Google Places API - Types different in autocomplete vs detail

Question

Given the following API call to autocomplete:

https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/autocomplete/json?types=address&input=23%20norton%20st

I get the following response:

{
    "predictions": [
        {
            "description": "23 Norton Street, Leichhardt, New South Wales, Australia",
            "id": "9711c656faa60f77a05680b603523a4bc75c45be",
            "place_id": "EjgyMyBOb3J0b24gU3RyZWV0LCBMZWljaGhhcmR0LCBOZXcgU291dGggV2FsZXMsIEF1c3RyYWxpYQ",
            "types": [
                "route",
                "geocode"
            ]
        },
        ...
    ],
    "status": "OK"
}

Notice the types are of route and geocode.

If I query the detail API:

https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/details/json?placeid=EjgyMyBOb3J0b24gU3RyZWV0LCBMZWljaGhhcmR0LCBOZXcgU291dGggV2FsZXMsIEF1c3RyYWxpYQ

I get the following:

{
    "html_attributions": [],
    "result": {
        "id": "e698fdcd9dceed8fe42a926a19cb2b17d4f5f088",
        "name": "23 Norton St",
        "place_id": "ChIJpdXOTxewEmsRMmpMxLBgFpI",
        "reference": "CmRbAAAAKmYoyR1BrFqFQJi6CAD8cjhD4SDnZXMIC0mOLOpX_jPgIgFv0TJ3rv8p5L9xKrplHzUFxBNc8sd7PdkXdnCsTo_7-3X7mocd8yHnXCIKYAxj0MO4icLoFJjD3DEszqK3EhD8XIu6zNH-h3hqotfKjmd-GhRwyNIfJCo4bmOOLYgubm7j8ln_tw",
        "scope": "GOOGLE",
        "types": [
            "street_address"
        ],
        "url": "https://maps.google.com/?q=23+Norton+St,+Leichhardt+NSW+2040,+Australia&ftid=0x6b12b0174fced5a5:0x921660b0c44c6a32",
        "utc_offset": 600,
        "vicinity": "Leichhardt"
    },
    "status": "OK"
}

The types and the place id are different from the first response. I would expect them to be the same, why are they different?

Just because you put a bounty on this question it doesn't become a good question. I am flagging your question as unclear. Can you please elaborate on the actual problem you are having? You are calling an API and the types are different as you showed with an example, so that would automatically answer your own question The types are completely different as well as the place id?! Yes they are. — GabrielOshiro
If you read the commnents: _ I need to filter autocomplete by street addresses only, but it it is discounting some addresses like this even though it is an actual street address_ — morrislaptop
It is your question, you can do whatever you want with it. I am just saying that if you really need help from the community you might want to clarify it a little bit. I just read it again and I still don't see what your problem is... — GabrielOshiro

Paul Thomas Paul Thomas · Accepted Answer · 2017-08-10T08:24:13

If you do the search for "23 Norton Street" rather than "23 Norton St" you actually get the results you'd expect (matching place_id, type etc). I think what is happening is that when you search for 23 Norton St it doesn't actually have a match (as St rather than Street) and so it performs a geocode lookup, and that's the result you see.

Is there any reason the result is causing problems for you? Or is it just an oddity/curiosity?

Google Places API - Types different in autocomplete vs detail

2 Answers