---
title: "Postcode Autocomplete"
space: "ERPNext"
url: "https://www.prilk.com/docs/erpnext/localization/netherlands/postcode"
updated: "2026-05-15"
---

# Postcode Autocomplete

Dutch addresses follow a strict, machine-friendly format: a 4-digit + 2-
letter postcode plus a house number is enough to uniquely identify any
delivery point in the country. This module uses that to autofill addresses
the moment those two fields are present.

## How it works

Open any Address form, set country to **Netherlands**, and enter:

1. **Postcode** (e.g. `1011 PN`)
2. **Address Line 1** containing a house number (e.g. `Damrak 70`)

As soon as both fields have parseable values, the module queries the
PDOK Locatieserver — the Dutch government's open-data geocoding service —
and fills in:

- **Street** (*straatnaam*)
- **City** (*plaats*)
- **Latitude / Longitude** if your Address form exposes them

PDOK is free, run by the Dutch government, and doesn't require an API key
or registration. No usage limits for normal business volumes.

## Parsing the house number

The module pulls the first run of digits out of Address Line 1:

| Input | House number used |
|---|---|
| `Damstraat 12` | 12 |
| `Damstraat 12-A` | 12 |
| `Damstraat 12 bis` | 12 |
| `Herengracht 182 2e hg` | 182 (correctly ignores the `2e`) |
| `182 Damstraat` | 182 (number-first works too) |

If no digit run is found, the lookup is skipped — no error, just no
autofill.

## When it triggers

- On change of **Postcode** or **Address Line 1**, if country is
  Netherlands and both fields have parseable content.
- Only on the **Address** doctype. Doesn't fire on Customer / Supplier
  forms directly — those reference Addresses, so editing the Address
  triggers the autofill.

## Validation on save

A server-side validate hook also runs on Address records with country =
Netherlands. It checks that the postcode is structurally valid (4 digits
+ 2 letters, ignoring spaces). Invalid postcodes throw an error so you
can't save a half-finished Dutch address.

## Limitations

- **Dutch addresses only.** The lookup is skipped if the country isn't
  Netherlands.
- **Not real-time as you type.** The trigger fires on field-change events
  (when you blur the field), not on every keystroke.
- **PDOK uptime.** PDOK is a government service with high uptime, but
  outages happen. If the lookup fails silently, you can fill the address
  manually — nothing else in the form depends on the autofill.