QGIS may be used to visualize and map addresses if you have a CSV file with addresses in it. This article provides a detailed tutorial with step-by-step directions on how to geocode addresses using QGIS. Be sure QGIS is set up on your PC before beginning the course. QGIS is available for free.

Requirements
Make sure your addresses are saved in a CSV file that is UTF-8 structured before you begin geocoding using QGIS. There are two different categories of web services: OpenStreetMap and Google Maps.
It is strongly advised that you first register for a free API by going to Google’s Get API website if you decide to use Google Maps. Finally, in order to execute the geocoding procedure and finish this tutorial, you will need an internet connection.

To geocode addresses using QGIS, we will utilize the MMQGIS plugin. The following steps outline the installation process:
Launch QGIS on your computer.
Navigate to the “Plugins” menu and select “Manage and Install Plugins.”
In the plugin manager window, search for “MMQGIS” and click on it to select it.
Click on the “Install Plugin” button to install the MMQGIS plugin.
Once the installation is complete, close the plugin manager window.

Geocoding an Address File in QGIS
There are two geocoding options: one for geocoding your address file using either Google or OpenStreetMap geocoding web services or by geocoding from a street layer. For this tutorial, the address file will be geocoded using Google’s geocoding API.

Geocoding using one of the web service options will require an Internet connection.
Once the “Geocode CSV with Google / OpenStreetMap” option has been selected, a GUI for the Web Service Geocode opens. From the window, load the CSV file (if you have the address file in a spreadsheet such as MS Excel or Google Fusion Tables, you will need to export the data out as a CSV file).

Address Formats24 hour
You need to include the necessary data for geocoding the address in the CSV. The column names should be on the first line of the CSV file, separated from one another by commas. The records for that file are found on the second line and all succeeding lines, with each column, once more being separated by a comma. Within this file you will need to have a column for the address, a column for the city, a column for the state (for US records), and/or a column for the countries.
Setting up QGIS to geocode
Now set the parameters for geocoding; select from each section the street address, city, state, and country columns in the CSV file that match. For web service, pick the desired geocoding service. Note: there is a 2,500 record limit within a 24-hour period when using Google’s service.

Lastly, set where you want the resulting shapefile and CSV file that will record any records that were not able to be geocoded.

Geocoding Process
Once you have set all the parameters, hit the “OK” button to start geocoding. The length of time for geocoding depends on how large your file is. It takes around 15 minutes for 2,000 record file of addresses to finish geocoding. The Google Maps web service limits geocoding to five records per second.

Results
The geocoded file will automatically be added to the layers list in QGIS. Once the geocoding is finished, the end result is a geocoded point shapefile. Appended to the table are two tables that describe how each point was determined.