If you are the owner of a website or commercial web page, getting a user’s geolocation in PHP is important. It allows you to prevent fraud and localize the page according to the country from which the person uses it.
Considering you have many alternatives for dealing with the task, we will examine them in turn. Below, we will discuss how to proceed in each case and what strengths each method has.
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Why Do You Need to Know Geolocation If You Know IP?
When a user visits your site, PHP sees their digital address or IP. It is a unique identifier for each individual connection to the Internet. However, it lacks enough details on the user’s location. PHP does not know where the IP is from and needs a database where it can find the necessary information.
After PHP sends the user’s IP address to the service or database, it will receive a response back. It will return an estimated geolocation (such as country, region, or city).
When PHP processes the response, it will be able to adapt the site to the desired location. This includes changing the language, currency, and other data. As an outcome, the user will have a fully customized experience.
The database or service for processing the IP address can be a geolocation plugin or an API service. They have the same purpose, but their method of processing information is different.
3 Ways to Figure Out IP Geolocation in PHP
You can employ a variety of approaches depending on your skills, expertise, and circumstances. Let’s find out the most common options on how to get current location in PHP. It will help you determine the most appropriate one.
Using External API Services
Using special API services is one of the simplest and fastest methods. Its essence is that you send an IP address to a special third-party site, and it returns the geolocation.
You can use a simple script or write a function, make a request, and get a response. You do not have to download or set up anything. Moreover, the database is always up-to-date, and you don’t need to reload it.
However, this option has several drawbacks. For example, you are actually dependent on a third-party server that can also have failures. In addition, you may encounter request limits.
Although there are some drawbacks, the method is widespread among developers and website owners. Its huge advantage is simplicity and actual information about geolocation.
Loading Local Databases
Unlike the previous method, this one involves downloading a file. You have to save the file with the address database to your server and search for geolocation by address yourself. Simply put, you need to install the library and connect the PHP geoIP database file.
From now on, your PHP will look for information locally and provide country, region, or city-level data locally. Although it sounds a bit complicated, this option is fast and reliable. You do not need to transfer information, so you do not have to worry about privacy. In addition, the system will work even without access to the Internet.
However, you must constantly update the database to have up-to-date information. Otherwise, you risk receiving irrelevant data.
Configuring Web Server Modules
Another option is to configure your own server so that it maps the geolocation before your PHP script runs. The server will add information about the country or city directly to the PHP environment variables. This will allow it to access the geolocation earlier, and without sending a request.
This procedure is a little more difficult, but it ensures good performance. It also enables you to avoid altering the PHP code and maintain its cleanliness.
Determining Geolocation in PHP Using the GeoPlugin API
Turning to the PHP geolocation API remains one of the most common methods for accurately determining the location of users. It is easy to implement and allows you to quickly improve the interaction of a website with the user.
GeoPlugin is one of the API service providers that allows you to get the most data in a short time. With their help, you can get information about the city, country, and time zone of the user from the IP address.
The service works very clearly. You only need to make a request to the server, transfer the IP, and get reliable country and city-level location data. However, you do not need to repeat the request yourself every time. You can use the script from the service and get the geolocation of everyone who visits your site.
GeoPlugin will compare the received IP address with a global database and provide geolocation in response. The peculiarity of GeoPlugin is that it gives the response in a format that PHP understands without extra settings.
Some Tips to Keep in Mind
Although getting PHP geolocation from an IP address is a fairly simple task, a few useful tips won’t be superfluous. Consider them to avoid making mistakes like many users do.
So, what you should pay attention to:
- Do not request the API every time: Save the geolocations obtained before. If you make a request every time, you will have a lot of data and a high cost of requests.
- Do not set the geolocation by default: Some users may use VPNs or proxies, which can affect geolocation accuracy. In such a case, do not use a location that does not correspond to reality.
- Take care of privacy rules: Some countries follow special protocols for protecting user data. You should not violate them, so always monitor what data you store.
Simple rules, at first glance, can significantly save your resources and protect against fines. Be vigilant, no matter which method you ultimately choose.
Final Takeaway
Although PHP sees the IP address of each user visiting the site, this is not enough for web resource localization. You also need to get geolocation to estimate their country and adjust language or currency accordingly.
You can cope with the task in several ways. The simplest one is to resort to the API service. You can also load a local database or configure a web server module.
In any case, you should follow best practices and integrate plugins or APIs from proven vendors. GeoPlugin is one of them. It allows you to determine the geolocation of users quickly and effortlessly using a simple script.
FAQ
Why track users’ geolocation if there is an IP address?
An IP address is a user identifier that does not directly reflect their location. You need geolocation so that you can prevent fraud or improve the user interaction with the website.
What can I do to get geolocation in PHP?
Depending on your experience or needs, you can resort to different methods. The first is to get geolocation with an API service. The second is to download a local database that works offline. And finally, the third is to configure server modules to get the location before the PHP script sends a request.
Why does the API service often win?
In fact, integrating API services is frequently more prevalent. Its ease of use and fresh database from which PHP may retrieve data are the main reasons it succeeds.
