what3words is the simplest way to talk about location. It has divided the world into 3m x 3m squares, each with a unique 3 word address. It means that you can refer to any precise location – a delivery entrance, a picnic spot or a drone landing point – using just three words.

With the what3words for Excel, you can quickly and easily convert coordinates to what3words addresses and vice versa, translate what3words addresses into different languages, and get autosuggest results.

How it works

The what3words Excel Add-on enables a range of functions that allow users to convert coordinates into what3words addresses and vice-versa directly within Excel. Additionally, it offers language switching and AutoSuggest functions.

In essence, it is a user-friendly way to access the data validation and conversion capabilities of what3words API, ultimately allowing non-technical users to:

Convert location coordinates to three word addresses, and vice versa

Easily translate them in over 50 languages

Manage location data sets and plan activities around key locations within their organisation

Who is it useful for?

Users who manage large data sets, potentially in a postal, logistics or infrastructure management context. Particularly relevant to those with lower levels of sophistication, who are using tools like Excel rather than more complex databases to manage their information.

Useful for humanitarian/aid agencies etc. where data collection is likely to be relevantly primitive - as above, i.e. they just use easy tools rather than complex databases.

Custom Functions

Once you have installed the add-on, you will be prompted to enter your what3words API key. You can view existing keys in addition to setting up new keys at https://accounts.what3words.com/.

You will then be able to do the following:

Convert Coordinates to a 3 Word Address

=W3W.CONVERTTO3WA(lat, long, lang)

Here, just add the latitude and longitude of any location and the language to your sheet, and use this formula to convert them to the corresponding 3 word address.

For example: =W3W.CONVERTTO3WA(51.5207944, -0.1973824, "en") will return the 3 word address

“filer.chips.faces”

Convert a 3 Word Address to Coordinates

=W3W.CONVERTTOCOORD(address)

This enables you to convert any 3 word address into its corresponding latitude and longitude coordinates.

For example: =W3W.CONVERTTOCOORD("filled.count.soap") will return the coordinates

51.520847,-0.195521.

Translate a 3 Word Address into Another Language

=W3W.LANGUAGECHANGE(address, language)

This allows you to translate a 3 word address into another language. You can specify the target language to be translated into using the two-letter ISO code.

For example: =W3W.LANGUAGECHANGE("index.home.raft", "de") will translate the 3 word address ///index.home.raft into German, and return the result welche.tischtennis.bekannte.

Return an Autosuggest Result for an Incomplete 3 Word Address

=W3W.AUTOSUGGEST(address, rank)

This allows you to return an autosuggest result for an incomplete 3 word address, for example, “filled.count.so”. The rank specifies which result in the return results you would specifically like to receive.

For example: =W3W.AUTOSUGGEST("filled.count.so", 1) will return the first autosuggest result for the incomplete 3 word address “filled.count.so”. You can change the rank to return other autosuggest results.

Return an Autosuggest Result Focused on a Specific Location

=W3W.AUTOSUGGESTFOCUS(address, rank, lat, long)

You can also specify a precise location around which your autosuggest results should be focussed using latitude and longitude coordinates. This will mean that results closer to the location specified will rank higher.

For example: =W3W.AUTOSUGGESTFOCUS("index.home.ra", 1, 51.520847, -0.195521) will return the first autosuggest result for the incomplete 3 word address “index.home.ra” focused on the coordinates specified, which in this case would be “index.home.raft”.

Return an Autosuggest Result Within a Specified Country

=W3W.AUTOSUGGESTCOUNTRYCLIP(address, rank, country)

You can also specify the country using a two letter country code which will limit results to just the country specified.

For example: =W3W.AUTOSUGGESTCOUNTRYCLIP("filled.count.so", 1, "gb") will return the first autosuggest result for the incomplete 3 word address “filled.count.so”, with results being limited to Great Britain only. You can specify the country you would like to clip to using the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code.

Note: To use what3words for Excel you will need an API from what3words. You can get started using our free tier, and will need to upgrade to a paid plan if the usage exceeds that tier. More information on our plans can be found https://what3words.com/select-plan

If you encounter any problems or have any feedback at all, we’re here to help! Just write to us at support@what3words.com.

what3words for Excel

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