Official C++ SDK for the IPGeolocation.io IP Geolocation API.
Look up IPv4, IPv6, and domains with /v3/ipgeo and /v3/ipgeo-bulk. Get geolocation, company, ASN, time zone, network, hostname, abuse, user-agent, currency, and security data from one API.
- C++17 SDK built on
libcurl - Typed responses plus raw JSON and XML methods
- Single include header at
ipgeolocation/ipgeolocation.hpp
- Install
- Quick Start
- At a Glance
- Get Your API Key
- Authentication
- Plan Behavior
- Client Configuration
- Available Methods
- Request Options
- Examples
- Response Metadata
- Errors
- Troubleshooting
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Links
Use the SDK from CMake in one of these ways.
The SDK requires libcurl with HTTP(S) support. Use libcurl 8.23.0 or newer, or a version patched by your operating system. The provided CMake build locates it with find_package(CURL REQUIRED).
Install the package from the public vcpkg registry:
vcpkg install ipgeolocation-cpp-sdkThen link it from your CMake project:
find_package(ipgeolocation CONFIG REQUIRED)
target_link_libraries(your_target PRIVATE ipgeolocation::ipgeolocation)If your local vcpkg checkout predates the merged port, update vcpkg first. The IPGeolocation.io custom registry at https://github.com/IPGeolocation/vcpkg-registry can be used as a fallback while your local baseline catches up.
Add the SDK repo next to your project and link the exported target:
add_subdirectory(ip-geolocation-api-cpp-sdk)
target_link_libraries(your_target PRIVATE ipgeolocation::ipgeolocation)Install the SDK into a prefix and consume it with find_package:
cmake -S ip-geolocation-api-cpp-sdk -B build
cmake --build build
cmake --install build --prefix /your/install/prefixThen link it from another CMake project:
find_package(ipgeolocation CONFIG REQUIRED)
target_link_libraries(your_target PRIVATE ipgeolocation::ipgeolocation)If your install prefix is not on CMake's default search path, set CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH when you configure the consuming project.
Public headers live under the ipgeolocation include directory:
#include <ipgeolocation/ipgeolocation.hpp>CMake target: ipgeolocation::ipgeolocation
GitHub repository: https://github.com/IPGeolocation/ip-geolocation-api-cpp-sdk
#include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>
#include <ipgeolocation/ipgeolocation.hpp>
int main() {
const char* api_key = std::getenv("IPGEO_API_KEY");
if (api_key == nullptr) {
throw std::runtime_error("set IPGEO_API_KEY first");
}
ipgeolocation::IpGeolocationClientConfig config;
config.api_key = api_key;
ipgeolocation::IpGeolocationClient client(config);
ipgeolocation::LookupIpGeolocationRequest request;
request.ip = "8.8.8.8";
auto response = client.LookupIpGeolocation(request);
if (response.data.ip.has_value()) {
std::cout << *response.data.ip << '\n'; // 8.8.8.8
}
if (response.data.location.has_value() && response.data.location->country_name.has_value()) {
std::cout << *response.data.location->country_name << '\n'; // United States
}
if (response.data.location.has_value() && response.data.location->city.has_value()) {
std::cout << *response.data.location->city << '\n'; // Mountain View
}
if (response.data.time_zone.has_value() && response.data.time_zone->name.has_value()) {
std::cout << *response.data.time_zone->name << '\n'; // America/Los_Angeles
}
std::cout << response.metadata.status_code << '\n'; // 200
if (response.metadata.credits_charged.has_value()) {
std::cout << *response.metadata.credits_charged << '\n'; // 1
}
}Leave request.ip unset to resolve the caller IP.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| CMake target | ipgeolocation::ipgeolocation |
| Include header | ipgeolocation/ipgeolocation.hpp |
| Namespace | ipgeolocation |
| Language standard | C++17 |
| Native dependency | libcurl with HTTP(S) support |
| Supported Endpoints | /v3/ipgeo, /v3/ipgeo-bulk |
| Supported Inputs | IPv4, IPv6, domain |
| Main Data Returned | Geolocation, company, ASN, time zone, network, hostname, abuse, user-agent, currency, security |
| Authentication | API key |
| Response Formats | Structured JSON, raw JSON, raw XML |
| Bulk Limit | Up to 50,000 IPs or domains per request |
| Transport | libcurl |
Create an IPGeolocation.io account and copy an API key from your dashboard.
- Sign up: https://app.ipgeolocation.io/signup
- Verify your email if prompted
- Sign in: https://app.ipgeolocation.io/login
- Open your dashboard: https://app.ipgeolocation.io/dashboard
- Copy an API key from the
API Keyssection
Keep your IPGeolocation.io API key in an environment variable or secret manager.
ipgeolocation::IpGeolocationClientConfig config;
if (const char* api_key = std::getenv("IPGEO_API_KEY"); api_key != nullptr) {
config.api_key = api_key;
}
ipgeolocation::IpGeolocationClient client(config);The API key is sent as the apiKey query parameter, so avoid logging full request URLs.
Feature availability depends on your plan and request parameters.
| Capability | Free | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Single IPv4 and IPv6 lookup | Supported | Supported |
| Domain lookup | Not supported | Supported |
| Bulk lookup | Not supported | Supported |
Non-English lang |
Not supported | Supported |
Optional modules via include |
Not supported | Supported |
include = {"*"} |
Base response only | All plan-available modules |
Paid plans still need include for optional modules. fields and excludes only trim the response. They do not turn modules on or unlock paid data.
| Field | Type | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
api_key |
std::optional<std::string> |
unset | Your IPGeolocation.io API key. |
base_url |
std::string |
https://api.ipgeolocation.io |
Override the API base URL. |
connect_timeout |
std::chrono::milliseconds |
10000ms |
Time to open the connection. Must be greater than zero and must be less than or equal to read_timeout. |
read_timeout |
std::chrono::milliseconds |
30000ms |
Maximum time for the whole request, including the connection and the response. Must be greater than zero and at least as long as connect_timeout. |
max_response_body_chars |
std::size_t |
33554432 |
Largest response to read, in bytes. Must be greater than zero. |
Config values are validated when the client is created. Request values are validated before each request is sent.
Request methods are safe to call concurrently on a shared client instance. Close() is idempotent, but call it only when no other thread is actively issuing requests.
Typed JSON parsing rejects payloads nested deeper than 256 levels.
If a successful response is too large, the SDK throws TransportError. If an API error is too large, you still get its HTTP status.
| Method | Returns | Notes |
|---|---|---|
LookupIpGeolocation(request = {}) |
ApiResponse<IpGeolocationResponse> |
Single lookup. Typed JSON response. |
LookupIpGeolocationRaw(request = {}) |
ApiResponse<std::string> |
Single lookup. Raw JSON or XML string. |
BulkLookupIpGeolocation(request) |
ApiResponse<std::vector<BulkLookupResult>> |
Bulk lookup. Typed JSON response. |
BulkLookupIpGeolocationRaw(request) |
ApiResponse<std::string> |
Bulk lookup. Raw JSON or XML string. |
Close() |
void |
Closes the client. Closed clients cannot be reused. |
DefaultUserAgent() |
std::string |
Returns the SDK default outbound User-Agent header value. |
Note
Typed methods support JSON only. Use the raw methods when you need XML output.
| Field | Applies To | Notes |
|---|---|---|
ip |
Single lookup | IPv4, IPv6, or domain. Leave it unset for caller IP lookup. |
ips |
Bulk lookup | Collection of 1 to 50,000 IPs or domains. |
lang |
Single and bulk | One of Language::kEn, kDe, kRu, kJa, kFr, kCn, kEs, kCs, kIt, kKo, kFa, kPt, or kAr (Arabic). |
include |
Single and bulk | Collection of module names such as security, abuse, user_agent, hostname, liveHostname, hostnameFallbackLive, geo_accuracy, dma_code, or *. |
fields |
Single and bulk | Collection of field paths to keep, for example location.country_name or security.threat_score. |
excludes |
Single and bulk | Collection of field paths to remove from the response. |
user_agent |
Single and bulk | Overrides the outbound User-Agent header. If you also pass a User-Agent header in headers, user_agent wins. |
headers |
Single and bulk | Extra request headers as std::map<std::string, std::string>. |
output |
Single and bulk | ResponseFormat::kJson or ResponseFormat::kXml. |
The examples below assume you already have a configured client in scope:
ipgeolocation::IpGeolocationClientConfig config;
if (const char* api_key = std::getenv("IPGEO_API_KEY"); api_key != nullptr) {
config.api_key = api_key;
}
ipgeolocation::IpGeolocationClient client(config);Leave ip unset to look up the public IP of the machine making the request.
auto response = client.LookupIpGeolocation();
if (response.data.ip.has_value()) {
std::cout << *response.data.ip << '\n';
}Domain lookup is a paid-plan feature.
ipgeolocation::LookupIpGeolocationRequest request;
request.ip = "ipgeolocation.io";
auto response = client.LookupIpGeolocation(request);
if (response.data.domain.has_value()) {
std::cout << *response.data.domain << '\n';
}
if (response.data.location.has_value() && response.data.location->country_name.has_value()) {
std::cout << *response.data.location->country_name << '\n';
}ipgeolocation::LookupIpGeolocationRequest request;
request.ip = "8.8.8.8";
request.include = {"security", "abuse"};
auto response = client.LookupIpGeolocation(request);
if (response.data.security.has_value() && response.data.security->is_proxy.has_value()) {
std::cout << (*response.data.security->is_proxy ? "true" : "false") << '\n';
}
if (response.data.abuse.has_value() && response.data.abuse->country.has_value()) {
std::cout << *response.data.abuse->country << '\n';
}ipgeolocation::LookupIpGeolocationRequest request;
request.ip = "8.8.8.8";
request.include = {"security"};
request.fields = {"location.country_name", "security.threat_score", "security.is_vpn"};
request.excludes = {"currency"};
auto response = client.LookupIpGeolocation(request);
if (response.data.location.has_value() && response.data.location->country_name.has_value()) {
std::cout << *response.data.location->country_name << '\n';
}
if (response.data.security.has_value() && response.data.security->threat_score.has_value()) {
std::cout << *response.data.security->threat_score << '\n';
}ipgeolocation::LookupIpGeolocationRequest request;
request.ip = "8.8.8.8";
request.output = ipgeolocation::ResponseFormat::kXml;
auto response = client.LookupIpGeolocationRaw(request);
std::cout << response.data << '\n';ipgeolocation::BulkLookupIpGeolocationRequest request;
request.ips = {"8.8.8.8", "1.1.1.1", "ipgeolocation.io"};
auto response = client.BulkLookupIpGeolocation(request);
for (const auto& result : response.data) {
if (result.data.has_value() && result.data->ip.has_value()) {
std::cout << *result.data->ip << '\n';
continue;
}
if (result.error.has_value() && result.error->message.has_value()) {
std::cout << *result.error->message << '\n';
}
}ipgeolocation::BulkLookupIpGeolocationRequest request;
request.ips = {"8.8.8.8", "1.1.1.1"};
auto response = client.BulkLookupIpGeolocationRaw(request);
std::cout << response.data << '\n';To parse a visitor user-agent string, pass include = {"user_agent"} and send the visitor string in the request User-Agent header.
ipgeolocation::LookupIpGeolocationRequest request;
request.ip = "8.8.8.8";
request.include = {"user_agent"};
request.headers = {
{"User-Agent", "Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_15_7) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/146.0.0.0 Safari/537.36"},
};
auto response = client.LookupIpGeolocation(request);
if (response.data.user_agent.has_value() && response.data.user_agent->name.has_value()) {
std::cout << *response.data.user_agent->name << '\n';
}Note
The user_agent request field overrides the SDK default outbound User-Agent header. It takes precedence over headers["User-Agent"].
response.data.user_agent is different. That field is the parsed visitor user-agent data returned by the API.
Every method returns:
data: the typed response model or raw response bodymetadata.status_code: HTTP status codemetadata.duration_ms: request duration measured by the SDKmetadata.credits_charged: parsed fromX-Credits-Chargedwhen presentmetadata.successful_records: parsed fromX-Successful-RecordorX-Successful-Recordswhen presentmetadata.raw_headers: all response headers captured by the SDK
Example:
std::cout << response.metadata.status_code << '\n';
std::cout << response.metadata.duration_ms << '\n';
if (auto header = response.metadata.raw_headers.find("content-type");
header != response.metadata.raw_headers.end() && !header->second.empty()) {
std::cout << header->second.front() << '\n';
}Header names are preserved in the case the server returned them. Response header names from api.ipgeolocation.io are lowercase (for example content-type, x-credits-charged).
The SDK throws exceptions derived from IpGeolocationError:
ValidationError: invalid settings, invalid request, invalid headers, or missing credentialsClientClosedError: method called afterClose()TransportError:libcurltransport failureRequestTimeoutError: connection or read timeoutSerializationError: invalid JSON in typed methodsApiError: non-2xx API response, including HTTP status code and response body
ApiError gives you the HTTP status, the error message and the response body. If an error includes your API key, the SDK hides it. This also applies to errors in typed bulk results. Raw bulk lookups return the API response as received. If the error body is too large or the connection ends before it arrives in full, you still get the HTTP status.
Example:
try {
auto response = client.LookupIpGeolocation(request);
} catch (const ipgeolocation::ValidationError& error) {
std::cerr << "validation: " << error.what() << '\n';
} catch (const ipgeolocation::RequestTimeoutError& error) {
std::cerr << "timeout: " << error.what() << '\n';
} catch (const ipgeolocation::TransportError& error) {
std::cerr << "transport: " << error.what() << '\n';
} catch (const ipgeolocation::SerializationError& error) {
std::cerr << "serialization: " << error.what() << '\n';
} catch (const ipgeolocation::ApiError& error) {
std::cerr << error.status_code() << ' ' << error.what() << '\n';
}RequestTimeoutError derives from TransportError, so catch RequestTimeoutError first if you need to distinguish it.
Set api_key before making a lookup.
Header names and values are validated before the request is sent. Trim user input before you pass it to the SDK.
Use LookupIpGeolocationRaw(...) or BulkLookupIpGeolocationRaw(...) when you need XML output.
Increase max_response_body_chars in the client config if you expect unusually large raw responses. The default cap is 32 MiB. Typed JSON parsing still rejects payloads nested deeper than 256 levels.
connect_timeout must be less than or equal to read_timeout. Lower connect_timeout or raise read_timeout so the config validates.
Response fields are std::optional so omitted fields stay omitted. Check has_value() before dereferencing, or rely on value_or(...) when a default is safe.
Can I request XML and still get typed models?
No. Typed methods only support JSON. Use `LookupIpGeolocationRaw` or `BulkLookupIpGeolocationRaw` for XML.Does domain lookup work on the free plan?
No. Domain lookup is a paid-plan feature.Why are so many response fields std::optional?
Optional fields let the SDK preserve omitted API fields instead of inventing empty values for data the API did not send.
Can I use the SDK without an IP address?
Yes. Leave `ip` unset on single lookup to resolve the caller IP.What does Close() do?
It marks the client closed and releases the internal transport state. Closed clients cannot be reused.
- Homepage: https://ipgeolocation.io
- IP Geolocation API product page: https://ipgeolocation.io/ip-location-api.html
- Documentation: https://ipgeolocation.io/documentation/ip-location-api.html
- GitHub repository: https://github.com/IPGeolocation/ip-geolocation-api-cpp-sdk