Editing Guidelines and Best Practices

Thanks for helping us build and maintain an amazing places database! Here are some guidelines and best practices to keep in mind:

Overview

  • Be open-minded, and don’t be too hasty when editing! General rule of thumb: places are legitimate if people like to check in there and the place is not negatively affecting others’ Foursquare experience.
  • Get to know other Foursquare enthusiasts and superusers in your area! Build a local community of experts and create editing guidelines that are relevant to your city and country. If you’re a pro and encounter a new person who doesn’t know the rules, help mentor and educate them!
  • Play nice! Remember that we all share the same goal: to make sure every place on Foursquare has accurate and thorough information.

The Basics

Good places

Real places. Places people can meet up. Places that already have a Foursquare category. Places where people like to check in.

  • Okay: Terminal 4
  • Not okay: "I'm on a plane!"
  • Okay: ABC Company Headquarters
  • Not okay: "Doing work all day"

Private places

Homes can only be edited by the person who created the place on Foursquare. Make sure homes are properly categorized under Residence → Home (private). Flag places incorrectly categorized as Home by clicking ‘Report a problem.’

Duplicate places

Flag exact duplicate locations (same name, same address). Please do not mark a place as a duplicate if it is a distinct place contained within another place.

Pro Tips

See something? Say something.

See something weird or wrong? You can report issues with places by clicking ‘Report a problem’ on any webpage. What about users checking in to places illegitimately? Tell us by filing a help ticket. Offensive tips or photos? You can flag them.

Relevancy is key

If you’re ever confused about whether to close a place, just think about whether the content on the page (tips, photos) is still relevant and useful for others. For example, if your office closed and moved to a new location, the old tips about taking the freight elevator are no longer relevant. Same goes for festivals/events that have ended.

Remember that your edits affect people’s check-in history and experience

Pretty self-explanatory. Edit places based on our guidelines, not based on personal opinion.

Ask questions!

Engage others in discussion in our forums! Build consensus by talking and listening to ideas, taking into account people’s concerns, and coming to wide agreement on a compromise. See how the Wikipedia editor community reaches consensus here.

Resources