Here is one of our latest YouTube videos covering how to use the CDXLocateGoogle function! This tutorial walks you through geocoding latitude and longitude , reverse geocoding , and finding address information such as county name or postal code using the Google Maps API. Check out the video below now:

Did you know the CDXTech YouTube channel is packed with more helpful videos? From step-by-step tutorials on CDXZipStream features to advanced data analysis methods, our library keeps growing with the latest techniques to help you work smarter. Whether you’re a small business owner, logistics manager, or data enthusiast, there’s a video for you!

Don’t miss out on valuable tips, tricks, and updates from CDXTech. Be sure to like and subscribe to our YouTube channel so you’re the first to know about new features, product updates, and time-saving strategies. We appreciate your support as we continue to bring you cutting-edge solutions!

We’re pleased to announce that the CDXZipStream ACS data feeds have been updated with the latest U.S. Census Bureau releases. These data come from the American Community Survey (ACS), which surveys hundreds of thousands of addresses monthly. It is the largest and most detailed survey conducted by the U.S. Census. The new feeds are aggregated over the 2019–2023 period and are available in the CDXZipStream Premium ACS version.

The feeds updated include ACS State, County, ZIP codes (ZCTAs), places, CBSAs (Core-Based Statistical Areas), and Census Tract. For a full list of all fields included in these feeds, please download the CDXZipStream Data Feeds and Definitions file here.

How to Update if You Already Own CDXZipStream ACS Premium
1.    Ensure you have an active data maintenance contract.
2.    In Excel, select Account from the CDXZipStream menu.
3.    Click Check for Available Database Updates.
4.    Choose the option to update your premium database.

How to Purchase or Upgrade
•    If you do not have an active account, log in to your CDXTech.com account.
•    Under My Account, then Product Management, select "Buy Data Update" and purchase the Premium Maintenance contract.
•    If you need to upgrade your current version of CDXZipStream, select "Upgrade License" in the account area and choose the ACS version.
•    Upon purchase, the latest ACS data will be automatically included.

If you are only interested in the data we offer a complete US Zip Code data report for $99 with key ACS fields at the following link.

For any additional questions or assistance, please contact our support team at support@cdxtech.com.

If you're using CDXZipStream and want to leverage Google Maps services—like geocoding, routing or creating maps—you'll need to set up a Google Maps API key. This key is crucial as it allows your application to authenticate with Google's servers to access mapping data. This guide walks you through creating a Google Maps API key and setting it up in CDXZipStream.

Step 1: Setting Up Your Google Cloud Account

Before you can create an API key, you’ll need a Google Cloud Platform (GCP) account. Follow these steps if you haven't already created one:

1. Sign up for Google Cloud: Go to the Google Cloud Platform and sign up. A Gmail account and credit card is required for full access to the service. As of the writing, Google is offering a free trial for 90 days with a $300 credit, which can help you test out the Google Maps API before committing to a billing plan.  Google will not automatically charge your credit card after the trial period or when $300 is reached. You will need to re-enable the service to continue. After your trial, Google offers monthly billing plans with a $200 credit.
2. Create a New Project: In the Google Cloud Console, click on the Select a Project drop-down at the top, then select New Project. Give it a name that reflects the use of Google Maps with CDXZipStream.

Step 2: Enable the Google Maps API

Once you have a project set up, you’ll need to enable the necessary APIs:

1. Go to the API Library: In the Google Cloud Console, navigate to API & Services area
2. Enable the Required APIs: Click on “Enable APIs and Services”. For CDXZipStream to work correctly you need to enable 4 specific APIs. 
   
   All of the following APIs are required.  Use the search function to quickly find and enable APIs.
• Geocoding API: For address-to-coordinate conversion.
• Route API: For calculating distances between locations.
• Maps Static API: For embedding Google Maps graphics in Excel
• Directions API: For additional information about route details.
  You can also find these in the the “Maps” category section.
3. For each API, click on it and select Enable.  It may take several minutes for these changes to propagate to all of Google’s servers.

Step 3: Create an API Key

Now that the necessary APIs are enabled, you can create an API key.  Go to the Credentials Page: Navigate to API & Services > Credentials.

1. Click on "Create Credentials": Then Select API Key from the drop-down menu. Google will generate an API key for you.
2. Restrict Your API Key: For security, it’s a good practice to restrict your API key to specific services and IP addresses.  Click on the key shown to add restrictions.
3. Save Your Key: Copy the API key to a secure location, as you’ll need it for CDXZipStream.

Step 4: Enter the API Key in CDXZipStream

Now that you have your Google Maps API key, you can integrate it with CDXZipStream.

1. Open CDXZipStream: Launch Excel and go to the CDXZipStream tab.
2. Access Settings: Click on Settings within the CDXZipStream ribbon. Press the "Google API" settings button.
   .
3. Enter the API Key:
   In the dialog that appears, press the "Set Google API key" button.  Then paste in your Google Maps API key.
   
   
4. Test the Key: CDXZipStream will test the key that it is valid and that the correct Google services have been set up.  You will receive an error message if the correct APIs have not been enabled.  You can also press the "Check Google Api Services" button on the dialog above to see the status of the required API's.
   
   

Step 5: Start Using Google Maps API Functions in CDXZipStream

Once you’ve entered your API key, you can start using the Google Maps-based functionalities in CDXZipStream. Here are some of the tasks you can accomplish:

• Geocoding: Convert addresses to latitude and longitude with CDXLocateGoogle.
• Distance Calculations: Calculate distances or directions between locations using CDXRouteGoogle
• Mapping: Embed Maps with the right-click Google menu functions.

Additional Tips

• Monitor Your Usage: Google Maps services are typically billed based on usage. Google Cloud offers detailed usage reporting and budgeting tools to help you keep track of your API usage.
• API Limits: Keep in mind the rate limits and quotas associated with Google Maps APIs. If you exceed these limits, you may experience temporary access issues.

We have just released CDXZipStream version 6. As part of this, CDXZipStream now supports Google Maps for routing and geocoding. New custom Excel functions have been added named CDXRouteGoogle and CDXLocateGoogle. This addition complements our support of HERE Technologies, Caliper Maptitude and legacy support of Bing Maps.

This update provides our users with more options and flexibility to meet their diverse location analysis needs. CDXZipStream is the only location analysis product on the market supporting this range of mapping vendors.

All our Excel templates have also been updated to support Google Maps integration. This includes our templates for geocoding, routing, optimization and geographic access analysis.

Integrating Google Maps into CDXZipStream is straightforward:

1. Get a Google API key: Using your Google account, visit https://console.cloud.google.com to set up an API key..
2. Update Your CDXZipStream installation: Download and run our latest installation file. Once installed, reactivate your software.
3. Enter your API key: Using the CDXZipStream “Settings” menu in Excel, press “Google API Settings”. Then click “Set Google API key”, enter your API key and press OK.
4. Test and Deploy: Try the functions CDXLocateGoogle and CDXRouteGoogle to insure they are working as expected.

These features are available as part of our demo and full use is available for no cost to active registered users. If you do not see the new menu options for Google, please reactivate your CDXZipStream software using our website.

A free no obligation trial account is available from Google with $300 in free services for up to 90 days.  If you choose to continue, Google provides $200 per month in free services and economical pricing for additional use. For most routing and geocode requests over this amount the cost is $5 per thousand.  We also highly recommend that you set up a up a budget in the google maps console if overages are a concern.