How do I manage geography validation?

After defining the geography hierarchy, you need to specify the structure for the country.

You can choose which address style format you would like to use for the country, and for each selected address style format you can map geography types to address attributes. You can also select which geography types to include in address validation or tax validation, and which geography types will display in a list of values during address entry in other user interfaces. The geography validation level for the country, such as error or warning, can also be selected. Geography validation determines the geography mapping and validation for a country's address styles, and the overall address validation control for a country.

The No Styles Format address style format is the default address style format for a country. By defining the mapping and validation for this format you will ensure that validations can be performed for any address in the country. After the No Styles Format is defined you can set up additional mapping for specific address styles.

For each address style format, you can define the following:

• Map to attribute

• Enable list of values

• Tax validation

• Address validation

• Address validation control

Attribute Mapping

For every address style format, you can map each geography type to an address attribute. For example, you can map the State geography type to the State address attribute for the United States, or map the State geography type to the County address attribute for the United Kingdom. The geography types that appear are based on how the country structure is defined. The list of address attributes that appear are based on address formats delivered with the application, or your customer defined address formats.

Note: You only need to map geography types that you want to use for address or tax validation purposes.

Enable List of Values

Once a geography type is mapped to an attribute, then you can specify whether the geography type will appear in a list of values during address entry in user interfaces. It is very important to review carefully if you want to enable a list of values. You should only enable a list of values if you have sufficient geography data imported or created for that geography. If the setup for master geography data is incomplete, then the geography data is either not imported or created. As a result, the list of values for the address attribute doesn't list any geography data.

Once you have enabled a list of values for an address attribute, you can only select the geography data available for the geography type. This means that if a specific geography value isn't available in the geography hierarchy, you can't create an address with a different geography value.

Note: Enable List of Values applies to the UI only. It doesn't apply to import, web services, nor REST APIs. For these, all of the required geography types must have a value in the request when creating or updating an address.

Tax Validation

You can also specify whether a geography type will be included in tax validation. For example, for the United States North America address style format you specify that County, State, and City are used for tax validation. This will mean that when a transaction involves an address with the North America address style, the address must have the correct county, state, and city combination based on the geography hierarchy data, to be considered valid for tax calculation.

Address Validation

You must set up address validation for those geography elements that you plan to use in your application. Address validation checks whether geography elements of an address such as state, city, postal code, and soon are valid as per master geography data. Setting up validation also helps ensure that the addresses are correct and deliverable during entry. You can select states or other address elements from lists to ensure accuracy during entry. For example, when you enter a postal code, the application can validate if the postal code exists. Note that address validation isn’t the same as address verification. Address Verification updates and enhances your address. Address verification depends upon Oracle or any third-party address verification services to perform verification.

You can specify whether a geography type will be included in address validation. For example, when the user enters a United States address using the North American address style format, the address must have the correct country, state, and postal code combination based on geography hierarchy data to be considered geographically valid.

If an address element is mapped to a geography type, but not selected for geography validation usage, then during address entry suggested values are provided for the address element, but the address element isn't validated.

You need to verify that the default mapping between Geography Type and Map to Attribute is valid in the Geography Mapping and Validation region and update it if required when you define geography validation.

After setting geography validation, all features that directly and indirectly depend upon geographies are impacted. For example, multiple applications such as ERP, CX, and SCM that use geographies are impacted.

Oracle recommends that you use the following valid mapping for the countries that Loqate supports:

Country Name	Country Code	Geography Type	Map to Attribute
Andorra	AD	Country Parroqia Settlement Postal Code	Country State City Postal code
Angola	AO	Country Provincia Municipio Comuna Localidad	Country Province County City Additional address attribute 2
Argentina	AR	Country Province Department Municipality Postal Code	Country Province County City Postal code
Australia	AU	Country State City Postal Code	Country State City Postal code
Austria	AT	Country Bundensland Bezirk Gemeinde Postal Code	Country State County City Postal code
Belgium	BE	Country Gewest Provincie Gemeente Postal Code	Country Additional address attribute 1 Province City Postal code
Bolivia	BO	Country Departmento Provincia Canton	Country Additional address attribute 1 Province City
Bosnia and Herzegovina	BA	Country District Kanton Opcine Nasalje Postal Code	Country Additional address attribute 1 Province County City Postal code
Brazil	BR	Country State City Postal Code	Country State City Postal code
Bulgaria	BG	Country Oblast Obshhina Settlement Postal Code	Country Additional address attribute 1 Province City Postal code
Canada	CA	Country Province City Postal Code	Country Province City Postal code
Cayman Islands	KY	Country Island District Postal Code	Country State City Postal code
Chile	CL	Country Region Provincia Kommune Postal Code	Country State County City Postal code
China Note: China geography structure is supported but geocoding isn't supported.	CN	Country Province City Postal Code	Country Province City Postal code
Croatia	HR	Country Zupanije Grad Postal Code	Country Province City Postal code
Cuba	CU	Country Provincia Municipio City Postal Code	Country Province County City Postal code
Cyprus	CY	Country Periochi Dimos Postal Code	Country Province City Postal code
Czech Republic	CZ	Country Kraj Okres Obec Postal Code	Country State County City Postal code
Denmark	DK	Country Amt Settlement Postal Code	Country Province City Postal code
Dominican Republic	DO	Country Provincia Municipio Town Postal Code	Country Province County City Postal code
Ecuador	EC	Country Province Canton City Postal Code	Country Province County City Postal code
Estonia	EE	Country Maakond Vald Postal Code	Country State City Postal code
Finland	FI	Country Laani Kunta Postal Code	Country State City Postal code
France	FR	Country Region Department Commune Postal Code	Country Additional address attribute 1 State City Postal code
Germany	DE	Country Bundesland Gemeinde Postal Code	Country State City Postal code
Great Britain	GB	Country County Township Postal Code	Country State City Postal code
Greece	GR	Country Periferia Nomi Dimotika Postal Code	Country State County City Postal code
Guadalupe	GP	Country Commune Postal Code	Country City Postal code
Guam	GU	Country State County Municipality Village Postal Code	Country State County City Additional address attribute 2 Postal code
Guernsey	GG	Country City Parishes Villages Postal Code	Country City Additional address attribute 2 Additional address attribute 3 Postal Code
Hungary	HU	Country Megye Jaras Telepules Settlement Postal Code	Country Additional address attribute 1 Province County City Postal code
Iceland	IS	Country Jaras Telepules Settlement Postal Code	Country Province County City Postal code
India	IN	Country State City Postal Code	Country State City Postal code
Indonesia	ID	Country Province City Postal Code	Country Province City Postal code
Ireland	IE	Country Province Post County Postal_Code	Country State City Postal Code
Isles of Man	IM	Country Locality Settlement Postal Code	Country City Additional address attribute 2 Postal code
Israel	IL	Country District Subdistrict City Postal Code	Country State County City Postal code
Italy	IT	Country Regione Provincia Comune Postal code	Country Additional address attribute 1 Province City Postal code
Jamaica	JM	Country Parish Settlement	Country State City
Japan	JP	Country Prefecture City Postal Code	Country State City Postal code
Jordan	JO	Country Muhafazat Liwa Tajma Postal Code	Country State County City Postal code
Kenya	KE	Country County Division	Country State City
Latvia	LV	Country Rajons Pilseta Postal Code	Country State City Postal code
Liechtenstein	LI	Country Wahlkreis Gemeinde District Postal Code	Country Additional address attribute 1 State City Postal code
Lithuania	LT	Country County Municipality Ward Postal Code	Country State County City Postal code
Luxembourg	LU	Country Canton Commune Settlement Postal Code	Country State County City Postal code
Malaysia	MY	Country State District Subdistrict Postal Code	Country State County City Postal code
Malta	MT	Country Region Local Council Postal Code	Country State City Postal code
Martinique	MQ	Country Department Arrondisement Commune Postal Code	Country State County City Postal code
Mexico	MX	Country State Municipality Locality Postal Code	Country State County Additional address attribute 2 Postal code
Netherlands	NL	Country Province Municipality Town Postal Code	Country Province County City Postal code
New Zealand	NZ	Country Region Town Postal Code	Country State City Postal code
Norway	NO	Country Fylke Kommune Postal Code	Country Province City Postal code
Oman	OM	Country Muhafazah District City	Country State County City
Peru	PE	Country Region Provincia Distrito Postal Code	Country Province County City Postal code
Poland	PL	Country Wojewodztwo Powiat Gmina Postal Code	Country Province County City Postal code
Portugal	PT	Country Distrito Concelho Settlement Postal Code	Country Province County City Postal code
Puerto Rico	PR	Country Commonwealth Municipio Barrio Postal Code	Country State County City Postal code
Qatar	QA	Country Municipality Zone	Country State City
Reunion Island	RE	Country Region Department Commune Postal Code	Country State County City Postal code
Romania	RO	Country Regiune Judet Settlement Comuna Postal Code	Country Additional address attribute 1 Province County City Postal code
Russia	RU	Country Federal_District Federal_Subject Oblast Postal Code	Country Additional address attribute 1 State City Postal code
San Marino	SM	Country Comune Postal Code	Country State Postal code
Singapore	SG	Country Region District Postal Code	Country State City Postal code
Slovakia	SK	Country Kraj Okres Obec Postal Code	Country Province County City Postal code
Slovenia	SI	Country Regija Upravna Enota Obcina Settlement Postal Code	Country Additional address attribute 1 Province County City Postal code
South Africa	ZA	Country Province District Municipality Local Municipality Postal Code	Country Province County City Postal code
South Korea	KR	Country Jibang Siti Postal Code	Country State City Postal code
Spain	ES	Country Autonomous Community Province City Postal Code	Country Additional address attribute 1 Province City Postal code
Sri Lanka	LK	Country Province District Divisional Secretariat Postal Code	Country Province County City Postal code
Swaziland Note: This country maybe labeled Eswatini in Manage Territories.	SZ	Country District Inkhundla Town Postal Code	Country Province County City Postal code
Sweden	SE	Country Lan Settlement Postal Code	Country Province City Postal code
Switzerland	CH	Country Kanton Bezirk Gemeinde Postal Code	Country State County City Postal code
Taiwan	TW	Country County Town Postal Code	Country State City Postal code
Thailand	TH	Country Region Changwat Amphoe Postal Code	Country Additional address attribute 1 State City Postal code
Tunisia	TN	Country Governorate Delegation Postal Code	Country State City Postal Code
Turkey	TR	Country Sehir Ilce Kasaba Postal Code	Country Province County City Postal code
United Arab Emirates	AE	Country Emirate City Area	Country State City Additional address attribute 2
United States	US	Country State County City Postal Code	Country State County City Postal code
Uruguay	UY	Country Departamento City Postal Code	Country State City Postal code
Vatican City	VA	Country Municipal Settlement Postal Code	Country Province City Postal code
Vietnam	VN	Country Region Tihn Quan Thank Pho Postal Code	Country Additional address attribute 1 Province County City Postal code

Note: For either the tax or address validation, don't skip any level unless you're certain that the selected geography types can uniquely identify geographies. For example, the United States country structure is: State, County, City, and Postal Code, and you want to select just State and Postal Code for address or tax validation. However, for the combination of California and 94065, the city can be either Redwood Shores or Redwood City. In this case, you should also select at least the City geography type for address or tax validation.

Address Validation Control

You can select the address validation level for a country. Validation will check if the entered address maps to the geography hierarchy data available for the country, and the address validation control determines whether you can save an address that didn't pass validation during address entry. For example, if the validation level is Error, then an address can't be saved if the values don't match the geography hierarchy data.

These are the address validation levels you can choose:

• Error - only completely valid addresses can be saved, with all mandatory address elements entered.

• No Validation - all addresses can be saved including incomplete and invalid addresses.

Regardless of the result of validation, the validation process will try to map any address attribute to a geography of the country, and store any mapping it could establish based on the available data. This is called Geography Name Referencing and it's executed as part of validation. The result of this referencing is used in several business processes in the application to map an address to a specific geography or zone. Therefore, Geography Name Referencing is the process of validating and mapping address elements of existing location table records against master reference geographies. For example, CA value in the STATE column of the HZ_LOCATIONS table is mapped to the master reference geography of CA (California).

The Geography Dimension value in territories is derived from sell-to addresses of sales accounts. To use geography dimensions in territories, you must validate the geography elements in the addresses, such as state, city, and postal code. You can validate the address by enabling geography validation for each country using the Manage Geographies task. Perform the following in the Manage Geographies task:

• Enable at least one level in the geography hierarchy for geography validation.

• Enable geography validation for all geography levels that you intend to use for territory definition for each country.

• If needed, enable a list of values containing specific geography elements. This will help users search and select appropriate geography values during addresses entry and eliminate all possibilities of wrong address entry.

You can set geography validation control to Error in the Manage Geography Validation page. This ensures that users can only use valid geography elements in addresses.

Note: If you have already created addresses before setting up address validation for a country, you must enable geography validation and then execute the Validate Geographies of Addresses Against Master Geographies task for that country. This validates all your geography elements.