# GeoIP Update

GeoIP Update is a command-line tool by MaxMind that automatically refreshes GeoIP2 and GeoIP Legacy binary databases, eliminating manual database maintenance for geolocation services. It is open source and self-hosted, installable on Docker Hub and Unraid.

Canonical page: https://ourlocalhost.com/app/416/geoip-update

## Description

GeoIP Update is a command-line tool by MaxMind that automatically refreshes GeoIP2 and GeoIP Legacy binary databases, eliminating manual database maintenance for geolocation services.

## Platform availability

Available on 1 of 9 platforms: Unraid.

## Health score

73/100 (Good), based on 3 of 4 factors.
- Maintained: 100 (last commit 9 days ago)
- Popular: 60 (971 GitHub stars)
- Easy to install: 35 (1 install platform, install notes, Docker image)

## Links

- Docker Hub: https://hub.docker.com/r/maxmindinc/geoipupdate/
- GitHub: https://github.com/maxmind/geoipupdate
- Documentation: https://dev.maxmind.com/geoip/updating-databases/?lang=en
- Unraid: https://ca.unraid.net/apps/geoipupdate-006wj5i1bmjv5m?q=geoipupdate

## Common questions

### What configuration values are required before running geoipupdate?

Set AccountID, LicenseKey, and EditionIDs, such as GeoLite2-Country, in the geoipupdate config or container env vars. Without valid credentials and database names, geoipupdate stops and your app has no IP location data.

### Where should the downloaded GeoIP database files be stored?

Set DatabaseDirectory to a folder that survives updates or container restarts, such as /var/lib/GeoIP or a mounted Docker volume. If that folder is wiped, the downloaded IP database files are gone and geoipupdate will need to fetch them again.

### What should I check if geoipupdate reports an invalid account ID or license key?

The source says the download from the server to MaxMind may have been blocked. Once the server was authorized to perform downloads, the update worked.

### Is it a problem if the geoipupdate container exits right after starting?

In the Sentry self-hosted geoipupdate deployment, it is normal for the geoipupdate container to exit soon after startup because the update is a one-off batch process and not a long-running job.

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Source: Our Local Host (https://ourlocalhost.com/app/416/geoip-update), the self-hosted and open-source app directory.