Input Formatting and Best Practices
Supported Input Formats
The tool supports three separator styles. You can mix and match within the same batch, though we recommend keeping a consistent format.
Format 1: Tab-Separated (Recommended)
Separate the origin and destination with a tab character. This is the native format when copying data from spreadsheet software like Excel or Google Sheets.
123 Main St, Chicago, IL 60601[TAB]456 Oak Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202
100 Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA 30303[TAB]200 Magnolia Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35203
When to use: When copying rows from a spreadsheet where origin and destination are in separate columns. Simply select both columns and paste directly into the tool.
Format 2: Comma-Separated
Separate the origin and destination with a comma. The tool uses smart parsing to distinguish address-internal commas from the pair separator.
123 Main St Chicago IL, 456 Oak Ave Milwaukee WI
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington DC, 1 Infinite Loop Cupertino CA
Smart comma parsing: The tool detects the separator comma by analyzing the structure of each line. To help it parse correctly when using comma-separated input, omit commas within the addresses (e.g., use Chicago IL instead of Chicago, IL) or switch to tab or pipe format.
When to use: When your data source naturally produces comma-separated pairs and addresses do not contain internal commas.
Format 3: Pipe-Separated
Separate the origin and destination with a pipe character (|).
123 Main St, Chicago, IL 60601 | 456 Oak Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500 | 350 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10118
When to use: When your addresses contain commas (which would otherwise conflict with comma-separated format). Pipe is the cleanest separator to use with full address notation including city, state, and ZIP.
Address Format Recommendations
Google Maps is quite flexible in what it accepts, but following these guidelines will maximize your match rate.
Full Street Address (Best)
Include street number, street name, city, state, and ZIP code:
4321 Commerce Dr, Dallas, TX 75201
City + State (Acceptable for Long-Distance Calculations)
If you only need the distance between cities, a city/state combination works:
Dallas, TX | Houston, TX
Landmarks and Business Names
Google Maps can resolve well-known landmarks and businesses:
O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, IL | Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Detroit, MI
For lesser-known businesses, include the street address for reliability.
What to Avoid
| Avoid | Use Instead | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Abbreviations only (e.g., "CHI") | City name + state | Google may not recognize abbreviations |
| P.O. Box addresses | Street address | P.O. Boxes do not have drivable locations |
| Intersections without a city | Full intersection + city | Intersections need geographic context |
| Vague descriptions ("the warehouse on Elm") | Street address | Google needs structured address data |
Handling Addresses with Commas
If your addresses contain commas (standard US notation like "Chicago, IL"), using comma-separated format can cause parsing errors. Use one of these approaches:
Option 1: Use Pipe Separators
Replace the pair separator with a pipe (|):
123 Main St, Chicago, IL 60601 | 456 Oak Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Option 2: Use Tab Separators
Copy from a spreadsheet where origin and destination are in separate columns. The tab character does not appear inside addresses, so there is no ambiguity.
Option 3: Remove Commas from Addresses
If pipe or tab are not options, you can remove the commas within addresses:
123 Main St Chicago IL 60601, 456 Oak Ave Milwaukee WI 53202
Google Maps handles addresses without internal commas in most cases.
Batch Size Limits
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum pairs per batch | 100 |
| Minimum pairs per batch | 1 |
Processing time by batch size:
| Pairs | Approximate Time |
|---|---|
| 1-10 | 2-5 seconds |
| 11-50 | 5-15 seconds |
| 51-100 | 15-30 seconds |
Tips for Best Results
Use Full Addresses When Possible
The more specific the address, the better the match rate. A full address including ZIP code is ideal:
Good: 4321 Commerce Dr, Dallas, TX 75201
OK: 4321 Commerce Dr, Dallas, TX
Poor: 4321 Commerce Dr, Dallas
Include State Abbreviations
State abbreviations help Google resolve addresses when multiple cities share the same name:
Good: Springfield, IL | Springfield, MO
Poor: Springfield | Springfield
Without state context, Google will attempt to resolve ambiguous city names but may pick the wrong one.
Verify Unusual Addresses Before Batching
If you have addresses in rural areas, new developments, or non-standard locations, verify them in Google Maps first. If they resolve in Google Maps, they will work in this tool.
Match Your Data Format to a Separator
Pick the separator style that naturally fits your data source:
- Spreadsheet data: Use tab (copy two columns from Excel/Sheets)
- Database exports with full addresses: Use pipe
- Simple city-to-city routes: Use comma (addresses are short, no internal commas)
Consistent Capitalization
Google Maps handles capitalization well, but consistent formatting makes it easier to spot errors in your input before submitting.
Common Errors and How to Fix Them
"Too many pairs - maximum is 100"
You have more than 100 lines in your input.
Fix: Split your list into chunks of 100 or fewer and process each chunk separately. Export each batch's results to CSV and combine them in a spreadsheet.
"Could not parse line X - missing separator"
The tool could not find a tab, comma, or pipe separator on a specific line.
Fix: Check line X in your input. It may be blank, or it may contain only one address without a separator. Either add the missing address/separator or remove the line.
"No input provided"
The input box was empty when you clicked Calculate.
Fix: Paste or type your address pairs before clicking the Calculate button.
Row returns "NOTFOUND" status
The tool processed the row but Google Maps could not locate one or both addresses.
Fix: See Understanding Status Codes in the Exporting and Using Your Results article. Common causes include typos, incomplete addresses, or P.O. Box addresses.
Row returns "ZERORESULTS" status
Google Maps found both addresses but could not calculate a driving route between them (e.g., they are on different islands with no road connection).
Fix: Verify the addresses are connected by drivable roads. If you need ferry or flight distances, this tool does not support those route types.
Results look wrong (distance seems too short or too long)
Possible causes:
- Address ambiguity: Google resolved the address to the wrong location. Check that you included enough detail (city, state) to distinguish the correct location.
- Wrong unit selected: Make sure you have Miles or Kilometers selected to match your expectations.
- Google routed through an unusual path: Google Maps optimizes for the fastest route, not always the most obvious one. Check the route in Google Maps directly if a result seems off.
Example Input Samples
Clean Tab-Separated Batch (Copy from Spreadsheet)
Origin Destination
123 Main St, Chicago, IL 60601 456 Oak Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53202
100 Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA 30303 200 Magnolia Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35203
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500 One Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014
(Note: The header row "Origin / Destination" will return an error and can be omitted or ignored.)
Pipe-Separated Batch with Full Addresses
4321 Commerce Dr, Dallas, TX 75201 | 1234 Industrial Blvd, Houston, TX 77002
88 Pine St, New York, NY 10005 | 500 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60661
3000 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo Park, CA 94025 | 1355 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103
City-to-City Comma-Separated Batch
Chicago IL, Milwaukee WI
Atlanta GA, Birmingham AL
Dallas TX, Houston TX
Denver CO, Salt Lake City UT
Related Articles
- Getting Started with the Driving Distance Calculator
- Exporting and Using Your Results