Openstreetmap Nominatim Geocoding API

Can I geocode multiple addresses in one request with Nominatim?

The /search endpoint takes one query at a time, and the usage policy for the public instance rules out fanning out parallel requests: bulk tasks must be limited to a single thread on one machine, with no distributed scripts. Pace sequential calls under the absolute maximum of 1 request per second, or use /lookup, where up to 50 ids can be queried at the same time.

What are the rate limits for the Nominatim Geocoding API?

The OpenStreetMap Foundation's Nominatim usage policy sets an absolute maximum of 1 request per second for the public nominatim.openstreetmap.org instance and rules out heavy uses. That ceiling is per website or application, not per user: the policy states the sum of traffic by all your users should not exceed the limits. Scripts running longer than a day and scripts that are run at regular intervals are restricted to 4 requests per minute, and results must be cached on your side. The policy also governs agent and LLM use directly, permitting an LLM to suggest the service only where it points to the policy and explains the restrictions, and it treats periodic requests from apps as bulk geocoding. For anything larger it directs you to a commercial third-party provider or to running your own Nominatim instance, which serves the same endpoints.

How do I reverse-geocode a coordinate through Jentic?

Search Jentic for 'reverse geocode coordinates', load the GET /reverse schema, and execute with lat, lon, and format=json. Jentic returns the structured address response from Nominatim including the display_name string.

Does Nominatim support routing or directions?

No - Nominatim is geocoding only. For routing on OpenStreetMap data use OSRM, GraphHopper, or Valhalla. For places search and points of interest, /search supports it but is not optimized for ranked POI discovery; consider Overpass API for richer POI queries.

How fresh is the data in the Nominatim Geocoding API?

Nominatim's documentation publishes no update cadence for the public instance, so do not assume one. What it does document is a way to check: the /status endpoint returns a data_updated field reporting when the database was last updated, so read that timestamp before relying on a query.

Is there a Nominatim MCP server?

You don't need an MCP server to give your agent Nominatim. Jentic connects it directly from the API Directory: import the Nominatim Geocoding API and your agent gets the full 4-endpoint surface, without loading another server's tool definitions into its context. Nominatim needs no API key, so you have nothing to store, and your own rules decide which of its operations the agent may call.

Can I limit what my agent is allowed to do with the Nominatim Geocoding API?

Yes. Because you run Jentic One self-hosted, your own rules decide which Nominatim operations the agent may call. Since Nominatim is read-only geocoding with no credential to store, scoping is by operation: you can allow only search and reverse while leaving lookup and status unavailable, so the agent can geocode addresses and coordinates but nothing more. Every operation the agent can reach is one you chose to permit.