Geo-Address Block

This article explains the Geo-Address Block that can be used to search for Addresses and get their GPS Locations. This is a premium feature and is available for the Professional plan. Click here to know more about pricing.

Use Cases

1. Address verification: The block can be used to verify and validate user-entered addresses, ensuring they are accurate and complete.
2. Location tagging: Users can tag specific addresses to their posts, messages, or other content within the app, providing context or location information.
3. Contact information collection: The block can assist in collecting and storing accurate address details of users or customers for contact purposes.
4. Data enrichment: The GPS location and address information can be used to enrich user profiles or data within the app, providing additional context or insights.
5. Address sharing: Users can share specific addresses with others through the app, facilitating communication or coordination related to a particular location.
6. Address-based search: The app can utilize the GPS location and address information to perform searches within the app, retrieving relevant content or data associated with specific addresses.
7. Routing or directions: The GPS location can be used to provide directions or routing information within the app, helping users navigate to a chosen address.

Editing the Block

Click on the block and start editing on the panel that appears on the right side.

Label

This is what appears as the label for the Address Block. For example, "Customer Address", "Delivery Address". "Search for the pickup Location".

Description

Additional Help Text with the Block. For Example, "Start typing the Customer's Address".

Required

Enable this option to tell the user that it is a compulsory field.

Advanced Options

Click on the Advanced tab in the right panel to view more configuration options for the Geo-Address block.

Countries List

You can restrict the search results to specific countries by selecting from the dropdown list. If left empty, addresses from all regions will appear when users start typing.

Display this field if

Apply conditions to decide whether the Block should be displayed or not.

It accepts the standard Clappia formulae, similar to spreadsheet logic (used also in conditional sections or in the 'Calculations & Logic' block).

1. Type @ to get a list of all the fields you have added in the app and select the relevant field or type @ followed by the field name.
2. Use these field variables to write spreadsheet-like formulae for conditional display of the field in the app.

Retain value if hidden

This option appears once a condition is set in the Display this field if option. Enable this setting if you want the field's value to be retained even when the field is hidden. This is useful for preserving user input in cases where the field may temporarily disappear based on conditions.

Example: If the field is hidden based on user selection but you still need to keep the entered value for future reference or calculations, enable this option to ensure the data is retained.

Using the Block

End-users of the App can start typing the Address. They will start seeing Address suggestions and when they find a suitable address, they can select it. On selecting, the GPS Location of that Address will be displayed on a Map below.

Using the GPS Location of the selected Address

The App Admin can define a formula to fetch the GPS Location of the selected address and use it in other blocks. For example, GeoTagging of uploaded photos, calculating distance between two locations etc.

When the geo address block is saved, Clappia automatically generates GPS-related variables for use in the app.

To extract these values:

1. Add a Calculations & Logic block to the app.
2. In the Formula section, type @ to pull up the list of variables.
3. You will see two variables for the Geo-Address block:
   • {geoaddress#desc} — This gives the full description of the address selected (e.g., "HSR Layout, Bengaluru, Karnataka")
   • {geoaddress#gps} — This gives the GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) of the selected address.

These can be used in other parts of the app—for example, displaying the selected address, calculating distances between two locations, or passing location details to external systems.

Usage of Geo Address Block in Link Sharing Mode

The Geo Address block does not work in Link Sharing mode by default. If your app is being accessed through a public link (i.e., without requiring login), users will not be able to type in to see any address suggestion. An error message will be displayed.

To make this block functional in Link Sharing mode, you must provide your own Google Maps API key.

How to make the block work in Link Sharing mode:

1. Go to Design App > Configurations
2. Click on Third Party Integrations
3. In the right panel, enter your Google Maps API key in the space provided
4. Click Save

Once this is done, the Geo Address block will start showing suggestions and the map pin for users accessing the app through a public link.

Generating the Google Maps API Key

To get your own API key, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Google Developer Console
2. Create a new project or select an existing one
3. Enable the required services in your Google Developer account
4. Generate the API key
5. Copy and paste the key into the Third Party Integrations section of your Clappia app

Note: You may incur charges from Google depending on usage or services enabled, based on their pricing policies.

Points to Note

• The Block does not work in Link Sharing mode unless you give your own Google maps API key.
• This is a premium feature and is available for use in the Professional plan.