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Bulk geocode works through your directory addresses in batches of ten, looking up the map coordinates for each one using the Google Geocoding API. It’s the fastest way to get your whole congregation onto the people map after a CSV import or a period of manual data entry.
Before you start
- A Google API key must be set up — bulk geocode uses the Google Geocoding API and won’t work without one. If you haven’t set one up yet, the screen will prompt you to enter your key directly before proceeding. See Google API key setup.
- Addresses must be entered on household records — only households with an address stored are processed. Empty address fields are skipped automatically.
The batch process
Go to Church Admin → People → Bulk geocode. The screen shows the first ten households that still need geocoding, each one listed with its address and editable latitude and longitude fields.
The process is a two-step cycle that you repeat until all addresses are done:
- Click “Step 1 — Click to batch geocode household addresses” — this sends the ten addresses to Google Maps and populates the latitude and longitude fields on screen with the coordinates returned. A small map preview shows the results so you can see where each address has been placed.
- Check the results — review the coordinates and map pins for the ten addresses. If any pin looks obviously wrong you can edit the latitude and longitude values directly before saving.
- Click “Step 2 — Save batched geocode” — saves the coordinates for this batch to the database and reloads the screen with the next ten addresses that still need geocoding.
Repeat until the screen reports that no households need geocoding. The Step 2 save button is disabled until Step 1 has been clicked, preventing you from accidentally saving empty coordinate fields.
Already geocoded households
Only households without coordinates are included in each batch — already-geocoded households are skipped. This means it’s safe to stop part way through and come back later, and safe to run bulk geocode again after adding new households. Only the new or previously failed records will be processed.
Addresses that fail to geocode
If Google Maps can’t find a match for an address, the latitude and longitude fields will come back empty or with a default value. Common reasons include:
- The address is incomplete or contains a typo
- The property is too new to be in Google’s database
- The address format doesn’t match what Google Maps expects for that country
- The household is in a rural area with no precise street address
For any address that doesn’t geocode correctly, use the manual method instead — open the household record, zoom the map to the right area, and drag the pin to the correct location. This bypasses the address lookup entirely and saves the coordinates directly. See Geolocating.
Checking the results
After working through all the batches, open the People Map to visually verify the results. Pins that appear in the wrong location — out at sea, in the wrong country, or sitting at a postcode centre — indicate an address that was geocoded to an approximate location. Correct these individually by editing the household record and dragging the map pin to the right spot.
You can also go to Church Admin → People → Check for directory issues which reports how many households still have addresses without coordinates, with a direct link back to bulk geocode if any remain. See Check for directory issues.