Open floor Q&A with Smarty developers: A webinar recap

Let's be honest, when it comes to addresses, “'close enough” just isn't good enough. 

At our recent panel discussion with Smarty’s product team members, we really dug deep into what makes address validation work and why it's so crucial for businesses. The themes spanned from Google Maps myths to international quirks, from “non-postal” mysteries to best practices for keeping databases clean.

Why Google isn’t the benchmark

One of the most common statements we hear from other business owners is the “but Google Maps says…” objection. 

Smarty’s panel made a key distinction: Google Maps is for getting around, not for telling you if an address actually exists. 

Where Google often stretches to give users something as a response (even if it’s inaccurate), Smarty is designed to say yes or no, confidently. 

In logistics, healthcare, ecommerce, and compliance, a clear “no” is more valuable than a misleading “maybe.”

The balancing act of corrections

Correcting addresses sounds simple until you realize how slippery “almost right” data can be. 

Fixing a typo like “Stret” to “Street” is straightforward. 

Expanding “St.” to “Street” is safe. 

But what about changing “East” to “West,” or deciding if “09 Main Street” is the same as “9 Main Street”? 

Those are judgment calls; making the wrong one can corrupt your data, which is why we don’t tell you if an address is deliverable, and why we want YOU to be the one who makes those business decisions. Smarty CAN, however, tell you when and why something changed in order to give you an address match.

Smarty’s documentation explains how its US Address Verification API applies a tiered system of parsing, standardizing, and validating input against authoritative datasets. Small adjustments—like abbreviations, casing, or minor misspellings—are automatically corrected. Larger shifts, such as swapping city or state names, are rejected. With this philosophy, you can ensure that a returned result isn’t just a plausible address, but the correct address.

The system dives deeper than just USPS data, accessing over 210 million US addresses, including 20 million that USPS doesn’t list. That breadth helps prevent false positives and allows Smarty to return a confident “no match” when necessary, instead of forcing input to fit into an incorrect postal mold.

Additionally, our corrections engine also leverages SmartyKey®, a persistent, unique identifier that links address aliases. This allows businesses to spot duplicates even if one record lists “123 Main Street Apt 2” and another has “123 Main St #2.” 

By anchoring variations to a single identity, Smarty helps organizations keep databases clean without over-correcting.

And what you get is a balance: be helpful with small fixes, strict with major ones, and always prioritize accuracy over “close enough.” This balance gives users confidence that when Smarty says an address is valid, it truly is.

Autocomplete: a different purpose

Autocomplete is often confused with validation, but its purpose is distinct. It’s a front-end tool designed to guide users in selecting the correct address from a populated list of addresses as they type, reducing friction and errors before they click “submit.”

Smarty’s US Address Autocomplete API provides suggestions after just one keystroke, cutting up to 80% of the typing typically required. Most customers can find their correct address within 5 keystrokes. Every option in the dropdown is already a verified, mailable address formatted to USPS standards, which means users can’t accidentally select an invalid option.

This type-ahead interaction has measurable benefits:

• Speed: Faster checkouts and form fills keep users engaged.
• Accuracy: Only valid addresses appear, ensuring clean data at entry.
• Reduced costs: Fewer typos and mismatches mean fewer failed deliveries, returns, and customer service headaches.
• Better experience: Localized suggestions appear first, making it easier for users to find what they need.

Used correctly, autocomplete complements validation. It’s about prevention at the input stage, while validation ensures addresses remain accurate over time. Together, they form a one-two punch for keeping databases clean and ensuring smooth customer interactions.

International nuances and perpetual growth

International address data is never one-size-fits-all. Every country formats addresses differently, uses unique character sets, and updates records quickly. That complexity can lead to costly mistakes for your business if you're shipping or verifying across borders.

Smarty’s International Address Verification API standardizes addresses in all 250 countries and territories, formatting them according to each country’s official postal guidelines. Whether a street number precedes the name in Germany or a Dutch address begins with an apostrophe, Smarty ensures that the returned result is valid, standardized, and localized.

Beyond formatting, the tool also:

• Supports multiple languages and Unicode, handling non-Latin alphabets like Chinese, Arabic, and Cyrillic.
• Cleanses and deduplicates databases, making it easier to merge global customer records.
• Reduces fraud and compliance risks by validating customer data at entry.
• Cuts costs by lowering failed deliveries, chargebacks, and service overhead.

And the accuracy improves over time. Smarty works continuously with upstream data sources to refine coverage, add new formats, and keep pace with address changes worldwide. 

Companies using these tools see measurable impact. 

For example, implementing international autocomplete and validation can reduce cart abandonment, accelerate shipping times, and improve customer trust, turning complex global logistics into a smoother customer experience.

The value of non-postal addresses

Not all valid addresses receive mail. The USPS is a delivery service, not a universal address authority. A cabin in the Rockies, a city parking lot, or an empty development lot may never see a mail carrier, but they’re still confirmed, valid addresses where mail might need to be shipped. 

Real estate developers, utilities, insurers, and municipalities depend on non-postal data. Smarty really goes the extra mile to curate this information because, let's face it, sticking to postal-only means you're missing out on a ton of value.

Best practices for address databases

Address data isn’t static. Streets get renamed, buildings are demolished, new developments are created, and postal authorities adjust delivery boundaries (they like the power?). Organizations need a layered approach that blends prevention with ongoing maintenance to keep customer databases accurate and valuable.

Smarty recommends three best practices:

1. Start with clean input.
   Use US Address Autocomplete or International Address Autocomplete at the point of entry. This ensures users only select valid, correctly formatted addresses from the start, cutting keystrokes by up to 80% and drastically reducing typos and incomplete entries.
2. Enrich and validate with authoritative data.
   Run stored addresses through US Address Verification or International Address Verification. This confirms deliverability, applies standardized formatting, and adds metadata like geocodes, RDI (residential vs. business). You can also just use US Property Data, an enrichment product that unlocks over 350 property attributes, from lot size to mortgage information, giving companies deeper insights.
3. Maintain and refresh regularly.
   Smarty emphasizes that addresses are a “living document.” Just as email databases decay at a rate of 22% annually, physical addresses are constantly changing. Periodic cleansing with tools like bulk address validators or referencing the US Master Address List keeps records current. By refreshing databases against the latest authoritative sources, organizations avoid costly errors, lost shipments, and compliance risks.

Together, these practices create a cycle of prevention, enrichment, and maintenance—ensuring that databases stay reliable, consistent, and valuable across industries from healthcare to insurance to retail.

Understanding match codes

Two terms came up worth clarifying:

• DPV match codes are USPS-specific and tied to delivery validation.
   
• Enhanced match codes extend beyond USPS rules, offering more flexibility and human-readable insights into whether an address is valid, even if it doesn’t strictly adhere to postal definitions.

Final takeaway

Accurate address data isn't just a minor detail or a technical checkbox; it's the bedrock upon which efficient operations, unwavering customer trust, and sustainable business growth are built.

As our panel of expert developers highlighted, whether you're navigating the intricate variations of international addresses, tackling the unique challenges of non-postal locations, or simply striving to keep your customer databases fresh and reliable, the core principles remain constant. 

Feel free to view the whole webinar here.

The key lies in validating with absolute confidence, making corrections with meticulous care, and never underestimating the profound power of a clear, definitive "no" when an address simply isn't valid. By embracing a layered approach that blends proactive prevention with ongoing maintenance, businesses can transform address data from a potential liability into a strategic asset, ensuring smoother logistics, reduced costs, and ultimately, a superior customer experience that fosters loyalty and drives success.