MaxMind GeoIP2 Node.js API

Description

This package provides a server-side API for the GeoIP2 databases and GeoLite2 databases, and a server-side API for the GeoIP2 web services and GeoLite2 web services.

This package will not work client-side.

Installation

npm install @maxmind/geoip2-node

You can also use yarn or pnpm.

IP Geolocation Usage

IP geolocation is inherently imprecise. Locations are often near the center of the population. Any location provided by a GeoIP2 database or web service should not be used to identify a particular address or household.

Web Service Usage

To use the web service API, you must create a new WebServiceClient, using your MaxMind accountID and licenseKey as parameters. The third argument is an object holding additional option. The timeout option defaults to 3000. The host option defaults to geoip.maxmind.com. Set host to geolite.info to use the GeoLite2 web service instead of GeoIP2. Set host to sandbox.maxmind.com to use the Sandbox environment.

You may then call the function corresponding to a specific end point, passing it the IP address you want to lookup.

If the request succeeds, the function's Promise will resolve with the model for the end point you called. This model in turn contains multiple records, each of which represents part of the data returned by the web service.

If the request fails, the function's Promise will reject with an error object.

See the API documentation for more details.

Web Service Example

Country Service

const WebServiceClient = require('@maxmind/geoip2-node').WebServiceClient;
// Typescript:
// import { WebServiceClient } from '@maxmind/geoip2-node';

// To use the GeoLite2 web service instead of the GeoIP2 web service, set
// the host to geolite.info, e.g.:
// new WebServiceClient('1234', 'licenseKey', {host: 'geolite.info'});
//
// To use the Sandbox GeoIP2 web service instead of the production GeoIP2
// web service, set the host to sandbox.maxmind.com, e.g.:
// new WebServiceClient('1234', 'licenseKey', {host: 'sandbox.maxmind.com'});
const client = new WebServiceClient('1234', 'licenseKey');

client.country('142.1.1.1').then(response => {
  console.log(response.country.isoCode); // 'CA'
});

City Plus Service

const WebServiceClient = require('@maxmind/geoip2-node').WebServiceClient;
// Typescript:
// import { WebServiceClient } from '@maxmind/geoip2-node';

// To use the GeoLite2 web service instead of the GeoIP2 web service, set
// the host to geolite.info, e.g.:
// new WebServiceClient('1234', 'licenseKey', {host: 'geolite.info'});
const client = new WebServiceClient('1234', 'licenseKey');

client.city('142.1.1.1').then(response => {
  console.log(response.country.isoCode); // 'CA'
  console.log(response.postal.code); // 'M5S'
});

Insights Service

const WebServiceClient = require('@maxmind/geoip2-node').WebServiceClient;
// Typescript:
// import { WebServiceClient } from '@maxmind/geoip2-node';

// Note that the Insights web service is only supported by the GeoIP2
// web service, not the GeoLite2 web service.
//
// To use the Sandbox GeoIP2 web service instead of the production GeoIP2
// web service, set the host to sandbox.maxmind.com, e.g.:
// new WebServiceClient('1234', 'licenseKey', {host: 'sandbox.maxmind.com'});
const client = new WebServiceClient('1234', 'licenseKey');

client.insights('142.1.1.1').then(response => {
  console.log(response.country.isoCode); // 'CA'
  console.log(response.postal.code); // 'M5S'
  console.log(response.traits.userType); // 'school'
});

Web Service Errors

For details on the possible errors returned by the web service itself, see the GeoIP2 web service documentation.

If the web service returns an explicit error document, the promise will be rejected with the following object structure:

{
  code: 'THE_ERROR_CODE',
  error: 'some human readable error',
  url: 'https://geoip.maxmind.com...',
}

In addition to the possible errors returned by the web service, the following error codes are provided:

• SERVER_ERROR for 5xx level errors
• HTTP_STATUS_CODE_ERROR for unexpected HTTP status codes
• INVALID_RESPONSE_BODY for invalid JSON responses or unparseable response bodies
• General Node.js error codes

Database Usage

The database reader returns a promise that resolves with a reader instance. You may then call the function corresponding to the request type (e.g. city or country), passing it the IP address you want to look up.

If the request succeeds, the function call will return an object for the GeoIP2 lookup. The object in turn contains multiple record objects, each of which represents part of the data returned by the database.

Options

We use the node-maxmind library as the database reader. As such, you have access to the same options found in that library and can be used like this:

const Reader = require('@maxmind/geoip2-node').Reader;
// Typescript:
// import { Reader } from '@maxmind/geoip2-node';

const options = {
  // you can use options like `cache` or `watchForUpdates`
};

Reader.open('/usr/local/database.mmdb', options).then(reader => {
  console.log(reader.country('1.1.1.1'));
});

Using a Buffer

If you prefer to use a Buffer instead of using a Promise to open the database, you can use Reader.openBuffer(). Use cases include:

• You want to open the database in a synchronous manner.
• You want to fetch the database from an external source.

const fs = require('fs');
const Reader = require('@maxmind/geoip2-node').Reader;
// Typescript:
// import { Reader } from '@maxmind/geoip2-node';

const dbBuffer = fs.readFileSync('/usr/local/city-database.mmdb');
const reader = Reader.openBuffer(dbBuffer);

console.log(reader.city('1.1.1.1'));

Database Examples

Anonymous IP Database Example

const Reader = require('@maxmind/geoip2-node').Reader;
// Typescript:
// import { Reader } from '@maxmind/geoip2-node';

Reader.open('/usr/local/share/GeoIP/GeoIP2-Anonymous-IP.mmdb').then(reader => {
  const response = reader.anonymousIP('85.25.43.84');

  console.log(response.isAnonymous); // true
  console.log(response.isAnonymousVpn); // false
  console.log(response.isHostingProvider); // true
  console.log(response.isPublicProxy); // false
  console.log(response.isResidentialProxy); // false
  console.log(response.isTorExitNode); // false
  console.log(response.ipAddress); // '85.25.43.84'
});

ASN Example

const Reader = require('@maxmind/geoip2-node').Reader;
// Typescript:
// import { Reader } from '@maxmind/geoip2-node';

Reader.open('/usr/local/share/GeoIP/GeoLite2-ASN.mmdb').then(reader => {
  const response = reader.asn('128.101.101.101');

  console.log(response.autonomousSystemNumber); // 217
  console.log(response.autonomousSystemOrganization); // 'University of Minnesota'
});

City Example

const Reader = require('@maxmind/geoip2-node').Reader;
// Typescript:
// import { Reader } from '@maxmind/geoip2-node';

Reader.open('/usr/local/share/GeoIP/GeoIP2-City.mmdb').then(reader => {
  const response = reader.city('128.101.101.101');

  console.log(response.country.isoCode); // 'US'
  console.log(response.city.names.en); // 'Minneapolis'
  console.log(response.postal.code); // '55407'
});

Connection-Type Example

const Reader = require('@maxmind/geoip2-node').Reader;
// Typescript:
// import { Reader } from '@maxmind/geoip2-node';

Reader.open('/usr/local/share/GeoIP/GeoIP2-Connection-Type.mmdb').then(reader => {
  const response = reader.connectionType('128.101.101.101');

  console.log(response.connectionType) // 'Cable/DSL'
  console.log(response.ipAddress) // '128.101.101.101'
});

Country Example

const Reader = require('@maxmind/geoip2-node').Reader;
// Typescript:
// import { Reader } from '@maxmind/geoip2-node';

Reader.open('/usr/local/share/GeoIP/GeoIP2-Country.mmdb').then(reader => {
  const response = reader.country('128.101.101.101');

  console.log(response.country.isoCode); // 'US'
});

Domain Example

const Reader = require('@maxmind/geoip2-node').Reader;
// Typescript:
// import { Reader } from '@maxmind/geoip2-node';

Reader.open('/usr/local/share/GeoIP/GeoIP2-Domain.mmdb').then(reader => {
  const response = reader.domain('128.101.101.101');

  console.log(response.domain) // 'umn.edu'
  console.log(response.ipAddress) // '128.101.101.101'
});

Enterprise Example

const Reader = require('@maxmind/geoip2-node').Reader;
// Typescript:
// import { Reader } from '@maxmind/geoip2-node';

Reader.open('/usr/local/share/GeoIP/GeoIP2-Enterprise.mmdb').then(reader => {
  const response = reader.enterprise('128.101.101.101');

  console.log(response.country.isoCode) // 'US'
});

ISP Example

const Reader = require('@maxmind/geoip2-node').Reader;
// Typescript:
// import { Reader } from '@maxmind/geoip2-node';

Reader.open('/usr/local/share/GeoIP/GeoIP2-ISP.mmdb').then(reader => {
  const response = reader.isp('128.101.101.101');

  console.log(response.autonomousSystemNumber); // 217
  console.log(response.autonomousSystemOrganization); // 'University of Minnesota'
  console.log(response.isp); // 'University of Minnesota'
  console.log(response.organization); // 'University of Minnesota'

  console.log(response.ipAddress); // '128.101.101.101'
});

Database Exceptions

If the database file does not exist, is not readable, is invalid, or there is a bug in the reader, the promise will be rejected with an Error with a message explaining the issue.

If the database file and the reader method do not match (e.g. reader.city is used with a Country database), a BadMethodCalledError will be thrown.

If the IP address is not found in the database, an AddressNotFoundError will be thrown.

If the IP address is not valid, a ValueError will be thrown.

If the database buffer is not a valid database, an InvalidDbBufferError will be thrown.

Values to use for Database or Object Keys

We strongly discourage you from using a value from any names property as a key in a database or object.

These names may change between releases. Instead we recommend using one of the following:

• geoip2-node.CityRecord - city.geonameId
• geoip2-node.ContinentRecord - continent.code or continent.geonameId
• geoip2-node.CountryRecord and geoip2.records.RepresentedCountry - country.isoCode or country.geonameId
• geoip2-node.SubdivisionsRecord - subdivision.isoCode or subdivision.geonameId

What data is returned?

While many of the models contain the same basic records, the attributes which can be populated vary between web service end points or databases. In addition, while a model may offer a particular piece of data, MaxMind does not always have every piece of data for any given IP address.

Because of these factors, it is possible for any request to return a record where some or all of the attributes are unpopulated.

The only piece of data which is always returned is the ipAddress attribute in the geoip2-node.TraitsRecord record.

Integration with GeoNames

GeoNames offers web services and downloadable databases with data on geographical features around the world, including populated places. They offer both free and paid premium data. Each feature is uniquely identified by a geonameId, which is an integer.

Many of the records returned by the GeoIP web services and databases include a geonameId field. This is the ID of a geographical feature (city, region, country, etc.) in the GeoNames database.

Some of the data that MaxMind provides is also sourced from GeoNames. We source things like place names, ISO codes, and other similar data from the GeoNames premium data set.

Reporting Data Problems

If the problem you find is that an IP address is incorrectly mapped, please submit your correction to MaxMind.

If you find some other sort of mistake, like an incorrect spelling, please check the GeoNames site first. Once you've searched for a place and found it on the GeoNames map view, there are a number of links you can use to correct data ("move", "edit", "alternate names", etc.). Once the correction is part of the GeoNames data set, it will be automatically incorporated into future MaxMind releases.

If you are a paying MaxMind customer and you're not sure where to submit a correction, please contact MaxMind support for help.

Requirements

MaxMind has tested this API with Node.js versions 18 and 20. We aim to support active and maintained LTS versions of Node.js.

Contributing

Patches and pull requests are encouraged. Please include unit tests whenever possible, as we strive to maintain 100% code coverage.

Versioning

The GeoIP2 Node.js API uses Semantic Versioning.

Support

Please report all issues with this code using the GitHub issue tracker

If you are having an issue with a MaxMind service that is not specific to the client API, please contact MaxMind support for assistance.

Copyright and License

This software is Copyright (c) 2018-2023 by MaxMind, Inc.

This is free software, licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.