Migrating from Google Geolocation & Timezone

Migrate from Google Geolocation API and Time Zone API to Woosmap — IP-based location, GDPR-compliant, and timezone in one call.

Unlike the other migrations, this one isn’t a namespace swap — the approach is different.

Google requires the client to collect cell tower or WiFi data and POST it. Woosmap locates users by IP address with a simple GET — no device data touches your servers.

IP geolocation resolves to city level — enough for store preference, content localization, currency selection, or timezone detection. No personal device data is collected, so no GDPR concerns around device identifiers.

Geolocation

Shell
        # Google Maps (POST with device data)
curl -X POST "https://www.googleapis.com/geolocation/v1/geolocate?key=YOUR_GOOGLE_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"wifiAccessPoints": [{"macAddress": "00:25:9c:cf:1c:ac", "signalStrength": -65}]}'

# Woosmap — client-side (IP detected automatically)
curl "https://api.woosmap.com/geolocation/position/?key=YOUR_PUBLIC_KEY"

# Woosmap — server-side (explicit IP)
curl "https://api.woosmap.com/geolocation/position/?ip_address=173.79.254.254&private_key=YOUR_PRIVATE_KEY"
Aspect Google Woosmap
Method POST with device data GET, no body
Data collected Cell tower / WiFi MAC addresses IP address only
Accuracy Street-level (with good device data) City-level
Response Coordinates + accuracy radius Coordinates, city, country, timezone, etc.
Privacy Collects device identifiers No personal device data

A nice side effect: Woosmap returns city, region, postal code, country and timezone in that single call. With Google you’d chain three APIs (Geolocation + Reverse Geocoding + Time Zone) to get the same data.

Timezone

If you need timezone for arbitrary coordinates (not the current user), the two APIs are almost identical:

Shell
        # Google Maps
curl "https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/timezone/json?location=48.8566,2.3522&timestamp=1708440298&key=YOUR_GOOGLE_KEY"

# Woosmap
curl "https://api.woosmap.com/geolocation/timezone/?location=48.8566,2.3522&timestamp=1708440298&key=YOUR_PUBLIC_KEY"

Same data, just snake_case instead of camelCase:

Field Google Maps Woosmap
Timezone ID timeZoneId timezone_id
Timezone name timeZoneName timezone_name
UTC offset (sec) rawOffset raw_offset
DST offset (sec) dstOffset dst_offset

⚠️ timestamp is optional in Woosmap (defaults to now) but required in Google. And if you’re already calling the geolocation endpoint, timezone comes included — you may not need this endpoint at all.

‹ Timezone Details Overview ›
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