At Melissa, our mission is to always provide the most accurate and comprehensive address and geolocation data possible. That said, even when working with the most premium global data sources, no dataset is ever 100% complete or perfectly up to date. Real-world changes—such as new construction, address reassignments, and ongoing improvements in geolocation precision—happen constantly. To help bridge this gap and further enhance data quality, we’re excited to introduce the Contribution API, a new way for you to directly improve the accuracy and coverage of our dataset. By combining your real-world insights with our internal verification processes, we can deliver even more precise and reliable results for everyone.
What Does the Contribution API Do?
The Contribution API enables you to submit updates that help expand and refine our global data. It currently supports two types of contributions:
AddMak
Submit new addresses that are not currently found in our database. You can provide full address details through the API or via the online submission page.
changeGeoPoint
Submit improved latitude and longitude coordinates for existing addresses when more accurate geolocation data is available.
Flexible Submission Options
We’ve made it easy to contribute based on your workflow:
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For Developers
Integrate directly with the Contribution API to automate submissions within your existing systems. Refer to the API documentation for implementation details.
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For Business Users
Use our online submission form—no development required. This option is ideal for manual or occasional contributions.
How to Get Access
Access to the Contribution API is available to existing customers using Melissa address and/or geocoding services.
To get started:
1. You must have an active subscription to Melissa address or geocoding APIs
2. Contact your Customer Success Representative (CSR) to request access
3. Once approved, use your license key to access both the Contribution API and the submission portal
How Much Work Is Involved?
Very little. Contributions can be submitted quickly using your license key through either the API or the online form. There are no required changes to your existing integrations, making it easy to start contributing immediately.
All submissions go through a thorough internal review and verification process.
While customer contributions play a valuable role in improving our data, inclusion in future data releases is not guaranteed. Each submission is carefully evaluated, with final decisions based on additional validation and quality checks.