GeoIP Data is a service module that checks approximate user location by IP address.
If you run Magento 2, try out this GeoIP extension developed specially for working with the version.
This tool may be of use when you don’t want your customers to enter the full address. GeoIP defines country, in most of the cases state and even city.
GeoIP Data is included into several Amasty Magento extensions, such as One Step Checkout and Store Locator. Besides other ways of implementation, as in Store Locator, for instance, the customer enters less information, which can indirectly influence conversion rates for the better.
How it works
When GeoIP Data is used, a customer comes to a page, the browser gives the customer’s IP to the server, the module looks for this IP in the database and thus defines the customer’s location.
As the database with IPs and locations is continuously changing because of many reasons, it can’t be shipped with the module at once, you should download it from a third party resource and then import it into the GeoIP Data module.
How to import GeoIP database
To import the database with IPs and locations, you need only a couple of clicks:
1. Find GeoIP Data on the list of installed extensions:
2. Click Download and Import:
Time to have some coffee, as the import process usually takes around 10 minutes.
A known GeoIP Data import issue and its solution
Sometimes it happens that the import is stuck in the middle of the process:
It’s a common issue, and we have a solution for it.
1. Open /app/etc/local.xml
2. Look for the following lines:
[php]<session_save><![CDATA[db]]></session_save>
<session_save_path><![CDATA[tcp://127.0.0.1:11211?persistent=0&weight=2&timeout=10&retry_interval=10]]></session_save_path>
<session_cache_limiter><![CDATA[]]></session_cache_limiter>
<session_save><![CDATA[memcache]]></session_save>
[/php]
Note: it’s a list of possible records, it may happen that you won’t have some of them in your xml file.
3. Make a backup copy of the file.
4. Replace these records with the following line (if you don't have it in your file):
[php]<session_save><![CDATA[files]]></session_save>
[/php]
5. Save changes
6. Clear Magento cache (System > Cache Management)
7. Run the import process again
8. After the import is finished, restore the backup copy of the xml file.
Now your GeoIP Data is ready for operation.
If you’ve got any other questions regarding the GeoIP Data service module of Amasty Magento extensions, ask in comments or drop a line to our support department.