HERE Places API: not all items have PVID

Question

I'm using HERE Places API.

Firstly I'm doing a search.

For Example this query :

https://places.cit.api.here.com/places/v1/discover/search?q=Test&at=35.6111,-97.5467&r=500&size=1&app_id=DemoAppId01082013GAL&app_code=AJKnXv84fjrb0KIHawS0Tg&show_refs=pvid&pretty

According to this documentation (Link) If I add show_refs=pvid to query string, in result I will get external id which I can use to query lookup endpoint.

But in result I get next response :

    {
    "results": {
        "next": "https://places.cit.api.here.com/places/v1/discover/search;context=Zmxvdy1pZD1hY2ExNzk3NC0zYzg3LTU5NzQtYmZkMC04YjAzMDZlYWIzMWJfMTUwNjA3NjMzMTYyMl83NDY3XzM4NTAmb2Zmc2V0PTEmc2l6ZT0x?at=35.6111%2C-97.5467&q=Test&app_id=DemoAppId01082013GAL&app_code=AJKnXv84fjrb0KIHawS0Tg",
        "items": [
            {
                "position": [
                    35.60369,
                    -97.51761
                ],
                "distance": 2756,
                "title": "Southwest Test & Balance",
                "averageRating": 0,
                "category": {
                    "id": "business-services",
                    "title": "Business & Services",
                    "href": "https://places.cit.api.here.com/places/v1/categories/places/business-services?app_id=DemoAppId01082013GAL&app_code=AJKnXv84fjrb0KIHawS0Tg",
                    "type": "urn:nlp-types:category",
                    "system": "places"
                },
                "icon": "https://download.vcdn.cit.data.here.com/p/d/places2_stg/icons/categories/02.icon",
                "vicinity": "200 NW 132nd St<br/>Oklahoma City, OK 73114",
                "having": [],
                "type": "urn:nlp-types:place",
                "href": "https://places.cit.api.here.com/places/v1/places/8403fv6k-d1b2fde0616e0326e321a54b88cd9f53;context=Zmxvdy1pZD1hY2ExNzk3NC0zYzg3LTU5NzQtYmZkMC04YjAzMDZlYWIzMWJfMTUwNjA3NjMzMTYyMl83NDY3XzM4NTAmcmFuaz0w?app_id=DemoAppId01082013GAL&app_code=AJKnXv84fjrb0KIHawS0Tg",
                "id": "8403fv6k-d1b2fde0616e0326e321a54b88cd9f53",
                "authoritative": true
            }
        ]
    },
    "search": {
        "context": {
            "location": {
                "position": [
                    35.6111,
                    -97.5467
                ],
                "address": {
                    "text": "Oklahoma City, OK 73134<br/>USA",
                    "postalCode": "73134",
                    "city": "Oklahoma City",
                    "county": "Oklahoma",
                    "stateCode": "OK",
                    "country": "United States",
                    "countryCode": "USA"
                }
            },
            "type": "urn:nlp-types:place",
            "href": "https://places.cit.api.here.com/places/v1/places/loc-dmVyc2lvbj0xO3RpdGxlPU9rbGFob21hK0NpdHk7bGF0PTM1LjYxMTE7bG9uPS05Ny41NDY3O2NpdHk9T2tsYWhvbWErQ2l0eTtwb3N0YWxDb2RlPTczMTM0O2NvdW50cnk9VVNBO3N0YXRlQ29kZT1PSztjb3VudHk9T2tsYWhvbWE7Y2F0ZWdvcnlJZD1jaXR5LXRvd24tdmlsbGFnZTtzb3VyY2VTeXN0ZW09aW50ZXJuYWw;context=c2VhcmNoQ29udGV4dD0x?app_id=DemoAppId01082013GAL&app_code=AJKnXv84fjrb0KIHawS0Tg"
        }
    }
}

In response no object references

Is it a bug or not every place has this external id?

Answer 1

I am responding as member of the team around HERE Places API.

Yes, not every place has a pvid. That is why I would suggest using the Sharing Id instead. I realize that the documentation should be improved to clarify that.

The Sharing Ids can be obtained by adding show_refs=sharing to either your search query or a place details request. It can be found in the field references. Once you have the sharing id you can you the lookup endpoint as you intended.