How to implement Postcode Lookup API in your WordPress Website

Implementing a postcode lookup API into your WordPress website is easy with the AutoPostcode plugin, which lets you add address auto-fill, lookup and validation to address forms in just a few steps.

With AutoPostcode, e-commerce websites have a way to include a postcode lookup feature in their checkout without custom coding. Our ready-made, out-of-the-box solution is designed for WooCommerce on WordPress with unrivalled flexibility.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1 – Sign up to AutoPostcode

AutoPostcode.com is an address and postcode lookup tool that requires an AutoPostcode account to access the service. You can sign up for an account for free here.

You will receive 100 lookups as part of a free trial, after which we offer subscription plans starting from £18.00 per month. For example, 2,215 lookups cost £85.00 per month with a cost per lookup of just £0.038 (this goes down with volume).

After opening an account, you will receive an access token, which is required to use the plugin and link it to your AutoPostcode account.

Step 2 – Install and activate the plugin

You can install the AutoPostcode plugin in two ways:

Manual install

• Download the plugin here
• Login to your WordPress website
• Navigate to “Plugins”
• Select ‘Add New’ on the plugins page
• Select ‘Upload Plugin’ on the add plugins page
• Upload the AutoPostcode plugin file
• Activate the AutoPostcode plugin

Panel install

• Login to your WordPress website
• Navigate to “Plugins”
• Select ‘Add New’ on the plugins page
• Search for AutoPostcode in the search box
• Click ‘install now’ and follow the steps
• Activate the plugin

Step 3 – Configure the plugin

Go to WooCommerce / Settings / Integration and select the AutoPostcode Lookup tab from the admin panel. Here you will need to insert your access token, which is required to use the plugin.

After inserting your access token, the plugin will update to show your credits. You can now select the features you wish to use. By default, all features are disabled. Try enabling the postcode lookup feature for test purposes.

After enabling the postcode lookup feature, navigate to your website’s front end. There should now be a field for the lookup. You can test the lookup for free using the postcodes AA1 1AA, AA1 1AB, AA1 1AD and AA1 1AE.

How does AutoPostcode work?

AutoPostcode uses the Royal Mail Postcode Address File (PAF) database to provide accurate delivery address lookup services. PAF contains over 30m UK postal addresses, providing an unrivalled database for our postcode lookup API.

The AutoPostcode API works by connecting your website to our lookup service. The connection is made with a unique token code. When the token code is published, the link between your website and our lookup API is made instantly.

An optimal user experience

AutoPostcode is designed to seamlessly integrate into your WordPress/WooCommerce website and provide a slick, rapid user experience.

Here’s how the front-end tool works:

With AutoPostcode lookup, when users enter their postcode into the search field, AutoPostcode displays a dropdown list of addresses to choose from. Customers then swipe or scroll down to the correct address. When selected, AutoPostcode auto-fills address data directly into the form, saving the end-user time.

This process takes 3-4 seconds versus the 20-30 seconds it usually takes to type in an address. Best of all, it eliminates errors, avoiding costly mistakes associated with cancelled orders and returned and undelivered mail.

Scalable and pure SaaS

AutoPostcode offers a monthly subscription that you can factor into your monthly costs. Large e-commerce businesses can get 30,000 lookups for £810.00 per month, which works out at £0.027 per lookup, well within product margins.

Monthly subscriptions start from £18.00 per month for 300 lookups and go up to 30,000 lookups. We can also put together custom plans for more than 30,000 lookups.

If you want to save even more, choose an annual plan. Annual plans start from £30 for 600 lookups. You can upgrade your account any time, so if your requirements suddenly spike, all you need to do is log in and purchase another plan.

We have an auto-renewal feature enabled in the backend to assure service continuity, which you can toggle on and off. With it switched on, your plan will be renewed with the same plan. We’ll also send you alerts to remind you.

Give AutoPostcode a free trial today!

Sign up to AutoPostcode for free and enjoy 100 lookups on us. We welcome split tests and conversion tracking campaigns to assess the impact on cart abandonment. Our tests reveal AutoPostcode reduces abandoned carts by at least 10%!