Place Search API
Find OpenStreetMap places by name with fuzzy, ranked matching, and query any tag through /features
How it works
Search by name or type
Free-form text or structured tag queries.
Plaza ranks results
Fuzzy name matching over named OpenStreetMap places.
Get ranked places
Name, coordinates, OSM type and ID, and a relevance score.
See it in action
An example request and its response, drawn on the map.
Who uses this
Teams building with Place Search API.
Place discovery
Search for restaurants, parks, or attractions in any city.
Business directories
Build location-aware search for local business listings.
Data enrichment
Enrich addresses and coordinates with nearby POI data.
Fuzzy
Name matching
100
Results per page
Any tag
Filters via /features
What you can build
Example apps powered by Place Search API.
City Explorer
Discover points of interest near any location on a map.
Accessibility Finder
Find wheelchair-accessible venues filtered by OSM tags.
Travel Planner
Search for hotels, restaurants, and attractions along a route.
Start building
curl -X POST "https://plaza.fyi/api/v1/search" \
-H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"limit": 10,
"q": "coffee shops manhattan"
}'
View endpoints
| Method | Path | Description |
|---|---|---|
| POST | /api/v1/search | Fuzzy search for named places |
| POST | /api/v1/features | Query elements by bounding box and tag filters |
How it compares
Common questions
What search algorithm does Plaza use?
Trigram similarity on names, so typos and partial words still match. Results are ranked by how close the name is to your query, over the index of named OpenStreetMap places.
Can I search by OSM tags?
Yes, through POST /api/v1/features, which filters by any combination of OSM tags. /search matches names. For queries like "all pubs within 500m of a train station", use PlazaQL.
Can I filter search results by area?
Yes. Pass a bounding box or a center point with a radius, or use PlazaQL for other shapes.
Does search work with non-Latin scripts?
Yes. OpenStreetMap stores names in local scripts, and the index matches Unicode text as is, so you can search for 東京駅 or القاهرة.