcode and will then return the address.
ArcGIS locators allow you to do that but are designed around the idea that it will suggest results to you as you type your address. This approach will usually get you to your specific address faster than searching for one element and drilling down through multiple results.
It is different to how some people used searching with LocatorHub, but that usually needed custom code and widgets building to handle long lists of results.
Can you search by Postcode only using UKDL Locators?
We have recently released UKDL 7.1 which provided you with the ability to create a postcode locator in UKDL 7.1. This will allow you to search on just a postcode and return the addresses at that
postcode.
What infrastructure do I need to be able to publish ArcGIS Locators?
To publish any ArcGIS locator (.loc), whether that is created by UKDL or not, it does require either a stand-alone server or ArcGIS Enterprise. For publishing using a stand-alone server see the
documentation here. You can also share to ArcGIS Enterprise but it must have at least one federated Public server, it uses a different tool to publishing to a stand-alone server, see the documentation here. Due to UKDL containing Parcel roles in the locators built there is a minimum specification for ArcGIS Server and ArcGIS Enterprise. If the locator is a Parcel role locator or a feature locator, publish the locator to ArcGIS Enterprise 10.9.1 and stand-alone ArcGIS Server 10.8 or later. More information can be found here.
Do I need a specific version of ArcGIS Desktop to create UKDL locators?
At UKDL 7.0 or higher you require ArcGIS Pro 3.0 or higher to run the UKDL toolbox. Please see the blog which details this.
Can I use ArcGIS Locators (published in ArcGIS Pro) in ArcMap?
Yes you can however some of the functionality is downgraded such as the suggestions will not work in ArcMap.
Where can I get UK Data Loader from?
You must purchase UKDL from Esri UK, please speak to your CSM for more information on this. For more information on UKDL please see our webpages here, which is also where you can download the toolbox from. Once purchased you will be provided with the password to unlock the zip file.
How do we apply Change Only Updates (COU’s) to our locators?
To apply any update to the locator it does require you to rebuild the locator, as the data is stored in the locator itself. We have created some scripts which automate this process, if this is something you are interested in then please contact us.
There is a last updated date which is updated whenever any changes are applied to the data. You can use the input tables available and this field to filter the data and create a locator from it.
Do locators published as geocode services only have full functionality if published on ArcGIS Server 11 onwards?
For the latest enhancements such as subaddress summaries, improved suggestions, partial address search functionality and improved matching we advise you build the ArcGIS Locators in the latest version of ArcGIS Pro and publish with the latest version of ArcGIS Server or Enterprise. If you are only using the locator locally and not publishing, this latest functionality is available within ArcGIS Pro at the latest version, but to utilise this once published you do need the latest version of ArcGIS Enterprise or Server.
What is the approximate size of a Locator for AddressBase Premium for GB?
For AddressBase Premium 9 locators are created, with two of these being composite locators. The Staging Geodatabase to create the locators is 57.7GB. The list of the locators are below along with the approximate size for a GB Locator:
| Locator Name | Locator Description | Size (approximately) |
| abprem_la | All current and alternative Local Authority addresses. | 24.2GB |
| abprem_la_hi | All historic Local Authority Addresses. | 3.96GB |
| abprem_la_pv | All provisional Local Authority Addresses. | 0.47GB |
| abprem_rm | All addresses supplied by the Royal Mail. | 17.4GB |
| abprem_uprn | All addresses across Local Authority (current, historical, provisional) and Royal Mail searchable by UPRN. | 33.0GB |
| abprem_post | All addresses across local authority and royal mail searchable by postcode | 16.4GB |
| abprem_street | All streets information acrorss local authority and royal mail searchable by street name | 1.36GB |
| os_addressbasepremium_all_address_locator | Composite locator used to search all the records in the data.It is a composite of the following locators:
1.abprem_rm 2.abprem_la 3.abprem_la_hi 4.abprem_la_pv |
46.1GB (as it includes the locators in the description) |
| os_addressbasepremium_curr_address_locator | Composite locator used to search for only current addresses.It is a composite of the following locators:
1.abprem_rm 2.abprem_la |
41.6GB (as it includes the locators in the description) |
What is the approximate size of a Locator for AddressBase Premium Islands?
For AddressBase Premium Islands 9 locators are created, with two of these being composite locators. The list of the locators are below along with the approximate size for a GB Locator:
| Locator Name | Locator Description | Size (approximately) |
| abisland_la | All current and alternative Local Authority addresses. | 0.63GB |
| abisland_la_hi | All historic Local Authority Addresses. | 0.03GB |
| abisland_la_pv | All provisional Local Authority Addresses. | 0.04GB |
| abisland_rm | All addresses supplied by the Royal Mail. | 0.51GB |
| abisland_uprn | All addresses across Local Authority (current, historical, provisional) and Royal Mail searchable by UPRN. | 0.84GB |
| abisland_post | All addresses across local authority and royal mail searchable by postcode | 0.44GB |
| abisland_street | All streets information acrorss local authority and royal mail searchable by street name | 0.05GB |
| os_addressbasepremiumislands_all_address_locator | Composite locator used to search all the records in the data.It is a composite of the following locators:
1.abprem_rm 2.abprem_la 3.abprem_la_hi 4.abprem_la_pv |
1.21GB (as it includes the locators in the description) |
| os_addressbasepremiumislands_curr_address_locator | Composite locator used to search for only current addresses.It is a composite of the following locators:
1.abprem_rm 2.abprem_la |
1.14GB (as it includes the locators in the description) |
Can I use ArcGIS Locators in custom applications?
You can use ArcGIS Locators throughout the Esri system but as the geocoding services are exposed using the ArcGIS Rest API you can also use them within other custom applications written in other technologies or frameworks such as .NET or JavaScript.
Can I search by UPRN in ArcGIS Locators created using UKDL?
By default you can search by UPRN in all of the locators created by UKDL. We have specific UPRN locators as well for LLPG, CAG and AddressBase Premium where we merge together datasets to make it easier for you to search on UPRN in a single locator.
Are you able to search by street using ArcGIS Locators?
We have recently released UKDL 7.1 and this functionality was added. This will allow you the ability to search for a street by a street.
