Route planning and optimisation
Distances and Directions
A to B Route Planning and Optimisation web services

Developer documentation

One of the strengths of the Postcode Anywhere web service platform is its versatility. We don’t just provide robust and secure ways for you to access data; we also give you the tools to enable you to integrate and work with the data in as many different environments as you care to mention.

Such is the strength of our web service platform that we can turn around new web services along with different code environments in hours, rather than the weeks or months you would typically expect.

We like to think that nothing is a challenge for us - so if you can’t find what you want below, simply contact us and we’ll do what we can to help.

Web service documentation  -  Distances and Directions

Most Commonly Used Web Services

Web Service Description
DistancesAndDirections Interactive Directions
v2.00		 Returns the directions between two or more points.
Version 2.00 includes support for Speed Profiles data, for more accurate timings based on start time and historic traffic speed data.
DistancesAndDirections Interactive DirectionsAndLines
v3.00		 Returns the directions with polylines between two or more points.
Version 3.00 includes support for polyline point reduction.
DistancesAndDirections Interactive Distance
v1.00		 Returns the distance between two or more points.
DistancesAndDirections Interactive FreightDirections
v2.00		 Returns the directions between two or more points. Allows input of vehicle size parameters to ensure the route avoids restrictions if possible.
Version 2.00 includes support for Speed Profiles data, for more accurate timings based on start time and historic traffic speed data.
DistancesAndDirections Interactive FreightDirectionsAndLines
v3.00		 Returns the directions with polylines between two or more points. Allows input of vehicle size parameters to ensure the route avoids restrictions if possible.
Version 3.00 includes support for polyline point reduction.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation Create
v1.00		 Creates a new route optimisation job and returns the JobID.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation GetCost
v1.00		 Retrieve an upper-bound cost estimate for the optimisation job, in credits or number of vehicle licenses used. Note that the actual cost will be lower than this if, for any reason, one or more waypoints are not successfully routed to. If the job has already completed successfully, this service will return the actual amount that was used.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation GetDirections
v1.00		 Returns the turn by turn directions for any or all vehicles for a completed route optimisation job.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation GetResults
v1.00		 Retrieve the full results of the route optimisation job.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation GetStatus
v1.00		 Retrieve the status of the existing route optimisation job, including any error messages.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation StartOptimisation
v1.00		 Tell the route optimisation engine that you wish to start the optimisation process running.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation UpdateJob
v1.00		 Add or edit settings for the existing route optimisation job.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation UpdateVehicles
v1.00		 Add, edit or remove a vehicle from the existing route optimisation job. You may update several vehicles at once by passing in arrays of values; these arrays must be of equal length.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation UpdateWaypoints
v1.00		 Add, edit or remove a waypoint from the existing route optimisation job. You may update several waypoints at once by passing in arrays of values; these arrays must be of equal length.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation VerifyLocation
v1.00		 Determines whether or not each entry in a batch of postcodes, OS coordinates or latitude / longitude coordinates maps to the road network of the UK, Europe, USA or Canada. This free service can be used to pre-validate postcodes and location strings before passing into any of the Distances and Directions web services, and should always be used before calling the Optimise method.
Geocoding International Geocode
v1.20		 Returns the WGS84 latitude and longitude for the given location. Supports most international locations.
Geocoding UK Geocode
v2.00		 Returns the OS easting + northing along with WGS84 latitude and longitude for the given postcode. Supports UK only.
Now supports property level geocoding in urban areas. Please supply a full address for this
Geocoding UK RetrieveNearestPlaces
v1.10		 Calculates the nearest places of interest of a given category to a given location.

Other Web Services

Web Service Description
DistancesAndDirections Interactive CongestionCharge
v1.00		 Determines whether or not a given postcode, OS Coordinate or Lat/Long pair is in the London congestion charging zone.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation AddDepotReturn
v1.00		 Add a scheduled depot return to the middle of an already-completed route optimisation job, regardless of any vehicle capacity or waypoint size constraints.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation AutoInsertWaypoint
v1.00		 Automatically insert a new waypoint into the best position in an already-completed route optimisation job.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation Copy
v1.00		 Creates a new route optimisation job, based on the input parameters of an existing job, and returns the JobID.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation DeleteWaypoint
v1.00		 Delete a waypoint from an already-completed route optimisation job.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation GetDirectionsAndLines
v1.00		 Returns the turn by turn directions for any or all vehicles for a completed route optimisation job, along with a polyline of the route for display on a map.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation GetDirectionsPDF
v1.00		 Retrieve a PDF containing turn-by-turn directions, identical to that downloadable from the routeoptimiser.com website.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation GetETA
v1.00		 Gets the current estimated time of arrival at a given location or locations, taking any vehicle tracking logs into account.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation GetItineraryPDF
v1.00		 Retrieve a PDF containing a route itinerary, identical to that downloadable from the routeoptimiser.com website.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation GetJobInput
v1.00		 Retrieve input settings for the existing route optimisation job.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation GetPosition
v1.00		 Gets the last logged position and delivery location for a vehicle or vehicles.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation GetSatNavFile
v1.00		 Retrieve a file for a satnav device for the given vehicle index or ID.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation GetSummaryPDF
v1.00		 Retrieve a PDF containing a summary of the results of the route optimisation job, identical to that downloadable from the routeoptimiser.com website.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation GetVehiclesInput
v1.00		 Retrieve vehicles from the existing route optimisation job.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation GetWaypointsInput
v1.00		 Retrieve waypoints from the existing route optimisation job.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation LogDelivery
v1.00		 Log the time at which the vehicle arrives at a delivery point.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation LogDepotReturn
v1.00		 Log the time at which the vehicle arrives back at the depot for a reload mid-route.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation LogFinish
v1.00		 Log the time at which the vehicle actually arrives at the end of its route.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation LogPosition
v1.00		 Log the geographic position of a vehicle.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation LogStart
v1.00		 Log the time at which the vehicle actually leaves the depot on the start of its route.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation ManualInsertWaypoint
v1.00		 Insert a new waypoint into the given position in an already-completed route optimisation job.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation MoveWaypoint
v1.00		 Move a waypoint from one position to another in an already-completed route optimisation job.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation RemoveDepotReturn
v1.00		 Remove a scheduled depot return from the middle of an already-completed route optimisation job, regardless of any vehicle capacity or waypoint size constraints.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation ReverseVehicle
v1.00		 Reverse the schedule of a vehicle in already-completed route optimisation job.
DistancesAndDirections Optimisation TransferExcludedWaypoints
v1.00		 Copy waypoints that could not be visited from an old completed job object to a newer job object ready for re-optimisation.
DistancesAndDirections Vehicles ListManufacturers
v1.00		 Lists cars manufacturers.
DistancesAndDirections Vehicles ListModels
v1.00		 Lists car models.
DistancesAndDirections Vehicles ListVariants
v1.00		 Lists car model variants.
DistancesAndDirections Vehicles RetrieveDataByVariantId
v1.00		 Returns the emission and vehicle data for a given model variant.
Geocoding International RetrieveCountry
v1.00		 Calculates the country a given location is within.
Geocoding International RetrieveNearestPlaces
v1.00		 Calculates the nearest places of interest of a given category to a given location.
Geocoding International ReverseGeocode
v1.00		 Returns the nearest address or location to the given coordinates.
Geocoding UK ReverseGeocode
v1.00		 Returns the nearest address or location to the given coordinates. Currently only supports the UK.

Deprecated Web Services

Web Service Description
DistancesAndDirections Interactive Directions
v1.00		 Returns the directions between two or more points.
DistancesAndDirections Interactive DirectionsAndLines
v2.00		 Returns the directions with polylines between two or more points.
Version 2.00 includes support for Speed Profiles data, for more accurate timings based on start time and historic traffic speed data.
DistancesAndDirections Interactive DirectionsAndLines
v1.10		 Returns the directions with polylines between two or more points.
DistancesAndDirections Interactive DirectionsAndLines
v1.00		 Returns the directions with polylines between two or more points.
DistancesAndDirections Interactive FreightDirections
v1.00		 Returns the directions between two or more points. Allows input of vehicle size parameters to ensure the route avoids restrictions if possible.
DistancesAndDirections Interactive FreightDirectionsAndLines
v1.00		 Returns the directions with polylines between two or more points. Allows input of vehicle size parameters to ensure the route avoids restrictions if possible.
DistancesAndDirections Interactive FreightDirectionsAndLines
v2.00		 Returns the directions with polylines between two or more points. Allows input of vehicle size parameters to ensure the route avoids restrictions if possible.
Version 2.00 includes support for Speed Profiles data, for more accurate timings based on start time and historic traffic speed data.
DistancesAndDirections Interactive FreightDirectionsAndLines
v1.10		 Returns the directions with polylines between two or more points. Allows input of vehicle size parameters to ensure the route avoids restrictions if possible.
Geocoding International Geocode
v1.10		 Returns the WGS84 latitude and longitude for the given location. Supports most international locations.
Geocoding International Geocode
v1.00		 Returns the WGS84 latitude and longitude for the given location. Supports most international locations.
Geocoding UK Geocode
v1.00		 Returns the OS easting + northing along with WGS84 latitude and longitude for the given postcode. Supports UK only.
Geocoding UK RetrieveNearestPlaces
v1.00		 Calculates the nearest places of interest of a given category to a given location.