IPinfo Integration Guide: Bring Your Own License (BYOL)

IPinfo provides access to its data services in four ways:

When it comes to the API service and data downloads, access is controlled by an IPinfo Access Token (a 14-character alphanumeric token).

Free accounts get access to IPinfo Lite API + IPinfo Lite database.
Paid accounts get access to the specific APIs or databases they’re subscribed to.

The idea behind Bring Your Own License (BYOL) is simple:

If a platform wants to support IPinfo services, its users can sign up for IPinfo and provide their own access token.
The integration platform acts as an intermediate layer, making API requests or database downloads on behalf of the user using their token.
The platform itself never manages global IPinfo tokens each user brings their own.

Recommended reading: Data Downloads vs API, or Both?

BYOL Integration: IPinfo API Service

API Endpoints

Both support HTTPS and can be hardcoded in your integration.

Key resources:

Best Practices for API Integration

Start with IPinfo Lite API to validate your integration.
- You can even integrate the Lite API directly into the platform, as the IPinfo Lite API has a commercial/redistribution-friendly license.
- You can create a project specific access token to support IPinfo Lite API access across all users.
Use official IPinfo SDKs/libraries for built-in caching, async requests, and bulk lookups.
Implement asynchronous requests and use bulk endpoints for enrichment.
Cache responses to avoid duplicate lookups and reduce quota usage.
Handle errors and rate limits gracefully:
- 429 → rate limited (retry with backoff)
- 403 → invalid token
Timeouts/retries as per your SLA
Keep integration dynamic since responses depend on the customer’s subscription tier.

Examples:

Supported Formats for data downloads:

References:

Best Practices for Data Downloads

Start with IPinfo Lite IP database.
- You can integrate the Lite Data Downloads directly into the platform, as the IPinfo Lite Data Downloads has a commercial/redistribution-friendly license.
- You can create a project specific access token to support IPinfo Lite Data Downloads access across all users.
Use stable download URLs from the filename reference.
Develop against sample datasets before using production data.
Validate dataset integrity with the checksums endpoint:
Automate download, verification, and refresh.
Prioritize MMDB file format for optimal IP lookup performance.
Be mindful of update cadence (daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly).

Example:

Moving from prototype to production? Follow these steps:

Staging Rollout: Deploy to a non-production environment and replay representative traffic.
Validation Checklist
- Schema alignment
- Authentication flow works with BYOL tokens
- Rate limits respected; backoff logic in place
- Caching strategy documented
- Errors handled (timeouts, retries, rate limits)
Monitoring
- Request counts, latency, and error codes
- Cache hit/miss ratio
- Alerts for quota breaches and failures
Security Review
- Access controls for stored datasets
- Data retention policies

Go-Live Checklist

Support: For technical assistance, please contact support@ipinfo.io and include your environment, integration method, and a brief description of the error/goal to speed up troubleshooting.
Partner contact: Your IPinfo partner manager for commercial or scope questions.
Feedback on these docs: We welcome feedback to improve our docs. Please send suggestions to alliances@ipinfo.io

Staying up to date

Release notes & dataset changes: Subscribe to IPinfo product newsletter to track schema updates, new fields, and deprecations.
Roadmap & feature requests: Share requests and priorities via your partner manager.