---
title: "nearest places · RUAL Documentation"
description: "Finds the nearest points of interest to a geo point, ordered by distance, with the distance to each in metres. Leave max distance empty for an unbounded…"
canonical: https://docs.rual.nl/block-types/places/places_nearest
language: en
---

# nearest places

This block is part of the [`places`](https://docs.rual.nl/block-types/places) group and was last modified in core [`v15.0.0`](https://docs.rual.nl/core-versions/150000).

Finds the nearest points of interest to a geo point, ordered by distance, with the distance to each in metres. Leave `max distance` empty for an unbounded search : because you get distances back rather than a yes/no, you can apply any radius afterwards without querying again, which is what makes a free-choice radius slider possible. Data is Overture Maps Places; see `places_dataset_info` for the release, and note that counts are indicative rather than a register.

- geo point required `v15.0.0` `geo_point` Point to search from.

- categories `v15.0.0` `array` Array or comma-separated list of category groups. Accepts group ids (`primary_education`) or Dutch synonyms (`basisschool`, `kroegen`). Empty searches every category. Use `places_categories` to list them.

- max results `v15.0.0` `number` Maximum number of results. Empty uses 10.

- max distance (m) `v15.0.0` `number` Ignore anything beyond this distance in metres. Empty or 0 searches without a distance limit.

- min confidence `v15.0.0` `number` Drop results below this Overture confidence (0–1). The signal is **uncalibrated** : median 0.80 across the Dutch dataset : so filtering may hide coverage as easily as it removes noise. Empty applies no filter.

- dedup `v15.0.0` `condition` Collapse duplicate records for the same real place. On by default: Overture is not conflated, so one station can appear three times under name variants (`Station Breda Centraal`, `Gare de Bréda`, `NS Station Breda`). Merged results report `merged_count` and `merged_names`.

- results `v15.0.0` `array` Matching places. Each carries `id`, `name`, `category_group`, `geo_point`, `distance_m`, `confidence`, `address`, `website`, `phone` and `merged_count`.

- nearest `v15.0.0` `object` The first result, for convenience. Empty when nothing matched.

- nearest distance (m) `v15.0.0` `number` Distance to the nearest match in metres. Empty when nothing matched.

- count `v15.0.0` `number` Number of results returned.

- success `v15.0.0` `condition` True when the query ran. An empty result is still a success.

- error `v15.0.0` `value` Error code when the query could not run: `PLACES_NOT_AVAILABLE`, `GEO_POINT_MISSING_LAT_OR_LON`.

### Core Releases