> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://biggeo.gitbook.io/biggeo/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://biggeo.gitbook.io/biggeo/biggeo-ai/start-asking-questions.md).

# Start Asking Questions

## Ask Your First Question

Open Claude or ChatGPT and ask a location question in plain language, just like you'd ask a colleague.

**Try one of these to start:**

* "What datasets do I have available?"
* "Find hospitals within 5 miles of Central Park, New York"
* "How many EV charging stations are in Denver?"
* "Find grocery stores near \[your address]"

**Or use one of these formats as a starting point:**

* "What is the nearest \[location type] to \[address]?"
* "Find \[location type] near \[address or landmark]"
* "How many \[location type] are there in \[city]?"

## Go Deeper

Once your first query works, add a spatial relationship to layer in more insight:

* "Of those hospitals, which are within 1 mile of a subway station?"
* "Which ZIP codes have the highest concentration of results?"
* "Find the nearest one to \[specific address]"

## Example Queries by Use Case

**Retail & Site Selection**

* "Find all coffee shops within 2 miles of our store at \[address]"
* "How many fast food restaurants are within 5 miles of downtown Chicago?"
* "Find ZIP codes in Texas with no grocery store within 3 miles"

**Logistics & Operations**

* "What is the nearest distribution center to each of these 20 addresses?"
* "Find all delivery locations more than 50 miles from our nearest depot"
* "How many of our customer addresses are in rural vs. urban areas?"

**Real Estate & Property**

* "How many schools are within 1 mile of \[address]?"
* "Find all parks, grocery stores, and hospitals within 2 miles of \[address]"
* "Which of these 5 properties has the best access to public transit?"

**Healthcare & Social Services**

* "Find areas in \[county] where the nearest hospital is more than 20 miles away"
* "How many urgent care clinics are within 10 miles of our main clinic?"

**Insurance & Risk**

* "How many properties in \[ZIP code] are within a flood risk zone?"
* "Which of our covered properties are within 1 mile of a wildfire risk area?"

**Marketing & Audience Targeting**

* "Find the highest concentration of \[business type] in \[city]"
* "Which neighbourhoods in \[city] have the most \[target demographic type] businesses?"

## Tips for Better Queries

**Be specific about location.**\
Instead of "Find hospitals near Central Park," try "Find hospitals within 5 miles of 59th St and 5th Ave, New York." The more precise the address, the more precise the result.

**Add a number or threshold.**\
Instead of "Find competitors near our store," try "Find competitors within 3 miles of \[address]." Thresholds keep results focused and tokens low.

**Start narrow, then broaden.**\
Start with one city before scaling to a state. Focused queries run faster and cost fewer tokens.

**Ask follow-ups.**

* "Which of those is the closest?"
* "How many are in each ZIP code?"
* "Show me only the ones in \[city]"

## Your Token Balance

Every query uses a small number of tokens. Check your balance anytime under **Account → Subscription Management** in DataLab.

{% content-ref url="/pages/FzPCxwPUpeglhpu6nfEK" %}
[Understanding Tokens & Credits](/biggeo/biggeo-ai/understanding-tokens-and-credits.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

Need help? Browse the documentation or reach us at <support@biggeo.com>.


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# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://biggeo.gitbook.io/biggeo/biggeo-ai/start-asking-questions.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.