Question 1

What is Postcodewise?

Accepted Answer

Postcodewise is a UK location-intelligence platform. Enter any UK postcode and we build a report covering safety and crime, schools, transport, local amenities, environment, broadband and mobile connectivity, housing and sold prices, and demographics — drawn from official open data. Alongside reports you can compare areas side by side, research neighbourhoods on a map, ask our Assist helper questions, and (for businesses) use our developer API.

Question 2

What is included in a postcode report?

Accepted Answer

A full report is organised into sections: Overview, Safety, Transport, Schools, Amenities, Environment and Connectivity (broadband and mobile), plus housing and sold-price data, demographics, and an Open data catalogue of relevant datasets for the area. Each section shows headline scores alongside the underlying figures and a note on where the data comes from.

Question 3

How do I compare two postcodes side by side?

Accepted Answer

Use the comparison view to put two postcodes next to each other across the same metrics — visit /compare/{first-postcode}/{second-postcode}, for example /compare/SW1A1AA/EC1A1BB. It is a quick way to weigh up two areas on safety, schools, transport, amenities and more in one screen.

Question 4

How do I get access to the API?

Accepted Answer

The API is available on business accounts. Sign in with a business account, open Settings → API Keys, and create a new key. Give it a name and copy the key when it is shown — it is only displayed once, so store it somewhere safe. Full endpoint documentation lives at /developers.

Question 5

Where does your data come from?

Accepted Answer

Our statistics come from official open data under open licences. Examples include ONS (demographics and rents), HM Land Registry Price Paid data (sold prices), the Department for Education GIAS register and Ofsted (schools), Ofcom Connected Nations (broadband and mobile), and OpenStreetMap (amenities, transport and greenspace), plus discovery datasets from data.gov.uk. The full list and licences are on the Data sources page at /data-sources.

Question 6

How do I run my first postcode report?

Accepted Answer

Enter a UK postcode in the search box on the homepage, or go to /report and type one in. Guests see a free preview with headline figures. To unlock every section, sign in and verify your email — verifying is what activates your included report credits.

Question 7

What's the difference between the free preview and the full report?

Accepted Answer

Guests and unverified accounts see a preview with headline figures so you can judge whether an area is worth a closer look. Verified accounts unlock all sections — the detailed safety, education, transport, amenities, environment, housing, connectivity and demographic data.

Question 8

What is Discovery and how do I research an area?

Accepted Answer

Discovery (/discovery) is our area-research toolkit. It includes Scout for exploring neighbourhoods, a research table for comparing many postcodes against each other, and an interactive area map for visualising metrics across a region. It is designed for deeper, multi-area research rather than a single postcode lookup.

Question 9

How do I authenticate API requests?

Accepted Answer

Send your key in the X-API-Key header on every request, for example: curl -H "X-API-Key: your-api-key-here" https://www.postcodewise.co.uk/api/postcodes/SW1A1AA. Always call the API server-side over HTTPS and never expose your key in client-side code or public repositories.

Question 10

Why is some data missing or marked unavailable?

Accepted Answer

Coverage varies by dataset and area. Some datasets are England-only (such as DfE school data) or England & Wales (such as Land Registry prices), and open data sources can have gaps — individual trees or detailed park features in OpenStreetMap, for instance. Rather than guess, we show a metric as unavailable when the source does not publish it for that location.

Question 11

Do I need an account to use Postcodewise?

Accepted Answer

No — you can preview reports and browse areas as a guest. A free verified account unlocks full reports, lets you save postcodes to a dashboard, keeps your Assist chat history, and (on a business account) gives access to the API, workspaces, surveys and data uploads.

Question 12

How do report credits work?

Accepted Answer

Every verified account can open 5 postcode reports each month for free. Opening a new postcode uses one of those reports; revisiting a report you have already opened is always free and does not count again. The monthly allowance resets each month. For unlimited reports, upgrade to Pro. These free reports are separate from API lookup quotas, which are tracked independently.

Question 13

What is Assist and what can it answer?

Accepted Answer

Assist is our AI helper for postcode questions. It answers using the structured data already in Postcodewise — cached report metrics and local OpenStreetMap context — rather than guessing. It is grounded so it does not invent facts and only links to internal pages such as reports and data sources. Ask it things like “how are the schools near this postcode?” and it will draw on that postcode’s report.

Question 14

What endpoints are available?

Accepted Answer

Core endpoints include postcode information (GET /api/postcodes/{postcode}), postcode validation (GET /api/postcodes/validate/{postcode}), and nearby schools, nurseries and universities (GET /api/postcodes/{postcode}/schools, /nurseries and /universities). All responses are JSON wrapped in a data object. See /developers for the full, current reference.

Question 15

Can I use Postcodewise offline?

Accepted Answer

Generally no. Looking up postcodes, generating reports, authenticating API calls and refreshing dashboards all rely on live Postcodewise services, so you need an internet connection. Browser pages you opened earlier may still display from cache, but they cannot be guaranteed to be current.

Question 16

How do I create an account?

Accepted Answer

Click “Sign up”, enter your email address and choose a password, then open the verification email we send you and confirm your address. Email verification is required to receive your included website report credits, so be sure to complete that step.

Question 17

What counts as using one credit?

Accepted Answer

Each distinct postcode you unlock uses one credit. Viewing different sections of the same report, or coming back to a postcode you have already unlocked, does not cost an additional credit — your access to that postcode stays open.

Question 18

How do I save postcodes and where do I find them?

Accepted Answer

When signed in, you can save a postcode to your dashboard and return to it later without spending another credit. Your saved postcodes and recent activity live on your dashboard, which is the first page you see after logging in.

Question 19

What are the quotas and rate limits?

Accepted Answer

Each API key has two independent controls: a monthly lookup quota (free keys start with a small included allowance) and an hourly rate limit (100 requests per hour by default). You can see your current usage and remaining allowance in Settings → API Keys. Higher quotas and rate limits are available by agreement.

Question 20

How do you handle my personal data?

Accepted Answer

We process personal data in line with UK GDPR. Our Privacy Policy at /privacy explains the data we collect, our lawful bases, the processors we use, cookies, and how to exercise your rights (including access and deletion). You can also delete your account yourself from Settings → Profile. For privacy questions, email privacy@digitsflow.co.uk.

Question 21

What's the difference between a personal and a business account?

Accepted Answer

Personal accounts are for individuals researching areas — for example before moving home or choosing a school catchment. Business accounts add shared workspaces, team invitations, the developer API, surveys and CSV data uploads. Both get 5 free postcode reports a month; the Business plan unlocks surveys, seats and API. You choose the account type when you register.

Question 22

How do I get more report credits?

Accepted Answer

For unlimited postcode reports, upgrade to Pro (£15/month) or Business (£45/month) on the pricing page at /pricing — checkout is self-serve and card payments are handled securely by Stripe. Cancel any time from your billing settings. For very high volumes or bespoke needs, contact us via /feedback or hello@postcodewise.co.uk and we will tailor a quote.

Question 23

Can I upload my own list of postcodes or data?

Accepted Answer

Yes, on business accounts. Go to My uploads to import a CSV file (CSV or TXT, up to 10MB) — for example a list of postcodes you want to enrich. Make sure the file has a header row and is valid CSV before uploading.

Question 24

How do I check how much of my quota I have used?

Accepted Answer

Settings → API Keys shows your requests allowed per hour, requests remaining in the current window, and when the window resets. Responses also include X-RateLimit-Limit, X-RateLimit-Remaining and X-RateLimit-Reset headers so you can track usage programmatically.

Question 25

Where can I find your terms, privacy and cookie policies?

Accepted Answer

Our Terms of Service are at /terms, the Privacy Policy is at /privacy, the Cookie Policy is at /cookies, and a billing overview is at /payments. These are also linked from the footer on every page.

Question 26

Which areas of the UK do you cover?

Accepted Answer

We cover UK postcodes, but the depth of each section depends on the underlying open dataset. School performance is England (Department for Education GIAS); sold prices are England & Wales (HM Land Registry); broadband and mobile coverage is UK-wide (Ofcom); crime is England & Wales via police-force data. Where a metric is not published for an area, we mark it as unavailable rather than estimating it.

Question 27

Are website report credits the same as the API quota?

Accepted Answer

No. Website report credits apply to reports you open in the browser. The API has its own separate monthly lookup quota and hourly rate limit. The two are measured and billed independently, so using one does not draw down the other.

Question 28

How do I invite team members to my workspace?

Accepted Answer

Business accounts use workspaces to collaborate. From your workspace settings you can invite colleagues by email, and they join your organisation once they accept the invitation link. Workspace members share the organisation’s report credits and tools.

Question 29

What happens if I exceed my rate limit or quota?

Accepted Answer

Requests beyond your limit are rejected with an error response (for example a “Rate limit exceeded” message) until the window resets. Use the rate-limit response headers to back off gracefully, and contact us if you consistently need a higher allowance.

Question 30

How do I contact support?

Accepted Answer

Email support@postcodewise.co.uk for product issues, or hello@postcodewise.co.uk for commercial and sales enquiries. You can also use the Contact & feedback form at /feedback. Signed-in users can raise and track a support ticket from the Help Centre. We aim to respond within UK business hours; guaranteed response times apply only where they are contractually agreed.

Question 31

I forgot my password — how do I reset it?

Accepted Answer

On the login page click “Forgot password”, enter your email address, and we will send you a reset link. For security the link expires after a short time, so request a fresh one if it has lapsed. If you are already signed in, you can change your password under Settings → Password.

Question 32

How current and accurate is the data in a report?

Accepted Answer

Each metric refreshes on its source’s own cadence — for example monthly HM Land Registry price files and periodic ONS, DfE and Ofcom releases. Reports show the source and context for each figure, and some metrics (like greenspace or “safest park”) are clearly-labelled heuristics rather than official ratings. You can review every source on the Data sources page at /data-sources.

Question 33

Can I create and share surveys?

Accepted Answer

Yes — business workspaces can build surveys and share them with a public link so anyone can respond without an account. Surveys support branding and can be translated into multiple language variants for international audiences.

Question 34

My API key may have been exposed — what should I do?

Accepted Answer

Delete the affected key immediately in Settings → API Keys and create a new one, then update your application with the new key. Keys are only shown in full once at creation, so treat them like passwords: keep them server-side, out of version control, and rotate them if you suspect any exposure.

Question 35

Do you offer team pricing, custom data or partnerships?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Higher-volume API access, managed workspace services, custom exports, rollout support and partner or affiliate arrangements are all handled by written agreement rather than a fixed published plan. Tell us your team size, expected monthly lookups or workspace needs via /feedback or hello@postcodewise.co.uk and we will prepare a tailored quote.

Question 36

Is there a mobile app, or do I need to install anything?

Accepted Answer

Postcodewise is a web application — there is nothing to download. It works in any modern browser on desktop, tablet or mobile. For the best experience we recommend an up-to-date version of Chrome, Safari, Firefox or Edge.

Question 37

How is billing handled?

Accepted Answer

Postcodewise keeps free web reports, API lookup quotas and workspace services separate. Every verified account gets 5 free postcode reports a month; upgrade to Pro or Business on /pricing for unlimited. API keys start on a free monthly lookup allowance, with higher volumes on the developer plans. See /pricing for plans and /payments for the billing overview.

Question 38

Can I embed a postcode widget on my website?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Business accounts can embed a compact postcode widget that shows headline report data on your own site. It is authenticated with your API key, restricted to your allowed origins, and supports an accent colour to match your branding. Each widget load draws on your API lookup quota, just like a direct API call.

Question 39

How do you keep the platform and my account secure?

Accepted Answer

All traffic is served over HTTPS, API keys are stored hashed and shown in full only once, and access to workspace tools and the API is restricted to verified business accounts. We recommend keeping API keys server-side, using a strong unique password, and rotating any key you think may have been exposed. Report any security concern to support@postcodewise.co.uk.

Question 40

Can I be notified when a report for a postcode becomes available?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If a report is still being prepared for a postcode, you can enter your email on that report page to be notified when it is ready. We will email you once that postcode’s report is available, and we will not subscribe you twice for the same postcode.

Question 41

Can I research areas on an interactive map?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Geo report (/geo-report) lets you explore on a map rather than starting from a single postcode — drop a point to see nearby places and find the nearest postcode, then open its full report. It is handy when you know roughly where you want to be but not the exact postcode. Signing in with a verified account is required.

Question 42

Why am I seeing an “access blocked” or VPN message?

Accepted Answer

To protect our data and comply with our data licences, Postcodewise blocks traffic that appears to come from a VPN, proxy or anonymising service. If you hit this screen, disconnect from your VPN or proxy, switch to your normal internet connection, and refresh the page. If you are not using a VPN and still see the message, contact support@postcodewise.co.uk so we can look into it.

Question 43

Can I browse areas without searching for a specific postcode?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Browse section (/browse) lets you navigate by region, then by outcode (the first part of a postcode), down to individual streets. It is a good way to explore a part of the country and discover postcodes worth a closer look.

Question 44

How do I manage my email and notification preferences?

Accepted Answer

Go to Settings → Notifications to control the emails we send, including the weekly report email. You can turn these on or off at any time, and any unsubscribe links in our emails take you to the same controls.

Question 45

Where can I read guides and product updates?

Accepted Answer

Our blog (/blogs) covers area guides, data explainers and product news. It is a good place to learn how to get more out of Postcodewise and to keep up with new features.

Hello, how can we help?

Getting Started

• What is Postcodewise?

• How do I run my first postcode report?

• Do I need an account to use Postcodewise?

• How do I create an account?

• What's the difference between a personal and a business account?

• Which areas of the UK do you cover?

• I forgot my password — how do I reset it?

• Is there a mobile app, or do I need to install anything?

You still have a question?

[email protected]