M
API Matrix

Bing Maps API

Geocoding / API Key Intermediate HTTPS
Varies by plan (check documentation)
87 Score
Grade A
Visit Official Site Compare Alternatives

Overview

Bing Maps (now Azure Maps) is Microsoft's mapping platform that lets you geocode addresses, reverse geocode coordinates, get routes, and embed interactive maps in your applications. It requires a Microsoft Azure account and a Bing Maps API key, and offers a free tier suitable for development and low-traffic apps. This API is a strong choice if you are already in the Microsoft/Azure ecosystem or need enterprise-grade reliability.

💡

Beginner Tip

Start by creating a free Azure account and generating a Bing Maps key at the Bing Maps Dev Center. Use the key parameter in every request — most endpoints follow the pattern https://dev.virtualearth.net/REST/v1/...

Available Data

repository name and description
star and fork counts
contributor data
issues and pull requests
commit history

Example Response

JSON Response 
{
  "status": "success",
  "data": {
    "result": "Data from Bing Maps",
    "description": "Create/customize digital maps based on Bing Maps data",
    "timestamp": "2025-01-15T10:00:00Z"
  }
}

Field Reference

resourceSets Top-level array containing the result set with the estimated total and resources.
resources Array of location or route result objects returned by the query.
name Formatted name of the matched location or address.
point Geographic point containing coordinates array with latitude and longitude.
confidence Confidence level of the geocoding match: High, Medium, or Low.
matchCodes Codes describing how well the result matches the query, such as Good or Ambiguous.

Implementation Example 

const url = "https://www.microsoft.com/maps/";
// Replace headers or query params with the values required by this API.
const response = await fetch(url, {
  headers: {
  "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
  }
});
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

What Can You Build?

Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.

Common Errors & Troubleshooting

401 Unauthorized The API key is invalid, expired, or missing from the request.
✓ Log into the Bing Maps Dev Center, generate a new key, and add it as ?key=YOUR_KEY to every request.
Zero results returned The address or query string could not be matched to a known location.
✓ Try formatting the address more precisely, including city and country. Use the countryRegion parameter to narrow the search scope.
Usage limit exceeded You have exceeded the free tier transaction limit (125,000 cumulative or 25,000 per day).
✓ Monitor usage in the Azure portal and upgrade to a paid tier if your application needs more requests.

Matrix Score Breakdown

🌐 Reachability 30/30
⚡ Speed 20/20
🔒 Security 15/15
🛠 Developer XP 12/20
✓ Reliability 10/15

Partially tested on Apr 5, 2026

Technical Specifications

Auth API Key
HTTPS REQUIRED
CORS UNKNOWN
Category Geocoding
Difficulty Intermediate
Verified: 2026-04-07

Similar APIs

View All →

Actinia Grass GIS

0

Actinia Grass GIS provides programmatic access to actinia is an open source rest api for geographical data that uses grass gis via REST API.

API Key Intermediate HTTPS

Apiip

82

Apiip is an IP geolocation API that returns detailed location data including city, country, timezone, and currency for any IP address.

API Key Intermediate HTTPS

Battuta

22

Battuta is a hierarchical location API that lets you browse countries, regions, and cities in a cascade, making it easy to build location pickers with dependent dropdowns.

API Key Intermediate

BigDataCloud

⭐ Beginner's Pick
77

BigDataCloud offers a fast and highly accurate IP geolocation API that also includes network security checks and a confidence area metric to indicate how precise the location is.

API Key Intermediate HTTPS

CountryStateCity

⭐ Beginner's Pick
77

CountryStateCity provides a comprehensive API with world countries, states, regions, and cities data in multiple formats including JSON, SQL, and CSV.

API Key Intermediate HTTPS