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Geocoding Errors: Why Some Places Don't Have Coordinates (And How to Fix)

Why geocoding fails for some places and how to fix missing coordinates. Troubleshoot errors when exporting Google Maps.

January 22, 2026

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6 min read

You've exported your Google Maps saved places, run them through a geocoding service, and most locations came back with coordinates. But a handful failed - no latitude, no longitude, just an error. Before you can use your data in a GPS app or mapping tool, you need to fix these problem places.

This guide explains why geocoding fails and how to recover coordinates for even the most stubborn locations.

What is Geocoding?

Geocoding converts human-readable location information into geographic coordinates. When you save a place in Google Maps, you're saving a reference - a name and address. To use that place in other applications, you need actual coordinates.

For example:

  • Input: "Eiffel Tower, Paris, France"
  • Output: Latitude 48.8584, Longitude 2.2945

When geocoding works, it's seamless. When it fails, you're left with a place that can't be plotted on a map.

Why Geocoding Fails

Ambiguous Place Names

Generic names are the leading cause of failures. "The Coffee Shop," "Main Street Cafe," or "City Park" exist in thousands of locations worldwide. Without enough context, the geocoding service either returns the wrong location or fails entirely.

Problematic examples:

  • "Pizza Hut" (thousands globally)
  • "Joe's Bar" (extremely common)
  • "The Beach" (could be anywhere)

Missing or Incomplete Addresses

Sometimes saved places lack proper address information:

  • You dropped a pin without selecting an official listing
  • The place is in a rural area without street addressing
  • Google Maps had incomplete data when you saved it
  • The address field was empty in the export

Closed or Renamed Businesses

Places change. Restaurants close, buildings get demolished, businesses rebrand. If a place no longer exists in current mapping databases, geocoding will fail.

Private or Custom Locations

Some locations are intentionally unlisted:

  • Private residences saved as custom pins
  • Businesses that requested removal from listings
  • Places you named yourself ("Mom's House", "Secret fishing spot")

These exist in your personal Google Maps but aren't recognized by geocoding services that rely on public databases.

Foreign Language or Special Characters

Place names with non-Latin characters, diacritics, or unusual symbols can cause issues:

  • Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, or Cyrillic scripts
  • Accented characters (café vs cafe)
  • Special punctuation in business names

Temporary or New Locations

Recently added places or temporary venues (pop-up shops, food trucks, event spaces) may not exist in geocoding databases yet. There's often a delay between when something appears in Google Maps and when geocoding services recognize it.

How to Fix Missing Coordinates

Manual Lookup

The most reliable fix is looking up coordinates directly:

  1. Open Google Maps
  2. Search for the place or navigate to its location
  3. Right-click on the exact spot
  4. The coordinates appear at the top of the menu (e.g., "37.7749, -122.4194")
  5. Click to copy, then add to your spreadsheet

This works well for a handful of failures. For dozens, it gets tedious.

Improve the Address

Sometimes making the input more specific helps:

  • Add city and country: "The Coffee Shop" → "The Coffee Shop, Portland, OR, USA"
  • Use the official name: "Starbucks" → "Starbucks Reserve Roastery Seattle"
  • Include street address if you know it

After editing, try geocoding again.

Try a Different Data Source

Different geocoding services have different databases:

  • Google's data works best for places that exist in Google Maps
  • OpenStreetMap/Nominatim has strong international coverage
  • Mapbox excels in urban areas

If one service fails, another might succeed.

Accept Some Failures

For places that truly can't be geocoded - custom personal locations, demolished buildings, or very obscure spots - you may need to:

  • Look them up manually (if important)
  • Remove them from your export (if not)
  • Accept that some data simply can't be automated

Focus your effort on places that matter.

Preventing Future Issues

When saving new places in Google Maps:

  1. Save official listings rather than dropping custom pins when possible
  2. Use full business names instead of nicknames
  3. Verify the pin location is correct before saving
  4. Add address details in notes for obscure places
  5. Review old saves periodically - update places that have moved or closed

Pro Tips

  1. Export regularly. Geocoding databases change. A place that fails today might work next month - or vice versa. Don't wait years between exports.

  2. Sort failures by type. Group your failed places by likely cause (ambiguous names vs. closed businesses vs. custom pins). Different problems need different solutions.

  3. Prioritize what matters. If you have 10 failures out of 200 places, ask yourself: do those 10 really need to be in your export? Sometimes it's fine to let them go.

  4. Check the "close matches." Sometimes geocoding returns a result, but it's wrong - a different business with the same name in another city. Spot-check places with common names.

  5. Keep your original export. Save the raw Google Takeout files. If you need to try different geocoding approaches later, you'll have the source data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do some places show wrong coordinates instead of failing?

This happens with ambiguous names. The geocoding service found a match - just not the right one. A "Joe's Pizza" in Chicago might resolve to a "Joe's Pizza" in Boston. Always verify places with common names.

Do failed geocodes cost money on paid services?

Most geocoding services, including Takeout Tools, don't charge for failed lookups. You only pay for successful results.

Can I manually add coordinates to failed places?

Yes. Export your data as CSV, manually look up the coordinates for failed places in Google Maps, and add them to the appropriate rows. Then convert to your target format.

What if a business moved to a new location?

The old save in Google Maps points to the former location. Search for the business to find its current address, then either update your saved place in Google Maps or manually add the new coordinates to your export.

How accurate is geocoding for places that succeed?

For well-known locations with complete addresses, typically within a few meters. For places with ambiguous names or incomplete data, accuracy varies significantly - which is why spot-checking matters.

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