Geolocation API in JavaScript for user Location Access

Last update on July 10 2025 12:49:33 (UTC/GMT +8 hours)

JavaScript Event Handling: Exercise-19 with Solution

Geolocation API Example

Write a JavaScript program that uses the Geolocation API to display the user's current location.

Solution 1: Using Geolocation API with Callbacks

HTML and JavaScript Code:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width">
  <title>w3resource</title>
</head>
<body>
<script>
// Function to get the user's current location using Geolocation API
function getLocation() {
  const output = document.getElementById('output'); // Element to display location info

  // Check if the browser supports Geolocation
  if (!navigator.geolocation) {
    output.textContent = 'Geolocation is not supported by your browser.';
    return;
  }

  // Request the user's location
  navigator.geolocation.getCurrentPosition(
    (position) => {
      // Success callback: Display the coordinates
      const latitude = position.coords.latitude; // Extract latitude
      const longitude = position.coords.longitude; // Extract longitude
      output.textContent = `Latitude: ${latitude}, Longitude: ${longitude}`;
    },
    (error) => {
      // Error callback: Display an error message
      output.textContent = `Error: Unable to retrieve your location (${error.message})`;
    }
  );
}

// Create a button to trigger the location request
const locationButton = document.createElement('button');
locationButton.textContent = 'Get Location'; // Button text
locationButton.onclick = getLocation; // Set click event to trigger getLocation
document.body.appendChild(locationButton); // Add button to the DOM

// Create an element to display the location output
const output = document.createElement('p');
output.id = 'output'; // Set ID for reference
document.body.appendChild(output); // Add output element to the DOM
  
  
  </script>
</body>
</html>

Output:

Get Location
Latitude: 48.8575, Longitude: 2.3514

Explanation:

1. Geolocation Check:

Verifies if the browser supports the Geolocation API before proceeding.

2. Success Callback:

Extracts and displays the user's latitude and longitude when the location is successfully fetched.

3. Error Handling:

Handles errors like user denial or inability to fetch location and displays appropriate messages.

4. User Interaction:

Provides a button for users to explicitly request their location.

Solution 2: Using Geolocation API with Promises

HTML and JavaScript Code:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width">
  <title>w3resource</title>
</head>
<body>
<script>
// Function to get the user's location using Promises
function getLocation() {
  const output = document.getElementById('output'); // Element to display location info

  // Check if the browser supports Geolocation
  if (!navigator.geolocation) {
    output.textContent = 'Geolocation is not supported by your browser.';
    return;
  }

  // Convert Geolocation API into a Promise-based function
  const getCurrentPosition = () =>
    new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
      navigator.geolocation.getCurrentPosition(resolve, reject);
    });

  // Use the Promise to get the location
  getCurrentPosition()
    .then((position) => {
      const latitude = position.coords.latitude; // Extract latitude
      const longitude = position.coords.longitude; // Extract longitude
      output.textContent = `Latitude: ${latitude}, Longitude: ${longitude}`; // Display coordinates
    })
    .catch((error) => {
      output.textContent = `Error: Unable to retrieve your location (${error.message})`; // Display error
    });
}

// Create a button to trigger the location request
const locationButton = document.createElement('button');
locationButton.textContent = 'Get Location'; // Button text
locationButton.onclick = getLocation; // Set click event to trigger getLocation
document.body.appendChild(locationButton); // Add button to the DOM

// Create an element to display the location output
const output = document.createElement('p');
output.id = 'output'; // Set ID for reference
document.body.appendChild(output); // Add output element to the DOM
 
  </script>
</body>
</html>

Output:

Get Location
Latitude: 48.8575, Longitude: 2.3514

Explanation:

1. Promise-Based Geolocation:

Converts the Geolocation API's callback-based approach into a Promise for cleaner syntax.

2. Chaining:

Uses then and catch to handle success and errors, respectively, in a structured way.

3. Error Handling:

Displays detailed error messages when the location cannot be fetched.

4. User Interaction:

Includes a button for the user to initiate the location request.

Live Demo:

See the Pen javascript-event-handling-exercise-19 by w3resource (@w3resource) on CodePen.

For more Practice: Solve these Related Problems:

Write a JavaScript program that retrieves the user's current latitude and longitude using the Geolocation API and displays them on a map.
Write a JavaScript function that fetches the user's geolocation, then uses a reverse geocoding API to display the city name.
Write a JavaScript program that monitors the user's position in real time using the Geolocation API and updates the display accordingly.
Write a JavaScript function that handles geolocation permission errors and displays a custom error message if access is denied.

Go to:

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