How to build geolocation features in Bubble

To build geolocation features in Bubble, you combine Bubble’s built‑in current geographic position, the Google Maps element, searches using geographic address fields, and optional API calls for more advanced geocoding. Most core features (showing a user’s location, saving it, calculating distance, and displaying markers on a map) can be built using only Bubble’s native tools.

Core Concepts

Bubble stores locations in a field type called geographic address. Bubble can also get the user’s location using the action Get current geographic position. Once stored, Bubble can calculate distances, display points on a map, or run searches within a radius.

• Geographic address: a special data type that contains lat/long + full address.
• Map element: can display a single marker or a list of geographic addresses.
• Distance: Bubble can compute “distance from” between two geographic addresses.

Step‑by‑Step: Common Geolocation Features

Get the user’s live location

• Add workflow action: Get current geographic position. This stores the user’s location in Current User’s current geographic position.
• Browser will ask for permission. Without permission, Bubble returns empty.

Save the user’s location

• Create a field in the User type: location (geographic address).
• Workflow → Make changes to Current User → location = Current geographic position.

Show location on a map

• Drop a Map element.
• Set Center address to Current User’s location.
• Set List of markers to a Search (for example, “Search for Stores’s location”).

Calculate distance

• Use expression: User’s location:distance from Store’s location.
• Bubble returns distance in kilometers.

Search by radius

• Use constraint: Store’s location is within X km of Current User’s location.

Optional: Geocoding via API Connector

If you need to convert place names to coordinates or vice‑versa, you can call Google Geocoding API. Example call:

// Google Geocoding sample response excerpt
{
  "results": [
    { "formatted_address": "Berlin, Germany" }
  ],
  "status": "OK"
}

Use API Connector → GET call → store result in a geographic address field by converting it using Bubble’s “Calculate formula → extract latitude/longitude”.

These steps cover real, reliable ways to implement geolocation in Bubble without relying on any non‑existent features.