As being a web developer, it’s really hard to gather information about our website visitors like their geolocation, language, currency, or any threats from that particular user. We just cannot identify every user visiting our website manually. So, there was a need of such software or API system that can do these following tasks for us.
Now, why there was such a need?
Knowing from where visitors are coming to your website can be an incredible advantage for anyone. By tracking your site visitors, you can show relative content according to their origin and preferences; target potential customers by analyzing users; output your content in their native languages.
We cannot overstate the benefits of information that can be gathered with the help of geolocation. Moreover, you can also identify if your visitors are bots, crawlers, anonymous users, or bad users with the help of background security data.
Before moving toward what actually ipstack is let me clear what geolocation is:
It refers to the identification of geographic location in real-world of any particular object such as mobile phone, computer system, or any internet connected device.
ipstack Review
What is ipstack API?
ipstack is a service especially developed for the developers that offers IP to geolocation APIs and global IP database service worldwide. In other words, it helps developers to locate and identify website visitors through their IP addresses. Not only that, you can locate and identify visitors before any data is entered into your system.
In addition, it offers real-time IP location of visitors, assess security threats from any IPs, and deliver results in just milliseconds. The result generated is in JSON format and if you want you can also see results in XML format too. Ultimately, IPStack helps in locating visitors at a glance by which you can customize your user experience accordingly.
API Access Key
When you register with IPStack, it provides you a unique API access key which is your unique authentication key. With the help of this key you can gain access to IPStack API. In order to authenticate with the API, append the access-key parameter to the API’s base URL and set it to your access key value. Let me show you an example:
API Response
Let us see an example of ipstack API response for IP address: “134.201.250.155”. The response below is in JSON (default format) showing results including country information, latitude and longitude, timezone, languages, country code, calling code, currency details, security level, etc.
Endpoints
IPStack API offers three different types of endpoints which differs in accepting set of parameters and returning results:
- Standard Lookup (used to lookup single IPv4 or IPv6 addresses)
- Bulk IP Lookup (used to request multiple IPv4 or IPv6 addresses at same time)
- Requester Lookup (used to request data from IP address your API request is coming)
You can call any of these endpoints by simply attaching any IPv4 or IPv6 address to the base URL.
Base URL: For endpoint calling using any of the above method it needs a base URL. All the API requests to the IPStack API need to be start out with following base URL: https://api.ipstack.com/
Connection via HTTPS
IPStack API comes with the support of 256-bit SSL encryption in all its premium plans. You just need to use HTTPS instead of HTTP.
Supports JSONP Callbacks
See how it works:
Getting Started with IPStack
This section will provide you on how to start with free IPStack API, pricing plans, dashboard, and various other details. So, let’s get started:
For Free API Access Key
You can get your free API access key by just signing up and filling a form with all your basic details. If your requirements are higher than you can go for monthly or annual subscription.
IPStack API Pricing
It offers four different types of paid plans according to different needs:
- Basic: with 50,000 requests ($9.99 per month)
- Professional: with 500,000 requests ($49.99 per month)
- Professional Plus: with 2,000,000 requests ($99.99 per month)
- Volume: customize plan for higher needs (Contact sales team)
IPStack Dashboard
The dashboard has a clean and nice interface and when you get started, it will offer you unique API access key and 3 simple steps to follow. That’s all and you will get started shortly with your own geolocation dashboard.
Fast Check on IPStack API
- The best part – IPStack allows you to sign up for a free account.
- There’s nothing you have to do with IPStack, just provide IP address and leave rest to IPStack.
- Provides you all the necessary information like country code, nationality, region, language, security from threats, zip code, and much more.
- All these responses are delivered to you in JSON format which is small, simple, and customizable. You can also receive the results in XML format.
- Allows you to customize your user experience based on the response received.
- Trusted by top companies like Microsoft, Samsung, HubSpot, Airbnb, etc.
- Also supports JSONP Callbacks.
- Delivers response in just milliseconds.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. How accurate is IPStack?
The data provided by IPStack is accurate as their database and API is integrated with a series of large ISPs through which we constantly receive info about new and existing IP.
2. How often is IP data updated?
IPStack API is updated regularly with up to 24 database updates per day.
3. What is the uptime of IPStack’s API?
From past 12 months, the uptime speed of IPStack API is 99.99% as declared by a survey.
4. Can I cancel my subscription anytime?
Yes, IPStack is a subscription-based service so you can upgrade, downgrade, and cancel your plan anytime you want.
Final Thoughts on IPStack API
If we compare IPStack API with other geolocation software like IPData, IPInfo, IP-API, etc. you will notice that IPStack has much better client portfolio and provides more reliable services than any other software.
It’s not like that IPStack is the only best available tool but in terms of accuracy, latency time, and documentation IPStack is far ahead from others. If you are developer, then you must try IPStack free version for at least once.
And if you are already using this tool or any other such tool please let us know your opinions too in the comment section below.
