How to enter your HotSnail address when the address search can't find it

Most websites now use an address search box: you start typing and pick your address from a list. That list never includes your HotSnail suite number, so the suite gets dropped or the box says there's no match. The fix takes a few seconds. Look for Enter address manually (or similar wording), click it, and type each line yourself with your suite number on its own line.

One minute, no sound. It shows the Australia Post mail redirection form, then a checkout-style address form.

The address to enter

This is the format of a HotSnail address on our Gold Coast PO Box. Use your own name and your own User ID in place of "Hotsnail User" and "12345". Your User ID is shown when you sign up and in your account.

The suite number is how our staff tell whose mail is whose when it arrives, so it matters that it survives the form. Our guide to the ID-free address explains what happens when it is left off.

Why the address search can't find your suite

An address search box, sometimes called autocomplete, looks up what you type in a database of known addresses, such as the Australia Post address file. It can find "PO Box 16, Nobby Beach", but it has no idea that suites exist inside that PO Box. So one of three things happens:

• It shows "No results" because nothing in its list matches "Suite 12345".
• It suggests other addresses, such as a PO Box in another suburb or a street with a similar name. Picking one of these sends your mail to the wrong place.
• It accepts the PO Box and quietly drops the suite line.

None of this means the address is wrong. It means the search box is the wrong tool for it. Almost every form has a way to switch it off.

How to enter your address manually, step by step

1. Start typing in the address box. This is often what makes the manual option appear.
2. Ignore the suggestions. Don't pick one, even if it looks close.
3. Find the manual option. It's usually a small link under the box or at the bottom of the suggestion list. Wording varies: "Enter address manually", "Enter an address manually", "Can't find your address?", "Type address manually" or "Add address details". On some forms you need to press Esc or click away from the suggestions to see it.
4. Fill in each box separately. Put Suite 12345 on the first line, or in the Apt / Suite / Unit box if there is one. Put PO Box 16 on the next line. Then Nobby Beach as the suburb or city, QLD as the state, 4218 as the postcode and Australia as the country.
5. Check before you submit. Make sure the suite line is still there in the summary or confirmation screen.

Example 1: Australia Post mail redirection

If you are redirecting your mail to HotSnail, this is the first form you'll meet. On the Australia Post mail redirection form, type into the To address box. The suggestions that come up are other PO boxes around Australia. Click Enter address manually instead. at the bottom of the list and the box splits into separate fields:

• Address line 1: Suite 12345
• Address line 2: PO Box 16
• Suburb: Nobby Beach
• State: QLD
• Postcode: 4218

The redirection form has no name box on this screen. You add the names on the "Add names" step that comes next. Our guide to Australia Post mail redirection covers the rest of the process, including costs and how long it takes.

Example 2: a checkout-style address form

Online shops, banks and utilities often use a single "Start typing an address" box with separate fields hidden underneath. When you type "PO Box 16 Nobby" into one of these, it suggests streets such as Nobby Parade, which is not your address. Press Esc to close the list, then click Enter an address manually. The full form opens:

• Address: PO Box 16
• Apt / Suite / Bldg / Unit: Suite 12345
• City: Nobby Beach
• State: QLD
• Postcode: 4218
• Country: Australia

If there's a name box, enter your name exactly as it is on your HotSnail account, or a name you have added to your account.

If a form has no manual entry option

A few forms really do force you to pick from the list. In that case:

• Type "Suite 12345" at the start of the first line, before the PO Box, and see whether the form keeps it.
• Look for a second address line or a "Company / c/o" field and put the suite there.
• If the suite still disappears, use your name exactly as it is on your account. Some shops won't deliver to a PO Box at all. Our guide to virtual PO boxes in Australia explains when the street address option helps.

On the Flexi Freedom and Parcel Forwarding plans your address is ID-free, so mail that arrives without the suite number is still matched to you at no extra charge. On other plans it still reaches you, but a search fee may apply. See the pricing page for the current fee.

Common questions

Why can't the address search find my suite number?

Address search boxes only offer addresses from their own database, such as Australia Post's address file. Suite numbers inside a PO Box are not in that list, so the suite is dropped or the box shows no match. Choosing manual entry lets you type the full address yourself.

Where does the suite number go?

Put Suite and your User ID on its own line, usually Address line 1, with PO Box 16 on the next line. If the form has an Apt / Suite / Unit box, put it there.

What if a form has no manual entry option?

Type the suite number at the start of the first address line, before PO Box 16, and do not pick a suggestion. If the form still removes it, use your name exactly as it is on your account. On the Flexi Freedom and Parcel Forwarding plans, mail without the suite number is still matched at no extra charge.

Setting up your new address everywhere? The virtual mailbox setup guide lists who to tell and in what order.