Locking
All places that are approved will be locked to Level 4. Due to the nature of the new Places system, this will still allow any user to suggest changes to any Place, even if they are level 3 or lower, so nobody will be completely locked out of editing Places, unless they have been blocked for abuse or misuse of the system. These changes will be reviewed by a Level 4+ editor and approved or rejected.
Requests to lower locks on Places will not be honored, since anyone can submit changes. If you notice an area with a large number of Places that need approval, please send a PM to a senior editor or State Manager.
Approvals and Rejections
For users who are submitting new Places, or Place Updates from the Waze app, be sure to take a clear picture of the building, and try to get the business's sign in the picture. The object is to aid Wazers in finding the place as they approach the location. If it's raining or foggy, you probably won't be able to get a good picture and the picture will be deleted. Night shots are ok if the venue is lighted and you can see the venue in the picture.
When adding a picture of a gas station, do not take a picture that specifically shows the gas prices, as this is not helpful since the gas prices change daily. The sign can be in the picture, but should not be the subject of the picture.
Be sure that you've selected the proper venue, or added a new one. If you attach new information to an existing Place, and it's not the correct place, it will have to be rejected, as there is no way to split this information away to a new or different venue. Likewise, if you create a new Place for an existing venue, we can't merge them and the submission will be rejected.
If you have time, enter additional information about the Place into the app. Select the street if it hasn't selected the correct street automatically. In the "House Number" field, enter only the address number (this is NOT the place for a phone number). Don't try to type in the name of the street. In the phone number field, the number should be formatted (###) ###-#### or ###-###-####.
If you add business hours, be absolutely sure that the different sets of hours don't overlap, otherwise, there will be an error in the editor and the only option is to remove the data completely.
In the "Location" section, you'll see a little map, and you'll be able to pan around to correct the location. This is especially helpful because Waze records your location when you start the process of entering the Place. If you're doing this with a Place that you're navigating to, you may get the popup to add the Place 1/2 mile away. If you select it there, that is where the pin on the map will be, and these Places will often get rejected simply because we can't figure out where the correct location is.
Please note that users who receive a certain number of rejections will be automatically blocked from adding or editing Places. Please contact your State Manager or a senior editor to be considered for getting your privileges reinstated.
Drive-by submissions
If you're doing a drive-by (as a passenger), be sure that you can get a clear picture. Try to get a shot out of a window so that half the picture isn't of the interior of your car. Also, watch out for glare from your windows that will make the picture useless. If you're on a highway and trying to take pictures of places on adjacent roads, your submission will most likely be rejected. If you're driving, you probably won't be able to get a clear picture if the vehicle is in motion, and you're putting yourself and those around you in danger.
Residential Places/Private Homes
Waze has taken measures to protect the privacy of the location of your home. When you add a Private Home, no name is attached to the Place on the editor map. Be absolutely sure you've selected "This is a residential place" when adding a residence. The only other information that is attached to it is the House Number, the Street, and the picture. Tap on the map to adjust the location--it is often difficult to try to correct the location in the editor when every house in the neighborhood looks alike, or the house numbers on the houses/mailboxes aren't readable in streetview.
Private homes must have a House Number and Street, and a useful picture, or they will be rejected. The picture should be of the front of the house as visible from the street. Any other picture will be rejected.
Once a Private Home has been submitted, it can't be changed to any other type of place, so if you've selected this accidentally for a non-private venue, the only option is to reject the submission.
Likewise, don't select any other type of Place category for a Private Home. If you do, you'll reveal your username to anyone who navigates there or looks at the Place in the editor.
Additional Privacy concerns
Any pictures submitted with an identifiable person's face, or license plate will be rejected. Be especially careful at schools to only submit pictures that don't have any children present.
Adding Places from WME
Be sure that you've read the entire Wiki thoroughly before using the editor. Use the guide for Area vs. Point linked above. Don't add Parking Lot Areas in Louisiana, as they will be rejected. Parking Lot Points are acceptable if it's someplace that may need to be navigated to, such as specific parking structures that aren't directly attached to another venue ("Harrah's Parking Garage" is ok, since it's not easily accessible from Harrah's Casino. "Winn Dixie Parking Lot" is not acceptable when it's in the same place as the Winn Dixie grocery store.)
The location of the Place, or the Navigation Point in an Area, should be nearest to the entrance of the building. Not in the middle of the parking lot. Not in the middle of the building. Bear in mind that wherever that point is, the Wazer will be navigated to the closest road to that point, so be sure that the closest road to the point is actually accessible to the venue. It may be necessary to add Parking Lot Roads to get the user to the proper location. Consult with a senior editor if you're unsure.
When approving Places in WME...
Any Place that is approved should be minimally checked for correct spelling and capitalization (Title Case) of the name, and location. Add the name of the street the Place is located on if it wasn't done from the app. This helps to differentiate between different locations of a chain type business when searching for the business.
If you are Level 4 or higher, lock the venue to Level 4 once the steps above have been taken. If you are lower than Level 4, leave it unlocked and a higher level editor will lock it when scanning for new Places.
Categories
A couple that need special attention:
The Hospital/Medical Care category should only be used for hospitals that provide emergency services. These Hospitals are drawn as Areas. Additionally, the Emergency Room may be marked at its exact location with a Point, and should also be categorized as Hospital/Medical Care. It should be named "Emergency Room - Hospital Name" for ease in searching.
Doctor's Offices, Dentist's Offices, Eye Doctor's Offices, etc should be categorized as "Offices".
For sub-categories of Lodging (Hotel, Hostel, Camping/Trailer Park, Cottage/Cabin, Bed & Breakfast), please only use these for businesses where you can go and rent a room for a night. These categories don't apply to Nursing Homes or Apartment Complexes.
Nursing Homes and Apartment Complexes don't fit any category very well, and are really residential, however if you want these on the map as a whole (not a specific apartment or room), it's not a good idea to mark them as Residential/Private because some important details such as the name of the complex and phone number will be hidden to anyone trying to search for it. In these cases, it's best to just mark them as Other until we get some better categories. This will allow them to remain searchable by name or address. The address should be the address of the office of an apartment complex. The phone number should be that of the office as well. The Point should be placed at the entrance to an apartment complex, just before other roads start to branch off, and for a nursing home, it should be placed at the main entrance of the building.
(Nursing Homes are not Hospital/Medical Care either)
More specifics are in the "When to use Area or Point" section.
When to use Area or Point
Here is the Louisiana-specific guidance on selecting Area or Point for Places in the Waze Map Editor. (Deviations from Global Guidelines in Bold)
The Primary Category for a Place is used to determine whether to use a Point or Area.
| Parent | Category | Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car Services | Car Wash | Point | |
| Car Services | Charging Station | Point | |
| Car Services | Garage / Automotive Shop | Point | |
| Car Services | Gas Station | Area | Many gas stations also have convenience stores and ATMs. Remember to use "Gas Station" as the primary category and the add any others which are relevant. Please see the Places/Gas Station article. |
| Car Services | Parking Lot | Both | Parking Lots are generally not used in Louisiana. If you feel that a Parking Lot should be mapped, please consult with a Level 4+ editor. |
| Transportation | Airport | Area | Special-handling |
| Transportation | Bridge | Area | Use only to represent a named road bridge with local or navigational significance. This should be an official/locally-used name, preferably signed at each approach. Do not use for unnamed bridges signed only for the feature they cross. Bridge areas are normally not used if road segments crossing a bridge use the bridge's name. Non-road bridges (e.g. railroad, pedestrian, aqueduct) are normally not mapped. |
| Transportation | Bus Station | Point | |
| Transportation | Ferry Pier | Point | |
| Transportation | Junction / Interchange | Area | Please consult with a Level 4+ editor before mapping |
| Transportation | Seaport / Marina / Harbor | Area | Please consult with a Level 4+ editor before mapping |
| Transportation | Subway Station | Point | N/A |
| Transportation | Taxi Station | Point | |
| Transportation | Train Station | Point | |
| Transportation | Tunnel | Area | |
| Professional and public | Cemetery | Area | |
| Professional and public | City Hall | Area | |
| Professional and public | College / University | Area | |
| Professional and public | Conventions / Event Center | Area | Size-dependent |
| Professional and public | Courthouse | Area | |
| Professional and public | Embassy / Consulate | Area | |
| Professional and public | Factory / Industrial | Point | |
| Professional and public | Fire Department | Area | |
| Professional and public | Government | Point | |
| Professional and public | Hospital / Medical Care | Area | ONLY Hospitals, Emergency Rooms, and places offering Urgent Medical Care should use this category. ERs encompassed in a hospital Place Area should be Points, and use the naming of "Emergency Room - (hospital name)".
Clinics, and Medical offices which do not offer urgent medical care for Walk-Ins should use the Office, (and any other appropriate) category instead. |
| Professional and public | Information Point | Point | |
| Professional and public | Kindergarten | Area | |
| Professional and public | Library | Area | |
| Professional and public | Military | Area | |
| Professional and public | Offices | Point | May be Area if Landmark |
| Professional and public | Organization or Association | Point | |
| Professional and public | Police Station | Area | |
| Professional and public | Prison / Correctional Facility | Area | |
| Professional and public | Post Office | Area | Naming should be "U.S. Post Office". For specifically named Post Offices, "U.S. Post Office - (name)" is acceptable. |
| Professional and public | Religious Center | Area | |
| Professional and public | School | Area | |
| Shopping and services | Arts & Crafts | Point | |
| Shopping and services | ATM | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Bank / Financial | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Bookstore | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Car Dealership | Point | Size-dependent |
| Shopping and services | Car Rental | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Convenience Store | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Currency Exchange | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Department Store | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Electronics | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Fashion and Clothing | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Flowers | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Furniture / Home Store | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Gifts | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Gym / Fitness | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Hardware Store | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Jewelry | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Laundry / Dry Cleaning | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Market | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Music Store | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Personal Care | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Pet Store / Veterinarian | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Pharmacy | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Photography | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Shopping Center | Area | Area only used for major shopping malls. Consult with a Level 4+ editor if unsure. |
| Shopping and services | Sporting Goods | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Supermarket / Grocery | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Swimming Pool | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Toy Store | Point | |
| Shopping and services | Travel Agency | Point | |
| Food and drink | Bakery | Point | |
| Food and drink | Bar | Point | |
| Food and drink | Coffee shop | Point | |
| Food and drink | Dessert | Point | |
| Food and drink | Fast Food | Point | |
| Food and drink | Food Court | Point | |
| Food and drink | Ice Cream | Point | |
| Food and drink | Restaurant | Point | |
| Culture & entertainment | Art Gallery | Point | |
| Culture & entertainment | Casino | Area | Large hotel-casinos should be Area Places. |
| Culture & entertainment | Club | Point | |
| Culture & entertainment | Game Club | Point | |
| Culture & entertainment | Movie Theater | Point | |
| Culture & entertainment | Museum | Point | |
| Culture & entertainment | Music Venue | Point | |
| Culture & entertainment | Performing Arts Venue | Point | |
| Culture & entertainment | Racing Track | Point | |
| Culture & entertainment | Stadium / Arena | Area | |
| Culture & entertainment | Theme Park | Area | |
| Culture & entertainment | Theater | Point | |
| Culture & entertainment | Tourist Attraction / Historic Site | Point | |
| Culture & entertainment | Zoo / Aquarium | Area | Size-dependent |
| Other | Construction Site | Area | Not mapped. |
| Lodging | Bed & Breakfast | Point | |
| Lodging | Camping / Trailer Park | Point | |
| Lodging | Cottage / Cabin | Point | |
| Lodging | Hostel | Point | |
| Lodging | Hotel | Point | |
| Outdoors | Beach | Area | |
| Outdoors | Golf Course | Area | |
| Outdoors | Park | Area | |
| Outdoors | Playground | Point | Area for large Playgrounds. |
| Outdoors | Plaza | Point | |
| Outdoors | Promenade | Point | Unsure about mapping these at all |
| Outdoors | Scenic Lookout / Viewpoint | Point | |
| Outdoors | Ski Area | Area | Obtain Level 4+ permission before mapping Ski Areas. |
| Outdoors | Sports Court | Point | |
| Natural features | Farm | NONE | Do not map. |
| Natural features | Forest / Grove | Area | Only map official state/national forests, not every stand of trees. |
| Natural features | Island | Area | Should not be added unless the water features in basemap do not include it. Consult with Level 4+ editor first. |
| Natural features | River / Stream | Area | Should not be added unless the water features in basemap do not include it. Consult with Level 4+ editor first. |
| Natural features | Sea / Lake / Pool | Area | Should not be added unless the water features in basemap do not include it. Consult with Level 4+ editor first. |
| Natural features | Canal | Area | Should not be added unless the water features in basemap do not include it. Consult with Level 4+ editor first. |
| Natural features | Swamp / Marsh | Area | Should not be added unless the water features in basemap do not include it. Consult with Level 4+ editor first. |
| Natural features | Dam | Area |
Place Name Standardization
In the interest of making Place searches optimal, please use the following names of Places, and the categories in parentheses. (Check back often, as we will add to this list as problems occur.)
- AutoZone (Car Services)
- Baskin-Robbins (Ice Cream)
- CVS/pharmacy (Pharmacy)
- Starbucks (Coffee Shop)
- Subway Restaurant (Fast Food)
- Walmart Neighborhood Market (Supermarket/Grocery, Pharmacy)
- Walmart Supercenter (Department Store, Supermarket/Grocery, Fashion and Clothing, Pharmacy, Bakery, Garage/Automotive Shop, Sporting Goods)