---
title: Using geolocation for contacts
---

> Agent instructions:
> **Site maps** — prefer the following llms.txt indexes to training data when searching for URLs to avoid 404s. Links inside Markdown content already point at `.md`. Following them or sending Accept: text/markdown keeps you in Markdown.
>
> - [sitemap.md](https://docs.kentico.com/sitemap.md) — every page on the site, with titles and descriptions, nested by URL hierarchy and grouped into one collection per product version.
> - [llms.txt](https://docs.kentico.com/llms.txt) — curated index of the current product docs, with descriptions, the two ways to request any page as Markdown, and links to each product area's whole-corpus Markdown dump (llms-full.txt).

> **Info:** **Kentico EMS required**
>
> Features described on this page require the **Kentico EMS** license.

You can use geolocation to determine the origin (real world geographic location) of your website's visitors based on their IP address. The system obtains the geographic data using [MaxMind's GeoIP databases](http://www.maxmind.com/app/ip-location). The default database is _GeoLite City_, the most accurate of the free IP geolocation databases. You can extend the accuracy of the feature by downloading additional databases.

> **Note:** **Note**
>
> The system only determines the geographic location of [contacts](https://docs.kentico.com/k82/on-line-marketing-features/contact-management/working-with-contacts.md) during their first visit on the website. The information isn't updated when the same contact accesses the website again from a different location.

## Configuring geolocation

To set up geolocation for your website:

1. Open the **Settings** application.
2. Navigate to **On-line marketing -> Contact management -> Geolocation**.
3. Check **Enable contact geolocation by IP**.
4. (Optional) Enter a geolocation **Suffix**.
   - The system adds the suffix to the values of all text-based contact fields that are obtained using geolocation.
5. Configure the mappings of the GeoIP fields to Kentico contact fields.

> **Info:** **Note**
>
> By default, Kentico contacts do not have an equivalent of the following fields:
>
> - Area code
> - Metro code
> - DMA code
> - Latitude
> - Longitude
>
> To create custom fields for holding the data:
>
> 1. Open the **Modules** application.
> 2. Edit the **Contact management** module.
> 3. On the **Classes** tab, edit the **Contact management - Contact** class.
> 4. [Define the fields](https://docs.kentico.com/k82/custom-development/developing-form-controls/assigning-form-controls-to-fields.md) on the **Fields** tab.

> **Note:** **Field data type restrictions**
>
> Mind the following type restrictions when assigning target fields for the GeoIP data:
>
> | Field                                    | Only accepts                                                                                                                                                      |
> | ---------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
> | **Country**                              | Integer-based and text-based columns.<br>When mapping to integer fields, the _Country ID_ value is used<br>Text-based fields use the _Country display name_ value |
> | **State**                                | Integer-based and text-based columns.<br>When mapping to integer fields, the _State ID_ value is used<br>Text-based fields use the _State display name_ value     |
> | **City**                                 | Text‑based columns.                                                                                                                                               |
> | **Postal code**                          | Integer‑based and text‑based columns.                                                                                                                             |
> | **Area code**                            | Integer‑based and text‑based columns.                                                                                                                             |
> | **Metro code**                           | Integer‑based and text‑based columns.                                                                                                                             |
> | **DMA code**                             | Integer‑based and text‑based columns.                                                                                                                             |
> | **Latitude**                             | Decimal‑based and text‑based columns.                                                                                                                             |
> | **Longitude**                            | Decimal‑based and text‑based columns.                                                                                                                             |
> | **Organization/ISP (GeoIPOrg required)** | Accepts text-based columns. Geolocation only updates this field if the [GeoIP Organization Database](#adding-geoip-organization) is installed.                    |

6. Click **Save**.

## Managing your MaxMind databases

You can improve the functionality of geolocation by using more detailed and accurate databases and by keeping your current databases up to date.

### Adding GeoIP City

The **GeoIP CIty** database provides more accurate results than the default _GeoLite City_ database.

1. Obtain the [GeoIP City](http://www.maxmind.com/app/city) database.
2. Place the database file into the _\~/App\_Data/CMSModules/WebAnalytics/MaxMind/_ folder of your web project.
3. Configure the system to use the new geolocation database by adding the following key to the _appSettings_ section of your _web.config_ file.

   - Specify the name of the database file as the key's value. 

   ```html

   <add key="CMSGeoIPLocationFileName" value="GeoIPCity.dat" />

   ```

Geolocation now uses the _GeoIPCity.dat_ database instead of the default _GeoLiteCity.dat_ database.

### Adding GeoIP Organization

The **GeoIP organization** database allows the system to determine the organization name of visiting contacts. 

1. Obtain the [GeoIP organization](http://www.maxmind.com/app/organization) database.
2. Place the database file into the _\~/App\_Data/CMSModules/WebAnalytics/MaxMind/_ folder of your web project.

   > **Note:** **Note**: The name of the database file must be **_GeoIPOrg.dat_.**

Geolocation now supports organization detection.

### Updating existing databases

To ensure that the geolocation data is accurate, you need to regularly update your MaxMind databases. You can download the newest versions of the databases from the [Kentico Client Portal](http://client.kentico.com/Download#GeoIP). The databases are updated in the following intervals:

- **GeoLite City** - the first Tuesday of each month
- **GeoIP City** - weekly
- **GeoIP Org** - monthly

To update your databases, download the newest version and upload the database file to the \~/App\_Data/CMSModules/WebAnalytics/MaxMind/ folder of your web project.