LoginSign Up
← Back to all sparks
N

Nominatim

DEVOPS
Velocity2.5

Geocoding engine for searching OpenStreetMap data by name and address

nominatim.org ↗

Nominatim 5.3.3 turns off its debug view by default because it can leak server details.

geocodingopenstreetmapapi-hardeningreverse-geocodingself-hosted
◆Current state
Nominatim releases a minor every few months with hotfixes when the update path breaks. 5.3.3, the first entry since April, restores compatibility with the latest SQLAlchemy and fixes reverse geocoding near overlapping POIs, POIs parented to unnamed streets, TIGER parent streets and rank-11 boundaries. It also tightens API parameter validation, output escaping and overlong query terms, and makes one breaking change: the debug view is now off unless NOMINATIM_SERVE_DEBUG_OUTPUT is set.
◆Where it's heading
Since the move to a Python package was completed in 5.0, releases have concentrated on geocoding quality and the update pipeline. 5.3.3 adds a security-minded layer, validating and escaping API input and output and closing the debug view, which suggests operators running public instances are now a design concern. No migrations are needed, keeping upgrades cheap.
◆Prediction
Expect a 5.4 minor to continue query-parser and update-pipeline work; the hardening in 5.3.3 may extend to further API defaults.

◆Recent moves

  1. 26d ago

    5.3.3 disables the debug view by default and fixes search cases

    Restores SQLAlchemy compatibility, fixes several reverse and POI search cases, and hardens API validation and escaping, with the debug view now off by default. The first release in six months, and the first in the window to treat public-instance exposure as a default worth changing.

    View source ↗
  2. 6mo ago

    5.3.2 fixes a non-null constraint error during updates

    A single-issue hotfix for a non-null constraint error that could halt updates on 5.3.x. No database reimport needed, which is the detail operators care about most.

    View source ↗
  3. 7mo ago

    5.3.1 restores usable update speed for associatedStreet relations

    Fixes associatedStreet relation updates being unusably slow in 5.3.0 — a regression severe enough that the notes tell 5.3.0 users to upgrade immediately. It is the cost of the processing-table restructuring that 5.3.0 introduced.

    View source ↗
  4. 7mo ago

    5.3.0 gives postcodes and interpolations their own processing tables

    Restructures how postcodes, interpolations and associatedStreet relations are computed, each getting a separate processing table to make updates faster and more reliable. Also supports addr:interpolation alongside addr:housenumber, and lets the CLI use the layer parameter and add TIGER data to a frozen database.

    View source ↗
  5. 1y ago

    5.2.0 returns building entrances and cuts SQL round-trips

    Adds entrances of buildings and areas to results, giving routing engines a better start and end point than a building centroid. The forward query parser was also restructured to issue fewer SQL queries per request, with the largest gains on full address searches.

    View source ↗
  6. 1y ago

    5.1.0 recognizes postcodes that aren't in the OSM data

    A pattern-based postcode parser means postcodes no longer need to exist in the OSM database to be found — any string matching a country's postcode format is recognised, with US ZIP+4 the headline case. A meaningful widening of what the geocoder can resolve without more data.

    View source ↗