Amazon Location Service

Overview

Amazon Location Service provides geospatial APIs for maps, geocoding, routing, places search, geofencing, and tracking. Prefer the bundled JavaScript client (@aws/amazon-location-client) for web development and use resourceless API operations to avoid managing AWS resources.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Building location-aware web or mobile applications
• Working with Amazon Location Service projects
• Implementing maps, geocoding, routing, or places search
• Adding geofencing or device tracking functionality
• Integrating geospatial features into AWS applications

Do NOT use this skill for:

• Google Maps, Mapbox, or Leaflet-with-OSM projects (unless migrating to Amazon Location)
• Generic GIS operations without AWS context
• Non-AWS geospatial services

Amazon Location Service API Overview

Places (SDK: geo-places, JS: @aws-sdk/client-geo-places)

• Geocode (Forward/Reverse): Convert addresses to coordinates and vice versa
• Search (Text/Nearby): Find points of interest with contact and hours info
• Autocomplete: Predict addresses based on user input
• Suggest: Predict places and points of interest based on partial or misspelled user input
• Get Place: Retrieve place details by place ID

Maps (SDK: geo-maps, JS: @aws-sdk/client-geo-maps)

• Dynamic Maps: Interactive maps using tiles with MapLibre rendering
• Static Maps: Pre-rendered, non-interactive map images, good for including an image into a web page, or for thumbnail images

Routes (SDK: geo-routes, JS: @aws-sdk/client-geo-routes)

• Route calculation with traffic and distance estimation
• Service area/isoline creation
• Matrix calculations for multiple origins/destinations
• GPS trace alignment to road segments
• Route optimization (traveling salesman problem)

Geofences & Trackers (SDK: location, JS: @aws-sdk/client-location)

• Geofences: Detect entry/exit from geographical boundaries
• Trackers: Current and historical device location tracking

API Keys (SDK: location, JS: @aws-sdk/client-location)

• API Keys: Grant access to public applications without exposing AWS credentials

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors:

1. Using `Title` instead of `Address.Label` for display: In Autocomplete results, always display Address.Label. The Title field may show components in reverse order and is not suitable for user-facing text.

1. Using GetStyleDescriptor API for map initialization: MUST use direct URL passing to MapLibre (https://maps.geo.{region}.amazonaws.com/v2/styles/Standard/descriptor?key={apiKey}) instead of making GetStyleDescriptor API calls. The direct URL method is required for proper map rendering.

1. Forgetting `validateStyle: false` in MapLibre config: Always set validateStyle: false in the MapLibre Map constructor for faster map load times with Amazon Location styles.

1. Mixing resource-based and resourceless operations: When possible, prefer resourceless operations (direct API calls without pre-created resources) for simpler deployment and permissions.

1. Inconsistent API operation naming: Use the format service:Operation when referencing APIs (e.g., geo-places:Geocode, geo-maps:GetStyleDescriptor). SDK clients use @aws-sdk/client-* format.

1. Not handling nested Address objects correctly: The Address object from GetPlace contains nested objects (Region.Code, Region.Name, Country.Code2, etc.), not flat strings. Access nested properties correctly.

1. Wrong action names in API Key permissions: API key AllowActions use geo-maps:, geo-places:, geo-routes: prefixes (e.g., geo-places:Geocode, geo-routes:CalculateRoutes). Do NOT use SDK client names (@aws-sdk/client-geo-places) or IAM-style actions. See the Authentication and Permissions section for the complete list.

Defaults

Use these default choices unless the user explicitly requests otherwise:

• JavaScript SDK: Bundled client (CDN) for browser-only apps; npm modular SDKs (@aws-sdk/client-geo-\*) for React and build tool apps
• API operations: Resourceless for Maps/Places/Routes (Geofencing/Tracking always require pre-created resources)
• Authentication: API Key for Maps/Places/Routes; Cognito for Geofencing/Tracking
• Map style: Standard
• Coordinate format: [longitude, latitude] (GeoJSON order)

Override: User can specify "use Cognito for Maps/Places/Routes" or "use bundled client for React".

API Selection Guidance

Choose the right API for your use case:

Address Input & Validation

• Autocomplete → Type-ahead in address forms (partial input: "123 Main")
• GetPlace → Get full details after user selects autocomplete result (by PlaceId)
• Geocode → Validate complete user-typed address or convert address to coordinates

Finding Locations

• SearchText → General text search ("pizza near Seattle")
• SearchNearby → Find places near a coordinate (restaurants within 5km)
• Suggest → Predict places/POIs from partial or misspelled input
• Autocomplete → Address-specific predictions (not for general POI search)

Geocoding

• Geocode (Forward) → Address string → Coordinates
• ReverseGeocode → Coordinates → Address

Maps

• Dynamic Maps (tiles + MapLibre) → Interactive maps requiring pan, zoom, markers
• Static Maps (image) → Non-interactive map images for thumbnails or email

Routing

• CalculateRoutes → Single route between origin and destination
• CalculateRouteMatrix → Multiple origins/destinations travel times
• CalculateIsolines → Service areas (all locations reachable within time/distance)

LLM Context Files

When you need detailed API parameter specifications or service capabilities not covered in the reference files, fetch these llms.txt resources:

• Developer Guide: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/location/latest/developerguide/llms.txt
• API Reference: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/location/latest/APIReference/llms.txt

Key Guidance for Better Recommendations

Prefer the Bundled JavaScript Client for Web Development

For convenient web application development, Amazon Location Service provides a bundled JavaScript client that simplifies integration and provides optimized functionality without custom bundling. This bundled client includes all libraries required to build client side web applications with Amazon Location Service.

Features included in the bundled client:

• Enables direct pre-bundled dependency inclusion without custom bundle / build
• Simplified authentication and API integration
• TypeScript support with comprehensive type definitions
• Support for all Amazon Location SDKs

Included SDKs and Libraries:

• @aws-sdk/client-geo-maps
• @aws-sdk/client-geo-places
• @aws-sdk/client-geo-routes
• @aws-sdk/client-location
• @aws-sdk/credential-providers
• https://github.com/aws-geospatial/amazon-location-utilities-auth-helper-js

Resources:

• NPM Package: @aws/amazon-location-client
• GitHub Repository: aws-geospatial/amazon-location-client-js

Prefer Resourceless Operations

Amazon Location Places, Maps and Routes services offer both resource-based and resourceless API operations. Resourceless operations are often simpler and more appropriate for many use cases.

Resource-based operations require you to:

• Create and configure Amazon Location Service resources (maps, place indexes, route calculators)
• Manage resource lifecycle and permissions
• Handle resource naming and organization

Resourceless operations allow you to:

• Make API calls directly without pre-creating resources
• Reduce deployment complexity
• Simplify IAM permissions and API Key permissions

Authentication and Permissions