Personator Consumer:Request

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A request consists of a protocol to make a call to the service, detailing desired elements. The minimum required elements in a request are your License Key (Customer ID) and the fields listed as Required below.

Personator allows for inputting data using either discrete/individual columns, or with single string input using Free Form. The web service supports JSON, JSONP, REST, SOAP, and XML protocols.

Field Names

This is a list of the request field names and their protocol naming conventions.

Field Name	REST	JSON/XML
Transmission Reference	t	TransmissionReference
License Key	id	CustomerID
Actions	act	Actions
Columns	cols	Columns
Options	opt	Options
First Name	first	FirstName
Last Name	last	LastName
Full Name	full	FullName
Company Name	comp	CompanyName
Address Line 1	a1	AddressLine1
Address Line 2	a2	AddressLine2
City	city	City
State	state	State
Postal Code	postal	PostalCode
Country	ctry	Country
Last Line	lastline	LastLine
Email	email	Email
Phone	phone	Phone
Free Form	ff	Freeform
Format	format	Format

Request Elements

The following elements set the basic options for each request. These apply to the entire request, not the individual records.

Transmission Reference

Optional.

This is a string value that serves as a unique identifier for this set of records. It is returned as sent.

Protocol	Syntax
JSON	"TransmissionReference":"string"
REST	?t = string
SOAP/XML	<TransmissionReference>string</TransmissionReference>

License Key

Required.

This is a string value containing the License Key issued to the customer by Melissa for the web service.

If this element is absent, the web service will return an error. To receive a License Key, please contact your Melissa sales representative at 1-800-MELISSA.

Protocol	Syntax
JSON	"CustomerID":"string"
REST	&id = string
SOAP/XML	<CustomerID>string</CustomerID>

Actions

Required.

Specifies the actions. See the actions below for more information.

Protocol	Syntax
JSON	"Actions":"string"
REST	&act = string
SOAP/XML	<Actions>string</Actions>

List actions in the following format, with multiple actions delimited with a "," or ";".

Syntax
Action,Action

Check

The Check action will validate the individual input data pieces for validity and correct them if possible. If the data is correctable, additional information will often be appended as well. US and Canada only.

Action Name	Parameter
Check	Check

Check(Address)

US and Canada only. Check (Address) will only be processed if the following is true: AddressLine1 is not empty Both City and State are not empty or PostalCode is not empty.

AddressLine1 and AddressLine2 Request

AddressLine1 and AddressLine2 may each contain a full address. If both addresses are verified as valid, both are returned as inputted. If AddressLine1 has an invalid address and AddressLine2 has a valid address, the return order is switched. This returns the valid address previously in AddressLine2 into AddressLine1. Conversely, the invalid address in AddressLine1 will be returned in AddressLine2. Alternatively, AddressLine2 may contain a suite number for AddressLine1. The suite information will be cleared from AddressLine2 and placed under its own field in the output.

Geocode

If an address is verifiable, you can choose to geocode it. You will have the geocoding information appended (depending on your license). Geocoding is available for US and Canada.

To use Geocode, you must have the geocode columns on: GrpCensus or GrpGeocode.

Geodetic System

The GeoCoder Object uses WGS 84 standard, an Earth-centered, Earth-fixed terrestrial reference system and geodetic datum.

Geocode level

Your license will determine what geocode level you are allowed. If your license only has address checking enabled, you can geocode to 5 digits. If your license only has GeoCode enabled, you can geocode to 9 digits. If your license has GeoPoints enabled, you can geocode to 11 digits.

Geocode requires the results returned from the Web service.

Check (Phone)

US and Canada only. Check (Phone) will only be processed if the PhoneNumber input has a value.

Check (Email)

US and Canada only. Check (Email) will only be processed if the EmailAddress input has a value.

Check (Name)

US and Canada only. Check (FullName) will only be processed if the FullName or FirstName input has a value.

Verify

The Verify action will return to you the relationships between your different input data pieces. It can show you if your name, address, email, and phone number are correlated (belonging to the same person) or not.

Action Name	Parameter
Verify	Verify

Verify (Address, Phone, Email)

The type of search performed is dependent upon your defined centric piece of information.

Move

The Move action will return the latest address for an individual or business if a previous address was entered. Move requires either a Last Name and Address, or a Business/Company Name and Address as inputs.

Move also returns results codes that help identify which addresses were updated with a move.

Action Name	Parameter
Move	Move

Append

The Append action will return elements based on the selected point of centricity which can either be the address, email or phone. For example, an address centric Append will return the name, company, phone and email associated with the given address.

Action Name	Parameter
Append	Append

Append (Address, Phone, Email)

The appended information is dependent upon your defined centric piece of information.

Options

Optional.

Specifies the options. See the options below for more information.

Protocol	Syntax
REST	&opt = string

List options in the following format, with multiple options delimited with a ";".

Syntax
OptionName:Parameter;OptionName:Parameter

UsePreferredCity

Check(Address)

For every city in the United States, there is an official name that is preferred by the U.S. Postal Service. There may be one or more unofficial or “vanity” names in use. Normally, Personator allows you to verify addresses using known vanity names. If the usePreferredCity is set to on, Personator will substitute the preferred city name for all vanity names when it verifies an address.

Option Name	Parameter	Description
UsePreferredCity	on	Will substitute the preferred city name for all vanity names.
	off	Default. No substitution will occur.

Diacritics

Check(Address)

Determines whether or not French language characters are returned. If set to auto, those characters are only returned if they are in the input.

Option Name	Parameter	Description
Diacritics	on	Will return diacritics.
	off	No diacritics returned.
	auto	Default. Diacritics only returned if in the input.

AdvancedAddressCorrection

Check(Address)

Uses the name input to perform more advanced address corrections. This can correct or append house numbers, street names, cities, states, and ZIP codes.

Option Name	Parameter	Description
AdvancedAddressCorrection	on	Will use name input to perform advanced address corrections.
	off	Default. No advanced address corrections will occur.

LongAddressFormat

Check(Address)

This function controls how Personator handles the abbreviations of suffixes and directionals when standardizing a street address. Setting this option to on will spell out any suffix and directional abbreviations (Ave to Avenue). Setting this option to auto will preserve the suffix and directional as they were entered. In auto mode, if a spelled out “avenue” is entered, we will keep the suffix spelled out and vice versa.

Option Name	Parameter	Description
LongAddressFormat	on	Will spell out suffixes and directional abbreviations.
	off	Default. Will abbreviate suffixes and directionals.
	auto	Will preserve suffixes and directionals as entered.

CorrectSyntax

Check(Email)

If set to on, corrects the syntax of the Email field.

Option Name	Parameter	Description
CorrectSyntax	on	Default. Will correct the syntax of the Email field.
	off	No corrections will occur.

UpdateDomain

Check(Email)

If set to on, determines whether the domain name is out of date and updates it.

Option Name	Parameter	Description
UpdateDomain	on	Default. Will update the domain if it is out of date.
	off	No updates will occur.

DatabaseLookup

Check(Email)

If set to on, verification of domain names will be attempted using a database of valid domains.

Option Name	Parameter	Description
DatabaseLookup	on	Default. Will attempt to verify domain names.
	off	No verification will occur.

StandardizeCasing

Check(Email)

If set to on, changes all letters in the Email field to lower case before any checking occurs.

Option Name	Parameter	Description
StandardizeCasing	on	Default. Will standardize all letters to lower case.
	off	No case changes will occur.

CorrectFirstName

Check(Name)

If set to on, allows common spelling corrections for the FirstName field.

Option Name	Parameter	Description
CorrectFirstName	on	Default. Will perform spelling corrections on the FirstName field.
	off	No spelling corrections will occur.

StandardizeCompany

Check(Name)

If set to on, the CompanyName field will be returned with standard abbreviation, capitalization, and punctuation rules applied.

Option Name	Parameter	Description
StandardizeCompany	on	Default. Will perform standard abbreviation, capitalization, and punctuation on the CompanyName field.
	off	No changes will occur.

NameHint

Check(Name)

Sets the name hint for the input name.

Option Name	Parameter	Description
NameHint	varying	Default. If necessary, statistical logic will be employed to determine name order, with no bias toward either name order.
	definitelyfull	Name will always be treated as normal name order, regardless of formatting or punctuation.
	verylikelyfull	Name will be treated as normal name order unless inverse order is clearly indicated by formatting or punctuation.
	probablyfull	If necessary, statistical logic will be employed to determine name order, with a bias toward normal name order.
	probablyinverse	If necessary, statistical logic will be employed to determine name order, with a bias toward inverse name order.
	verylikelyinverse	Name will be treated as inverse name order unless normal order is clearly indicated by formatting or punctuation.
	definitelyinverse	Name will always be treated as inverse name order, regardless of formatting or punctuation.
	mixedfirstname	Name field is expected to only contain prefixes, first, and middle names.
	mixedlastname	Name field is expected to only contain last names and suffixes.

GenderPopulation

Check(Name)

Sets the gender balance of the source data, either predominantly male, female, or mixed (evenly split).

Option Name	Parameter	Description
GenderPopulation	mixed	Default. Sets source data gender balance to mixed.
	male	Sets source data gender balance to predominantly male.
	female	Sets source data gender balance to predominantly female.

GenderAggression

Check(Name)

Sets how aggressive genderization is for neutral first names.

Option Name	Parameter	Description
GenderAggression	neutral	Default. Gender agression is neutral.
	conservative	Gender aggression is conservative.
	aggressive	Gender aggression is aggressive.

MiddleNameLogic

Check(Name)

Determines the handling of middle names.

• ParseLogic: Middle names that are typically last names are considered to be part of a hyphenated last name.
• HypenatedLast: The middle word is assumed to be part of the last name.

For Example: "Matthew Edward Jones" is treated as "Matthew Edward-Jones."

• MiddleName: The middle word is assumed to be a middle name.

For example: "Matthew Svensson Jones." "Svensson" would be considered a middle name instead of part of the last name.

Option Name	Parameter	Description
MiddleNameLogic	parselogic	Default. Middle name typically a last name is assumed to be a hypenated last name.
	hyphenatedlast	Middle word assumed to be part of the last name.
	middlename	Middle word assumed to be a middle name.

SalutationFormat

Check(Name)

Sets the salutation format for the response.

• Formal: Dear Mr. Smith
• Informal: Dear John
• First/Last: Dear John Smith

Option Name	Parameter	Description
SalutationFormat	formal	Default. Sets the salutation format to formal.
	informal	Sets the salutation format to informal.
	firstlast	Sets the salutation format to first/last.

CentricHint

Verify(Address, Phone, Email)

When set to Auto, it first uses Address if available, followed by Phone if no Address is available, and lastly Email if neither Address nor Phone are available. Use this to tell the service which piece of information to use as the primary pivot when verifying information.

Option Name	Parameter	Description
CentricHint	auto	Default. Will use Address, Phone, then Email as a primary pivot.
	address	Will use Address as a primary pivot.
	phone	Will use Phone as a primary pivot.
	email	Will use Email as a primary pivot.

CentricHint

Append(Address, Phone, Email)

When set to Auto, it first uses Address if available, followed by Phone if no Address is available, and lastly Email if neither Address nor Phone are available. Use this to tell the service which piece of information to use as the primary point of reference when appending data.

Option Name	Parameter	Description
CentricHint	auto	Default. Will use Address, Phone, then Email as a primary pivot.
	address	Will use Address as a primary pivot.
	phone	Will use Phone as a primary pivot.
	email	Will use Email as a primary pivot.

Append

Append(Address, Phone, Email)

Setting this option to Blank will cause the service to return information only when the input address, phone, email, name or company is blank.

Setting this option to CheckError will cause the service to return information when there are errors to either the address, phone, email, name or company. What an error entails are defined as follows:

• Address Error: If the input address was not found in the database, was not at the least partially verified, or could not be corrected. (does not contain AS01, AS02, or AS03).

• Phone Error: If the input phone number was not matched to either the 10 digit or 7 digit level at the least. (does not contain PS01 or PS02).

• Email Error: If the input email address was not found in the database, or if the email is unconfirmed. (does not contain ES01 or ES03).

• Name Error: If the input name did not parse successfully (does not contain NS01)

• Company Error: If the input company was blank.

Setting the Append option to Always will cause the service to return information all the time, regardless of whether the input address, phone, email, name or company is blank or incorrect.

Option Name	Parameter	Description
Append	blank	Default. Returns information when the input field is blank.
	checkerror	Returns information when there are errors.
	always	Always returns information.

MoveConfidence

Move(Address, Name)

Setting the Move Confidence to strict allow only for returning high confidence move addresses that are reliable and accurate. This will also decrease the total number of moves returned.

Setting the Move Confidence to loose allows for returning all possible moves, including lower probability move addresses.

Option Name	Parameter	Description
MoveConfidence	strict	Returns only high confidence moves.
	loose	Default. Returns all possible moves.

Columns

Optional.

Specifies which column(s) to be output as a column delimited string.

Protocol	Syntax
REST	&cols = string

Entering the column name will return the column. Specifying a group name will return all columns in the group.

Field Name	Default Group	Groups	GrpAll
FullName	[DEFAULT] Returned by default.	N/A	GrpAll
FirstName
LastName
AddressLine1		PreviousAddress
Suite
City
State
PostalCode
Plus4
MelissaAddressKey
MelissaAddressKeyBase
Phone	N/A	Phone
Email		Email
MoveDate		MoveDate
DateOfDeath		DateOfDeath
DateOfBirth		DateOfBirth

Free Form

Optional.

Accepts delimited or undelimited free form input. This will be parsed by the service.

Protocol	Syntax
REST	&ff = string

Full Name

Recommended.

The full name.

Protocol	Syntax
REST	&full = string

First Name

Optional.

The first name.

Protocol	Syntax
REST	&first = string

Last Name

Optional.

The last name.

Protocol	Syntax
REST	&last = string

Address Line 1

Optional.

The input field for the address. This should contain the delivery address information (house number, street, building, suite, etc.) but should not contain locality information (city, state, postal code, etc.) which have their own inputs.

Protocol	Syntax
REST	&a1 = string

City

Optional.

The city.

Protocol	Syntax
REST	&city = string

State

Optional.

The US state.

Protocol	Syntax
REST	&state = string

Postal Code

Optional.

The postal code.

Protocol	Syntax
REST	&postal = string

Phone Number

Optional.

The phone number.

Protocol	Syntax
REST	&phone = string

Email Address

Optional.

The email address.

Protocol	Syntax
REST	&email = string

Melissa Address Key (MAK)

Optional.

A propietary unique key identifier for an address.

Protocol	Syntax
REST	&mak = string

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