W3C Geolocation API

Geolocation API
First published22 December 2008; 15 years ago (2008-12-22)[1][2]
Latest versionW3C Recommendation
1 September 2022; 2 years ago (2022-09-01)[3]
Organization
CommitteeGeolocation Working Group[3]
EditorsAndrei Popescu[3]
DomainGeographical location information
Websitewww.w3.org/TR/geolocation-API/

The W3C Geolocation API is an effort by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to standardize an interface to retrieve the geographical location information for a client-side device.[3] It defines a set of objects, ECMAScript standard compliant, that executing in the client application give the client's device location through the consulting of Location Information Servers, which are transparent for the application programming interface (API). The most common sources of location information are IP address, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth MAC address, radio-frequency identification (RFID), Wi-Fi connection location, or device Global Positioning System (GPS) and GSM/CDMA cell IDs. The location is returned with a given accuracy depending on the best location information source available.

The result of W3C Geolocation API will usually give 4 location properties, including latitude and longitude (coordinates), altitude (height), and accuracy [of the position gathered], which all depend on the location sources.[citation needed]

  1. ^ "Geolocation API Specification 2nd Edition Publication History - W3C". n.d. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  2. ^ Popescu, Andrei (22 December 2008). "Geolocation API Specification". W3C. Geolocation Working Group. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d Cáceres, Marcos; Grant, Reilly (1 September 2022). "Geolocation API Specification". W3C. Geolocation Working Group. Retrieved 8 February 2024.