If you do not know much about IP addresses, Geolocation, APIs and you are using PHP in your web development. Here we will briefly comment on the main points that you should take into account. In addition, we will recommend IPxAPI, a software that will allow you to easily obtain the information you need. Therefore, if you are a Beginner, here we explain what you need to know about Geolocating The IP Address With PHP.
First Of All: What Does ‘Geolocation’ mean?
Geolocation is the ability to obtain the real geographical location of an object, such as a radar, a mobile phone or a computer connected to the Internet. Geolocation can refer to the location query, or to the actual location query. The term geolocation relates closely to the use of positioning systems; but can be distinguished from these by a greater emphasis on determining a meaningful position (for example, a street address) and not just a set of geographic coordinates. This process is generally used by geographic information systems; an organized set of hardware and software, plus geographic data, which is specially designed to capture, store, manipulate and analyze referenced geographic information in all its possible forms.
PHP And Geolocation APIs
PHP was one of the first server-side languages that could be embedded in HTML, making it easy to add functionality to websites without requiring data from other files. Its application grew over time, with regular updates introducing new features and unlocking new powers.
With this in mind, we can clearly see how important it is to have access to IP geolocation API in PHP. To get access to this information, there are some online software that provide us with it; but only a few that give you the information in PHP. Because of this, we highly recommend using ipXapi.
IPxAPI: Geolocating IP Address With PHP For Begginers
IPxAPI is free software that gives great and accurate data about geolocation by just using an IP address. It works by accessing databases of information about different IP addresses. An IP address is a unique number to every device connected to the internet, as we said before; and there are known associations between those numbers and the locations where they were assigned. IPxAPI allows you to send requests for information about a particular IP address in exchange for some kind of compensation—usually money; but sometimes other kinds of compensation (like ads or requests for other kinds of information). The IPxAPI will then return the data associated with that IP address.
To use this tool, you just have to follow these easy steps:
- Go to https://ipxapi.com/ to get your API key.
- Type in the IP address from which you want to collect data.
- Send it in and wait for a reply.
- Save the API and return to it as needed.
It’s as simple as that, yet it may provide a wealth of information. Include his API in your website and will activate manually each time a visitor enters.
If You Want To Learn More About IPxAPI…
Best IP to Zip Code API
Best Free IP Geolocation Database In A CSV File
Also published on Medium.