How do you use geolocation in Adalo?
Store location values, compare distance, and design a location-aware list without confusing addresses with plain text.
We checked current official documentation, captured the relevant screens, and compared the workflow with dated Adalo forum reports. Source links and limitations are below so you can judge the evidence directly.
Use an Adalo Location property for places you need to search by distance. Capture or select a location, store it on the relevant record, and use location-aware filtering or display values such as the full address.
Use a Location property when the app needs geographic meaning; a plain address string cannot power a distance comparison. Test with two known places and an intentionally wide radius before tuning the real experience. Because location permission is optional, nearby search must also define what happens when the user declines or the current position is unavailable.
The intended outcome
Records with valid location data that can support nearby results and human-readable addresses.
Requirements
- A collection with a Location property
- Location permission when current device location is used
- Records containing real location values
Step by step
- 01
Use the correct property type
Add a Location property rather than storing the address only as text. Location sub-properties can expose values such as Full Address.
- 02
Capture a location
Populate the Location property through the appropriate location or address input in your current builder flow.
- 03
Confirm the stored value
Inspect sample records before debugging the interface. A missing location cannot produce useful nearby results.
- 04
Display the address
Bind visible text to the record’s Location → Full Address or another relevant location sub-property.
- 05
Apply the location rule
Use the available location operator, such as within a distance, with a known reference location.
- 06
Handle permission and empties
Provide a manual alternative if device location is unavailable and exclude or label records with missing locations.
The underlying logic
A formatted address is presentation; a Location property carries geographic meaning used by location operators.
Nearby results require two valid points: the record location and the reference location.
Location permission is a user choice, so the experience needs a fallback.
Data model
| Collection | Important properties | Relationships |
|---|---|---|
| Places | Name, Location, Address label | Optionally belongs to one owner or category |
What changed?
- The refreshed answer separates human-readable addresses from geographic Location values.
Common failure modes
The nearby list is empty
Check that both stored records and the reference value are real Location values, then temporarily widen the distance.
The address displays as empty
Verify the record has a location and bind to the correct location sub-property, such as Full Address.
Device location is unavailable
Explain why it is needed, request permission in context, and offer a typed location or broader results.
Testing checklist
A wide distance returns the known nearby sample record and excludes a distant record.
Denied location permission reveals a manual location or unfiltered fallback.
A record without a location never causes a broken or misleading result.
Location values exist in sample records
The app handles denied permission
The distance unit is clear
A broad-distance test returns expected records
Missing locations have a defined state
Current limitations
- Location results depend on permission, valid stored Location values, and platform support.
Screenshot evidence
These captures document what Adalo currently publishes and what builders are reporting. They support the written guidance, but they are not a substitute for an end-to-end test in your own app.
What the Adalo community is reporting
These are concise editorial summaries of public forum posts—not endorsements or independently reproduced results.
Display users depending on the distance
A builder reports using the Location field to show tutors within 10 km of a client location without a custom distance formula.
Boundary: The same thread says the example uses static residence locations and does not establish real-time moving-location behavior.
eduscvs · April 2025Sources and status
This page was last reviewed on Aug 12, 2026. Its current status is Verified from current public evidence.
Verification owner: Adalocado editorial. Next review: Oct 12, 2026.
Changelog
Added official location captures and an April 2025 distance-filtering forum report.
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