# Administrative Boundaries API

Use this page to choose a boundary lookup, prepare your first request, and find the layers and identifiers you need.

## When to use this API

Retrieve locality, council, electoral, and ABS boundary attributes by point or primary identifier. Request polygon geometry when needed for analysis or visualisation.

Start with the [Administrative Boundaries Quickstart](/guides/admin-boundaries/quickstart) to find boundaries at a point and retrieve a boundary by identifier.

| You have… | Use |
| --- | --- |
| Latitude and longitude | [Find by point](/reference/administrative-boundaries-v1-admin-bounds#find-by-point-2) |
| A layer's primary identifier | [Find by identifier](/reference/administrative-boundaries-v1-admin-bounds#find-by-identifier-2) |

**Access:** Use a Geoscape Hub application with Administrative Boundaries API access.

Send its Consumer Key directly in the `Authorization` header. See [Authentication](/guides/authentication) for application and tester setup.

## Responses

- Results are GeoJSON features containing attributes for each returned layer
- Polygon coordinates are excluded by default. Set `excludeGeometry=false` when you need them. SEIFA layers return attributes without polygon coordinates
- An empty `features` array means no features were found. Read `messages` for layers without a result
- Retain the returned `attribution`

## Further guidance

- [Boundary Layers](/guides/admin-boundaries/layers): choose layers and find primary identifiers, definitions, and coverage notes
- [CRS & GDA2020](/guides/gda-2020): select input and response coordinate systems
- [Error Handling](/guides/errors), [Rate Limiting](/guides/rate-limiting), and [Attribution](/guides/attribution): apply shared integration requirements

## Versions

| Version | Reference |
| --- | --- |
| v1 | [Endpoint reference](/reference/administrative-boundaries-v1-admin-bounds) |