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What is a Geofeed? How do I set one up?

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Learn what a geofeed is, how they improve IP geolocation, and how to set one up and submit it to providers like IPLocate.

Accurate IP geolocation matters. Whether you're running a content delivery network, protecting accounts from fraud, or simply showing the right language or currency to users — getting someone's location wrong can cause frustration, lost conversions, or unnecessary support tickets.

But the truth is, geolocation databases often get things wrong.

Geofeeds are a way for ISPs, hosting providers, and network operators to fix that. A geofeed is a simple, self-published list that tells geolocation providers where your IP ranges are actually being used — down to the country, region, or city level.

In this guide, we’ll explain what geofeeds are, how they work, why they’re important, and how to set one up — including how to submit it to providers like IPLocate to help keep your location data accurate.

What is a Geofeed? (For ISPs, Hosting Providers, and IP Holders)

If you control IP address ranges — whether you're an internet provider, data center, enterprise, or edge network — you're probably already aware that geolocation providers don’t always get it right. They might place your IPs in the wrong city, wrong country, or even mark them as “unknown.”

A geofeed is a plain-text file (in CSV format) where you list your IP ranges and their correct physical location. It's designed to be machine-readable and easy to update. Geolocation providers like IPLocate can ingest this data and use it to correct or enhance their IP-to-location mapping.

Think of it as a public, authoritative source for the location of your IPs — maintained by you.

Geofeeds are standardized under RFC 8805, which defines how the file should be structured and published.

How Geofeeds Work

At a technical level, a geofeed is a CSV file served over HTTP or HTTPS, listing your IP ranges and their corresponding location data.

Each line contains:

ip_prefix,country_code,region_code,city_name,postal_code

Only the ip_prefix is required. However, the more fields you include, the more useful and precise your data will be.

Example:

192.0.2.0/24,US,US-CA,Los Angeles,90001
2001:db8::/32,DE,DE-BY,Munich,80331

Lines starting with # are treated as comments.

Note: Always use standard codes:

You can also view some live example geofeeds:

How to Set Up a Geofeed (Step-by-Step)

1. Create Your Geofeed File

Use any text editor or spreadsheet tool. Save the file as geofeed.csv, following the format above.

Make sure to:

  • Encode it in UTF-8
  • Use commas as separators (no tabs)
  • Include, at a minimum, the ip_prefix and country_code fields
  • Include a header or comment line if you like

2. Host It Publicly

The file must be accessible online without authentication. You have a few options:

  • Self-host on your website (e.g. https://yourdomain.com/geofeed.csv)
  • GitHub repo – upload the CSV and link to the raw file URL
  • Google Sheets – publish to the web and link to the CSV version

3. Add a Pointer in WHOIS/Registry Records

To help geolocation providers find your feed automatically, add a reference to your IP registry object (like RIPE, ARIN, or APNIC). Example for RIPE:

remarks: Geofeed https://yourdomain.com/geofeed.csv

RFC 9092 recommends this as best practice.

4. Submit to Geolocation Providers (Including IPLocate)

While some providers scan registry records, it can be faster and more reliable to notify them directly.

For IPLocate, submit your geofeed URL on our corrections page

For other providers, you can find their contact details below:

When contacting these providers, include:

  • A link to your geofeed.
  • The IP ranges you manage.
  • Your contact information (optional but helpful).

Why Geofeeds Matter (Benefits of Using Them)

Now that you know how they work, let’s look at why geofeeds are so useful:

Fewer Incorrect Locations

Stop getting support tickets from users asking, "Why does your service think I’m in the wrong country?" Geofeeds let you proactively fix these issues.

Better Localization & UX

Ensure users see the right content, currency, and language — without needing to manually override locations in your app.

Less Fraud & Fewer False Positives

Incorrect geolocation can lead to logins being flagged or blocked unnecessarily. Accurate IP data helps avoid this.

Faster Corrections

Instead of waiting weeks for a geolocation provider to update your IPs manually, a geofeed lets them ingest your data automatically.

Less Support Overhead

Publishing a geofeed reduces the burden on your support team and your users.

Where to Find Existing Geofeeds

For service operators looking to improve their geolocation data, various resources and tools are available to help you find geofeeds:

  • CAIDA Datasets: The Center for Applied Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA) offers a comprehensive collection of datasets, including geofeeds scanned and collected from WHOIS data. Explore their datasets here.
  • Geofeed-Finder: This utility discovers and retrieves geofeed files from WHOIS data, validates ownership of prefixes, manages caching, and ensures ISO code compliance. Access the tool on GitHub: geofeed-finder.
  • OpenGeoFeed: A free service designed to assist in managing geofeeds. It allows network operators to announce geolocation information for their IP address ranges securely. Learn more at OpenGeoFeed.

Conclusion

If you're managing IP space, a geofeed is one of the easiest, most powerful tools for improving the accuracy of IP geolocation. It’s simple to set up, easy to update, and widely supported by the industry.

By publishing your geofeed and submitting it to providers like IPLocate, you're making the internet just a little more accurate — for you and your users.

Have a geofeed? Submit it on our corrections page

Need an IP Geolocation API? Try IPLocate.io — trusted, fast, and accurate.