Postal lookup records are supplied by GeoNames and displayed with attribution under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence.
GeoNames snapshot
The primary file is the tab-delimited allCountries postal dataset. Each imported row belongs to a source snapshot with checksum, source date, import totals and activation status. Public queries resolve only through the active snapshot.
What the file contains
Fields include country code, postal code, place name, administrative names and codes, latitude, longitude and a source accuracy indicator. It does not contain official country display names, address-line order or guaranteed delivery-point validation.
Separate references
Country names and ISO metadata come from a seeded reference. Address templates and format patterns are curated from UPU or national postal-operator guidance. They remain absent where documentation has not been added.
Attribution
Postal data © GeoNames.org, licensed under CC BY 4.0. GeoNames is not responsible for ZipCodeGlobe’s interface, calculations or editorial conclusions.
Snapshot integrity
The supplied source file is read as tab-delimited text with twelve fixed fields and no header. Import jobs calculate a SHA-256 checksum, persist committed byte offsets and process bounded batches so a shared-hosting timeout does not require restarting the file. Exact duplicate fingerprints are counted, malformed records are quarantined, and the public site continues using the prior active snapshot until a completed pending snapshot passes integrity checks and is deliberately activated.
Raw and normalised values
Place and administrative names are stored in their original source form. Separate normalised values support comparison, slugs and search. Normalisation must not erase source spelling, transliteration or Unicode text. Coordinates are retained as raw strings and as validated numeric values when they fall within valid latitude and longitude ranges. The GeoNames accuracy field remains a source indicator and is not rebranded as an independent ZipCodeGlobe verification score.
Country and address references
The postal file supplies ISO2 country codes but not display names, continent labels, currencies or complete address-line rules. Country metadata is seeded from a documented ISO reference. Address templates, examples and regular expressions are administered separately and require a source name, source reference and checked date. A missing documented format remains absent or “format not verified”; it is never guessed from the shape of postal records.
Coverage limitations
Coverage varies materially by country. Some postal codes represent individual delivery areas, while others are shared by many places. Administrative fields can be empty, historic or arranged differently from local postal terminology. Coordinates can be approximate. For this reason, individual postal pages are noindex and ad-free, display all active matches, and direct users to official postal authorities for delivery-critical confirmation.
Licence and attribution
GeoNames postal data is used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Attribution is visible in the footer and on data-backed hubs rather than hidden in a tooltip. Separate editorial content and software remain subject to their own applicable rights. The Data Sources page should be updated whenever the primary dataset, licence wording or reference methodology changes.