Address Autocomplete matches what you type against USPS-standardized address records. A few habits will get you an accurate match almost every time, especially while a user is still typing.
The most important tip: include the city and state, or the ZIP code
When your entry includes a city and state, or a ZIP code, the service can recognize the address even when the street is written out in full. All of these return the right property:
426 South Road, Dixmont, ME
2128 Northwest 104th Way, Gainesville, FL
10326 Smugglers Cove, Aurora, OH
If you type only the street line with no city, state, or ZIP, the match is much stricter, and a spelled-out street type or direction may return no suggestions.
When you type the street on its own, use the short USPS forms
If your interface searches by street alone (for example, as the first thing a user types), use standard abbreviations rather than the spelled-out words:
Rd instead of Road, Ave instead of Avenue, Blvd instead of Boulevard
Dr instead of Drive, Ct instead of Court, Ln instead of Lane, Cv instead of Cove
N, S, E, W instead of North, South, East, West (and NW, SW, NE, SE for the diagonals)
So 426 South Rd will match on its own, while 426 South Road on its own may not.
Keep typing for better results
Suggestions get more accurate as more of the address is entered. The most reliable pattern is:
Enter the street number and name.
Add the city and state, or the ZIP code.
Pick the address from the list that appears.
If no suggestions appear
Add the city and state, or the ZIP code, if you have not already. This resolves most empty results.
Double-check the street number and spelling.
Try the short USPS form of the street type and direction (for example Rd, NW).
A note on how matching works
The suggestions you receive are always shown in the USPS-standardized format stored in the property database. For example, a search for "10326 Smugglers Cove, Aurora, OH" returns "10326 Smugglers Cv, Aurora, OH 44202". This is expected. Selecting the suggestion gives you the standardized address for use in the rest of your workflow.
If you build the input experience for your own users, consider prompting for the city and state (or ZIP) alongside the street. That single habit produces the most reliable matches.