Frequently asked questions
Short answers about the data, the API and accounts. Anything missing? Ask us.
Where does the data come from?
Registration data comes from the public databases of the RIPE NCC, APNIC and AFRINIC, and from the delegation files of all five regional internet registries. Routing data comes from the RIPE NCC's Routing Information Service through RIPEstat. Locations come from operator geofeeds, registry coordinates, RIPE IPmap measurements and the registry records themselves. The data page explains each source.
How often is it updated?
Registry data and geofeeds are refreshed every night. BGP routes and AS neighbours are collected once a week. RIPE IPmap results are fetched when an address is looked up and refreshed after 30 days.
Why does an address show the wrong city?
A registry record says who holds an address, not where it is used. When a network publishes no geofeed we fall back to measurements or the registered address, which can point to a head office instead of a data centre. Every lookup shows the source and confidence of the location. If you know the correct location, use the correction form and we will fix it.
I run a network. How do I fix the location of my addresses?
Publish an RFC 8805 geofeed and reference it from your inetnum objects with a geofeed: attribute. We pick it up with the next nightly import. You can also submit the feed URL through the geofeed page.
Is the service free?
Yes. The website, the tools and the API are free within the published rate limits. Contact us if you need higher limits.
Do I need an API key?
No. The API works without a key at a lower rate. A free key gives you higher limits, a daily quota and usage statistics. Create one in the dashboard after signing up.
Do you support IPv6?
Yes. IPv6 addresses, prefixes and routes are supported everywhere: lookups, the API, bulk lookups, bans and monitors.
What do the confidence levels mean?
High means the location comes from the network operator or from coordinates in the registry. Medium means it was measured by RIPE IPmap or found in the registry record. Low means only the registered address of the holder is known. Country only means we do not know the city.
Do you store the addresses I look up?
Lookups made with your API key are stored so you can see your usage, and kept for 180 days. Anonymous lookups are logged for rate limiting without linking them to a person. The privacy policy has the details.
How do I report abuse from an address?
Each lookup shows the abuse contact published by the network holder. Send your report there, because the operator of the network is the only one who can act on it.